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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Film-Famous Ambush Rock Up for Sale

The Lone Ranger mounts his horse and pulls on the reins. The steed rears up on his hind legs next to a distinctive two-tiered rock formation as the mysterious vigilante utters his signature cry: “Hi-Ho, Silver! Away!” That recognizable rock, located north of the 118 freeway, has since been incorporated into the landscaping at 11646 Poema Place in Chatsworth. It’s in the gated community of Indian Falls, and the rock – together with the house – is now for sale at a listing price of $1.95 million. Alternately nicknamed “Ambush Rock” — because in Gene Autry movies, the singing cowboy would leap off the rock to surprise a fleeing bandit — and “Lone Ranger Rock” — because the namesake character did the same stunt on the television series, which ran on ABC from 1949 through 1957 — the familiar boulder resembles two separate rocks precariously stacked atop each other. Husband-and-wife Compass realtors Steve and Liz Kaseno have the listing on the property and say Ambush Rock’s novelty makes a solid selling point. “There is a cache to it,” said Steve Kaseno, who noted the house is priced higher than similar homes in the vicinity. “It is more valuable to add a piece of history that nobody else has.” The house has had only three owners, and “nobody has ever built a pool in that backyard,” Kaseno continued, although the last owner came close. In 2017, the Kasenos sold the home to a young executive, who had contemplated adding a swimming pool but instead put the house back on the market because a job transfer. According to Steve Kaseno, Ambush Rock adds ambiance and an energy to the Poema Place property. “The yard really does feel like that centerpiece,” he said. “As you walk toward the master bedroom, you see the rock.” Ambush Rock alludes to the region’s storied history as Hollywood backdrop. At the turn of the 20th century, Chatsworth and the nearby Santa Susana Pass catered to a robust location film industry. The 500-acre Iverson Movie Ranch hosted more than 3,500 movie and television shoots, including episodes of “Bonanza,” “Gunsmoke,” “Zorro,” “The Roy Rogers Show,” “The Gene Autry Show” and “The Cisco Kid.” According to online sources, by the 1960s, ownership of the ranch split, with the Lower Iverson – where Ambush rock stands – owned by one of the Iverson’s son and Upper Iverson by another. In 1982, developers purchased Lower Iverson. The home on Poema Place has five bedrooms on a 50,089-square-foot lot. In addition to the rock, the property features porcelain floors with mosaic inlay, wall-sized windows and a 24-hour security system – presumably to ward off modern-day outlaws still plying the old horse trail. – Michael Aushenker

Michael Aushenker
Michael Aushenker
A graduate of Cornell University, Michael covers commercial real estate for the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. Prior to the Business Journal, Michael covered the community and entertainment beats as a staff writer for various newspapers, including the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, The Palisadian-Post, The Argonaut and Acorn Newspapers. He has also freelanced for the Santa Barbara Independent, VC Reporter, Malibu Times and Los Feliz Ledger.

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