Rancho Santa Fe’s La Flecha House celebrates 100 years

This year marks the centennial celebration of La Flecha House, home to the Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society and the Ranch’s very own museum. Located at the corner of La Flecha and Via de Santa Fe, La Flecha House was the first house in the RSF Civic Center built for the Santa Fe Land Improvement Company. It was the first residence designed by renowned architect Lilian Rice in 1923, according to a news release.

The first occupants of La Flecha House were Sydney R. Nelson and his family. They allowed a portion of the home to be used as the Ranch’s first library. Over the decades, several families called La Flecha House home. Generously and lovingly gifted to the Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society in the late 1980s by the Reitz family, La Flecha House serves as a museum, a repository of native artifacts, and a robust archive of tens of thousands of historical documents, photos, and media pertaining to the Ranch’s storied history.

Located in the center of the Village, La Flecha House is a Visitors Center of sorts for guests coming to Rancho Santa Fe from all over the nation and the world. Over the years, the museum has been a gathering place for RSFHS members and the community at large to learn about the history of RSF’s unique village. The free museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p,m. The courtyard provides a sunny spot to enjoy a coffee, meet before lunch, or just sit and listen to the birds. Later this year, the courtyard, as well as the outdated drainage system, will be getting a much-needed renovation to prevent further water damage inside the museum.

To celebrate the centennial, the RSF Historical Society has several plans in the works. There will be a limited number of Centennial Club memberships which include a permanent personal paver in the renovated courtyard; an Upcoming Tag Sale where you can own a piece of Rancho history; the popular Fandango celebration will be back in the fall, as well as “Stories from the Ranch” and more.

Now is the perfect time to renew or begin your membership with the RSF Historical Society. Make your mark and be a part of Rancho Santa Fe history. Visit rsfhs.org to sign up online, call the office at (858) 756-9291 and ask for Emily, or stop in at La Flecha House Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization. Its mission is to collect, preserve, research, and interpret the documents, photos and artifacts that connect residents to Rancho Santa Fe and its past. The opportunity to learn more about the history of this special village is offered through exhibitions, historic sites, the archives, special events, educational programs and publications. — RSF Historical Society news release

Guests at the 2022 Rancho Days Fandango sponsored by the RSF Historical Society.

(Jon Clark)