Ira and Kate Hinckley House

The Hinckley House was built in 1905 by one of Fillmore’s, Dr. Ira Hinckley and his wife Catherine, "Kate". Ira Hinckley was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1879, the son of Dr. John Hinckley and Cora Loomis Hinckley. Dr. John Hinckley came to Fillmore in the early 1890s and became the town’s first physician. His son, Ira, became a dentist and pharmacist opening an office on Central Avenue. In 1899 he married Catherine “Kate” Cruson and in 1905 they built a home at First and Fillmore Street in Fillmore. There they raised their two children, Lawrence and Hattie Mae. When the house was going to be demolished following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, it was given to the Fillmore Historical Museum and moved down Fillmore Street onto the present site. The house consists of a living room, dining room, bedroom, and kitchen as well as a representation of Dr. Ira Hinckley’s dental office. The bathroom originally was located outside. A lean-to was added at a later date to house the more modern bathroom, but it didn’t survive the earthquake. Very few of the items displayed in the house actually belonged to the Hinckley family, but were donated by many local families.

You enter the two bed-room home into the front parlor. Unlike parlors in larger homes, this would have been the center of the family’s life. In pride of place in the parlor is a pump organ which stood in the Arundell Adobe in the Sespe area. After the family moved out of the Adobe, the pump organ was given to the Museum. You can ask one of the docents to play it (at least a scale).

Throughout the home you will see the artwork of Lawrence Hinckley. He and his wife, Mildred Coombs Hinckley, had a home and art studio, the Artists’ Barn, in the barn which stood next to this home. It was a gathering place for artists and art classes from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The dining room is set for a seasonal meal while the family can listen to music from the Edison record player in the corner. A working table top phone sits by the window.

The kitchen features a 1920s era Roper gas range and all the modern labor saving devices such as toasters, butter churns and a selection of irons. Just off the kitchen a laundry area can be found with washtub and wringer.

The bedroom illustrates the hand work of the era’s housewives with a vintage sewing machine standing ready to make or mend the family’s clothing. Children’s toys and a baby’s basket make it clear this was not a private space for the parents.

The second bedroom has been outfitted to display the tools of a medical doctor or a dentist. The examination chair sits beside a vintage wheel chair. A dentist’s cabinet displays the “tools” of the trade, although some look better suited to a veterinarian considering their size. On the walls can be seem some of Lawrence Hinckley’s cartoons and sketches. 

Although small in size, the Hinckley House tells a big story of the early 20th century in our community.

https://www.fillmorehistoricalmuseum.org/exhibits

Hinckley, Mildred. The Artists' Barn: Twenty-five year pioneering adventure in art. Ventura, CA. Ventura County Historical Society, 1985.

Lawrence Hinckley biographical Information, Accessed April 24th 2020. https://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Lawrence_Bradford_Hinckley/9311/Lawrence_Bradford_Hinckley.aspx.