The Pacific Palisades Historical Society will host a talk on the mystery surrounding Murphy Ranch in Rustic Canyon on Monday, March 14 at 7 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse on Haverford Avenue. The public is invited. Local historian Randy Young will discuss the history of the 1930s Nazi encampment, the shady circumstances of the owners of the property and what finally happened. Murphy Ranch, located near Camp Josepho, was owned by Norman and Winona Stephens, who had fallen under the spell of a sort of Svengali named Schmidt, who warned them that the United States was going to be defeated by Germany. To prepare for that inevitability, the couple commissioned the prominent Los Angeles architect Paul Williams to design a mansion, complete with indoor swimming pool and gymnasium. The ranch was to be self-sufficient, but the only residential structures ever completed were a couple of cottages and a two-story steel garage. (See photo on page 17 in this week’s Real Estate News & Views.)
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