The House on Valido Road: See How It Grew
By Lee C. Hanson, Ph.D.
With historic descriptions from Esther Egan, daughter of the Egan Homesteaders
Like other homesteads, the Egan house started small and gradually grew. In their early visits, Will Egan and Jim Shrewsbury roughed it – living in a tent and cooking over an open fire. A structure was necessary to meet the requirements for homesteading, but many other jobs needed to be completed first: Preparing the fields and building shelter for livestock was a priority. An interim building was all they needed at first; more expansive housing could wait.
When Will Egan built the first structure on the homestead, it was a 10-ft. x 16-ft. one-room cabin (built sometime before 1909). This little cabin fulfilled the minimum requirements set out by the Homestead Act.
The early structure had a shed roof with shingle siding. Shingles as well as board-and-batten siding were popular options for homesteads since they were made using a simplified (and inexpensive) milling process.
Marriage plans probably speeded up construction on the Egan house. The husband-to-be undoubtedly wanted something better than a shack for his new bride.
This first addition to the original cabin was likely made around 1909 (either before or shortly after the marriage). The dark-colored structure at the far left is the original cabin.
Courtesy of Deborrah Allen, representing the Egan family
Original cabin (10 ft. x 16 ft.) and the first addition (in preparation for a new bride)
An additional section (along with new windows and a fireplace) was added on in late 1909 or early 1910. In this case, it was the birth of a child that speeded up construction. In 1910, Frances Egan – the couple’s first daughter – was born.
Click on photo for a larger image
Courtesy of Deborrah Allen, representing the Egan family
Egan homestead with original one-room cabin at the far left (with shed roof). The double additions, brick chimney and gable roof had been constructed, circa 1910.
The Egan’s second daughter Esther (born in 1912) mentioned the date that the fireplace was built on her index cards:
…the fireplace that our father had so lovingly built for his bride in 1909.
The dark coloring of the entire house – the original “cabin” and the 1910 additions – appears fresh and is probably a coating of tar; this method of weatherproofing was commonly used to combat moisture along the California coast.
In the summer of 1916, the South Laguna wildfire destroyed much of the Egan homestead, but the house was left standing. It would have been this 1910 house that emerged out of the smoke and ashes of the destructive wildfire. Restoring the property back to “normal living” took many years. During that time, little attention was given to improving the house.
In 1928, another addition was constructed on the north side of the house, adding a second bedroom and filling the void between the two existing structures. This addition created the L-shaped plan. The cottage was unified in design with updated windows, new board-and-batten siding and a new roof structure with exposed rafter tails.
Courtesy of Deborrah Allen, representing the Egan family
Egan homestead with addition and unified design, circa 1928
Notice the utility pole sticking up over the top of the roof.
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Esther’s notecards state:
It took years before we had electricity to our houses because we had to pay for all the poles and wiring.
…All of our water had to be caught and stored in cisterns with pumps…Later our father discovered a spring back up our canyon and after hard work, piped it down into our home. …After South Laguna became a community, mother gave the property for the high water tank.
The “high water tank” became the West Street Reservoir – built on land donated by Bertie Egan. Bertie also donated land for a second reservoir built near Ceanothus Drive.
Courtesy of Deborrah Allen, representing the Egan family
Rainwater at the Egan home was captured and pumped into cisterns
The family and the house had weathered unstable weather conditions, lack of water and a wildfire that wiped out all vegetation. Still, the family persevered. The remodeling of the house gave the message: “The Egans are here to stay.”
Will Egan had only a couple years to enjoy the successful restoration of his homestead. “William Frederick Egan, pioneer resident,” passed away two days after Christmas in 1930.
Will’s unexpected death was a blow to the family. Faced with the marriage of her daughters, Bertie seized the opportunity to keep them close.
Esther said on her notecards:
…Mother gave us a half-acre for our home, just down the hill from her home.
In June 1935 and during the year before our wedding, we built our home on West and Catalina on a half-acre from my parents. She got so much joy in having us so close.
Courtesy of Deborrah Allen, representing the Egan family
Esther’s house
Click on photo for a larger image
Courtesy of county of Orange, Historical Aerial Imagery and Microsoft Paint 3D
South Laguna Beach, 1938
The composite 1938 aerial photograph shows the terrain surrounding the Egan home (circled in yellow) sitting on the edge of the Ceanothus Canyon. (Esther Egan’s 1935 home sits at about 4 o’clock in the circle.)
Bertie Egan continued living a full life for 19 years after her husband’s death. The South Coast News reported on her activities, describing family activities and community events. One interview reported her saying how proud she was “to be living on the same land and same house that she moved into after she became a bride.”
Bertie was quoted in her obituary as commenting on her life in South Laguna, “It was a joy to be living in my house on the hill.”
Courtesy of Deborrah Allen, representing the Egan family
Oil painting by Lee Hayes, Laguna Beach artist
This painting of the Egan homestead “on the hill” was a wedding gift given to Esther Egan in 1935 by her mother, Bertie Egan. The artwork has remained in the family, displayed with a companion piece showing the eucalyptus grove on the property.
Courtesy of Ann Christophe
This “house on the hill” photo was taken recently from the Toovet Hiking Trail
This photograph of “the house on the hill” was taken recently from the Toovet Hiking Trail. (The adjacent buildings were removed from the photo so that the homestead could be seen as it looked in 1928.)
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Previous installment: Farm on Fire
Next installment: Hearth and Home
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The words of Esther Egan (Will Egan’s daughter) are part of a record buried in the files at the FamilySearch Library in Los Angeles. Over the years, Esther documented historical and family events, writing on a series of index cards which were passed down to her granddaughter, Deborrah Allen. It was Deborrah who included the cards – her grandmother’s words – in the tribute: Our Family Heroes – My Grandmother Esther Egan Hind.
Researcher/author Dr. Lee Hanson taught in the Art Department at San José State University for several years; she moved to Southern California and retired while serving as associate director of Arts Education, Art Department, School of Arts and Architecture, UCLA.
Editor’s Note: The Egan Homestead property includes the original historical one-story homestead house, started in 1909 and completed in 1928, and the adjacent building which was used as a stable and for equipment storage, and it housed Kirke Thompson, their farm hand.
A proposed development would demolish these buildings to make way for a new 3,811-sq.-ft. residence, decks and garage. The Design Review Board approved the demolition and new construction at their meeting on September 25. Chair Gibbs stated that this was the hardest decision he has had to make since he has been on the board. The city-commissioned historical resources report found that the property is eligible for the California Register of Historical Resources and the National Register of Historic Places for its association with the Homestead Act signed by President Lincoln in 1862.
The Egan Cottage is the only surviving homestead house in Laguna Beach and the only known example in all of Orange County. The approval has been appealed by neighbors, the South Laguna Civic Association and Village Laguna. The appeal will be heard at the Council meeting on January 13, 2026.
