A City-owned historic site consisting of a historic adobe structure and landscaping, this 4.7 acres is all that remains of a 27,000 acre rancho which was part of a Spanish land grant given to Manual Nieto in 1784. The structure, built by John Temple in 1844, consists of a two-story adobe house with Monterey wood balconies and one-story wings framing a central yard. The property was purchased by Flint, Bixby and Company in 1866, and it continued in use for farming, cattle and sheep ranching. It became a rental property after 1881, and most of the city was built on Rancho Los Cerritos lands. The house was preserved and remodeled into a single family home by Llewellyn Bixby in 1930. The site reflects the history of the region over more than two hundred years. It was purchased by the City in 1956. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a California Historical Landmark.