This vintage postcard shows a partial view of the faculty building at Claretville Seminary in Calabasas.
The front of the postcard captures a peaceful campus setting with Spanish-style architecture, arched walkways, mature trees, and a wide lawn. The scene feels very different from the modern image of Calabasas, which is now better known for gated communities, shopping centers, and suburban hillside neighborhoods.
The back of the postcard identifies the site as:
Claretville Seminary
Claretian Fathers, C.M.F.
Calabasas, California
Partial view of faculty building
The postcard was published and distributed by Columbia Wholesale Supply, located at 11401 Chandler Boulevard in North Hollywood. The card is numbered H-5048.
The former Claretville Seminary property is tied to what is now King Gillette Ranch, located at 26800 Mulholland Highway in Calabasas near Las Virgenes Road. The ranch has a long history that stretches from Chumash settlement in the area to private estate, seminary campus, religious retreat, university property, and finally public parkland.
In 1926, razor-blade businessman King C. Gillette purchased hundreds of acres in Las Virgenes Canyon and built a Spanish Colonial Revival estate designed by architect Wallace Neff. The mansion was completed in 1929, shortly before the stock market crash. Gillette died only a few years later in 1932.
After Gillette’s death, the property was sold to MGM director Clarence Brown, who used the ranch as a private retreat and added features including a projection room, swimming pool, and small airstrip.
The next major chapter came in 1952, when Brown sold the ranch to the Claretians, formally known as the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. During this period, the property became Claretville Seminary. The Claretians built new seminary-related buildings in the 1950s, including dormitory, classroom, chapel, and faculty spaces.
The building shown on this postcard appears to still be standing today as part of King Gillette Ranch. While the postcard only describes it as a “partial view of faculty building,” the image appears to match the former Claretian seminary/dormitory building that remains on the ranch property.
After the seminary years, the property went through several more changes. As the number of seminarians declined, portions of the ranch were leased out, including space used by Thomas Aquinas College in the 1970s. The Claretians later sold the property, and it became associated with the Church Universal and Triumphant, which renamed the site Camelot. Soka University later used the ranch before the property was eventually acquired for public use.
Today, King Gillette Ranch is public parkland within the Santa Monica Mountains. The property includes historic buildings, lawns, walking areas, scenic views, and the Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center. It is now used for hiking, educational programs, public events, weddings, filming, and as a gateway for visitors exploring the Santa Monica Mountains.
That modern use makes this postcard especially interesting. What was once a private religious and educational campus is now one of the most accessible historic ranch properties in the Calabasas area. The postcard preserves a view from the Claretville period, while the property today serves a much broader public purpose.
It is also a reminder that Calabasas has gone through several layers of identity over time: Chumash land, private ranch estate, Hollywood retreat, seminary campus, religious retreat, university property, and now public parkland. Vintage postcards like this help document those transitions and preserve pieces of local history that might otherwise be forgotten.
Postcard Details:
Location: Claretville Seminary, Calabasas, California
Current Site: King Gillette Ranch
Current Address: 26800 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas, CA 91302
Institution: Claretian Fathers, C.M.F.
Image Description: Partial view of faculty building
Year Seminary Building Built: 1950s
Publisher/Distributor: Columbia Wholesale Supply, 11401 Chandler Boulevard, North Hollywood, California
Postcard Number: H-5048
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