FILLMORE : 2 Buildings, Sign Designated as Landmarks

Three pre-World War II structures in Fillmore have been designated as historical landmarks by the Fillmore City Council, the final approval that sets aside the monuments as noteworthy.

The Fillmore sign at the corner of California 126 and Central Avenue, which steers motorists to the central business district, joined the art and science buildings at Fillmore High School as Ventura County’s newest landmarks.

The sign, erected in 1940, is a streamlined, neon-lighted rectangle with curved edges that stands at the northeast corner of the intersection. The two buildings at Fillmore High, erected in 1939, were built in the Mediterranean-style of that era with looming, Moorish entrances.

“But it’s other things more than age” that lead to historical-status designations, said David Mason, chairman of the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, which recommended the structures as landmarks.

“It’s style, architecture, and what they added to the community in the past,” he said.

The two buildings and the sign were originally recommended as historical landmarks to the board by Fillmore residents, who told members they contributed to the personality of the city, Mason said.

“There aren’t too many signs hanging around that look like that,” he said.