The former home of Johnny Cash and his family has been listed in the Ventura area for $1,795,000.
Built by Cash and his then wife, Vivian, in 1961, the 4,500 square foot home boasts five bedrooms and five bathrooms, tucked in the hills between Ventura and Ojai. Custom wood built-ins throughout the kitchen and living room are period-specific, while the wood-paneled studio where Cash sequestered himself to write many of his hit songs is timelessly preserved.
Cash’s habit of staying up all night writing music, then sleeping all day necessitated two distinct bedroom suites. The suites showcase their personalities: stark original period wallpaper and dark tiled shower in “his” bathroom contrast sharply with the pastel feminine sensibility in “hers”. Even Johnny’s famous black commode remains intact.
According to the listing material, the story is told that Cash bought the land and built the house to his exact specifications; walking the rooms and deciding on exact placement and layout. He created a secluded sanctuary, unique to this rural small-town enclave. Longtime locals recount stories of Cash setting up speakers on the hillside outside the house, and playing concerts for the townspeople down below.
The dramatic double-gabled house is set on nearly six acres. The grounds themselves feature live oaks, verdant gardens, a swimming pool, and corrals and fields ready for wildlife. A hillside barbecue area remains where Cash taught his daughters to shoot; spent shells occasionally turn up as modern remnants of their long-ago target practice.
Melissa Borders and Adam McKaig of Douglas Elliman hold the listing.