 Historic Seven Sycamores Ranch
In the late 1920s, nestled among the orange and mandarin orchards of McKellar Farms, Hugh McKellar planted seven native Sycamores and began planning the family homestead. His plan was to build a home and buildings of the native adobe clay, and by 1938, he had created a work building and a wash house over the cistern that would supply water for many years.
Using granite hauled from the Big Meadows area between the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, he laid out walkways by hand. In 1939, he built the foundation for his home. It was unusual for the times, but Hugh then arranged for his house in Ivanhoe to be picked up, placed on a truck, and moved to the ranch. Hugh McKellar and his wife Vernice slept in the home that very night.
  The house has been remodeled and expanded several times, including a renovation in the the fall of 2007. Over many years, Vernice developed a most beautiful yard around the property, planting primarily native plants. The gardens are so attractive that small signs now tell visitors the names of the plants.
Hugh and Vernice had two children, Norene and Robert, and a second house was moved to the property when the two were too old to share a bedroom. Bob's House later became The Bunkhouse for employees, and then in 2006 and 2007 was remodeled and redocorated into an attractive cottage for travelers.
  The lovely grounds are now rented often for weddings, special events, receptions, and family reunions. On such occasions, out of town guests may arrange to stay in The Homestead or The Bunkhouse, which provide convenient comfortable lodging and additional preparation areas for the ceremonies.
A large building is also available to accommodate caterers, with refrigeration and large preparation areas to assure the smooth and efficient services to guests. We work with some exceptional caterers and event coordinators, to assure our guests enjoy the "casual elegance" for which we are known. We hope you'll be our guests soon!
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