History of the Barnard House at 1111 South Ditmar Street

Many neighbors are lamenting the loss of a historic home on the southwest corner of Eucalyptus and South Ditmar Streets next to the former Ditmar Elementary School, now Surfside Educational Academy. The house was recently demolished to make way for improvements and expansion at the school site.

Before a house was built on the site, the area was one large undeveloped 10 acre tract that was bordered by Eucalyptus to the north, South Ditmar to the east, Short Street (Oceanside Blvd) to the south and Hill Street (Coast Highway) to the west. In the early 1910’s the tract was entirely laid out in carnations and in the 1920s it was used for growing vegetables.

Fred Gardner Barnard, Sr. purchased the property in 1927 from Dr. Robert S. Reid.  F. G. Barnard “pioneered the planting of lima beans in San Diego County” and made lima beans a staple crop in Oceanside and surrounding area.

A native of Ventura, California, born April 5, 1872, Barnard came to Las Flores on the Santa Margarita rancho in 1907. Prior to his arrival, he married Neta Bonita Lamb in 1899 and the couple had three children:  Fred Gardner Barnard, Jr., Harriett and Maryline. 

Barnard was said to be the first farmer to plant a vegetable crop on the Rancho Santa Margarita.  His lima bean crops even inspired an Oceanside festival in 1913, Bean Day, which was celebrated at the Oceanside Pier band shell. Barnard is also credited with having “pioneered irrigation” on the Santa Margarita, having drilled many of the first wells on the ranch.

According to an interview with a family member, Barnard built the house in 1929. The house was the only structure on the entire ten-acre property for twenty years and the remaining land was farmed. The house was originally a one-story structure with an additional level being added in the 1940s.

The Barnard’s owned the acreage until a large portion of the tract was sold to the school district for Ditmar Elementary School, built in 1949. Fred and his wife, Neta lived at the home until he died in 1953 and she passed 8 years later in 1961.

After Barnard Sr.’s death his daughters Harriett and Maryline were deeded the property and in 1962 it was sold to J. Maxey Witman and Lillian E. Witman. 

Jackson Maxey Witman was the son of Harry Witman and Ruth Maxey. His father Harry Witman was the foreman at the historic Rancho Santa Margarita. After the rancho was purchased by the Navy Department to establish Marine Corps Base Camp Joseph H. Pendleton, Witman received a commission as a captain and served with the Marines throughout World War II.  J. Maxey Witman worked in real estate for decades.

In 1964 the property was purchased by H. Glen and Jean Guyer.  Glen Guyer worked at US Silica in the early 1960s and later went into partnership with Irby Mandrell in the Oceanside Music Company.  Irby Mandrell was the father of Barbara Mandrell who would later become a well-known country western singer. The Mandrell’s performed in Oceanside at the Normandy Bar and the 101 Club and even recorded a single with O-side Records.

Jean Guyer was a registered dental hygienist and worked part time for well known dentist Dr. Tom Melbourne. Jean Guyer was later elected to the Oceanside School Board where she served several years.

The Guyer’s raised their children at 1111 South Ditmar Street and in an interview Jean remembered some of the unique circumstances of living in a home in close proximity to an elementary school as children would sometimes crawl through the hedge and hide in their backyard.

She noted that there had been no heat in the house except for the gas fireplace and remarked that the second story addition was “poorly planned” but it afforded the family a view of the fireworks on the 4th of July. The original entrance was on the north end at Eucalyptus but had been changed.

In 2001 the house was acquired by the Oceanside Unified School District.

Barnard Drive in Oceanside that leads to the MiraCosta College Campus is named in memory of Fred Gardner Barnard, Jr. Active in the community, Barnard, Jr. was committed to education. He served on the Oceanside-Carlsbad High School board of trustees for 30 years, from 1934 to 1964 and over the years the Barnard family has contributed over $200,000 to the college.

The house was photographed in 2013. Below are some interior scenes after the house had been vacant. The house had been remodeled over the years but there were still original features.