Back in 1961, Johnny Cash and his then-wife Vivian built a home tucked into the hills in Ventura County, California, overlooking the small town of Casitas Springs. The ranch-style 4,500-square-foot, five-bedroom residence was built to the singer’s specifications and included everything from a wall-mounted turntable to custom wood built-ins in the kitchen and living room.
Now, the double-gabled house, which is set on nearly six acres not far from the Ojai Valley, has come to market for $1.795 million, listed by its current owner (who purchased the house in 2003 for $739,000, according to The Wall Street Journal). Many of Cash’s original details have been preserved, including painted ceilings imbued with glitter, a curved brick fireplace in the family room and an intercom system. The house also includes a wood-paneled studio where Cash wrote his songs.
According to the listing information, local lore has it that Cash was known for sometimes setting up speakers on the hill outside his house and “playing concerts for the townspeople down below.” The early ’60s, though, was a dark period though in Cash’s life. The singer, who was falling deeper into drugs at the time, “stopped coming home for months at a time and struck up affairs with other women,” according to an account in the Los Angeles Times.
Also according to the listing information, the couple had “distinct his-and-her [primary] 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.” The couple divorced in 1966.
The house’s grounds include live oaks, an outdoor BBQ area and a swimming pool and pool house, plus corrals. It’s listed with Adam McKaig and Melissa Borders of Douglas Elliman.
Scroll further for additional photos of the Johnny Cash residence.