SITE 12

It has been more than 80 years since John Funk built this house which was all but destroyed in the 2003 cedar fire. All that remains today is the stone foundation. I feel there is a lot more to explore in this area and have read that there are more stone remnants built by Funk in this vicinity. Another day we will dig deeper.

This road was once part of the original stagecoach rd. that connected San Diego to Escondido. A terrible tragedy occurred in the 1800's where a whole family was murdered at the stagecoach stop nearby after some thieves stole their firearms.

Although the stagecoach days were gone before Funk moved here, he still preferred to ride horseback for the majority of his transportation. The home they built on their land consisted of 2 bedrooms and a stone outhouse complete with the first hand-dug pool in town.

This was a very talked-about pool and people would come from all over to swim in it. Despite all the attention, Funk was actually a very private man and did not like a lot of company. On several occasions it was said that he ran off trespassers with a shotgun.

Funk is responsible for helping to pave this road. Before it was nothing but a dirt path. In fact, their trusty tractor, affectionately known as Big Bertha still lays on the grounds to this day. When John's son, Bill, passed away in 1993 he left the ranch to his wife, Carol. Although Carol realized she was taking on a huge task caring for the ranch and horses, she also acknowledged what an honor it was.

She was quoted saying "When I look back on the history of this place and what the land and lifestyle meant not only to Bill, but to his father as well, I feel it is my duty to carry on the legacy of western tradition started by John Funk over 80 years ago".

The reason it got it's name as a hobbit home is the design, similar to hobbit homes you would see in movies with the roof being a hill! Although any garden that was grown on top is long gone, I would like to imagine this home was quite charming in it's heyday!

There are some really beautiful details if you pay attention. Who ever built this house was obviously an artist. Stained glass touches created from bottles and marbles embedded in the foundation:

There was an outdoor pool here: