Westwind Barn’s Gambrel Roof and Added Wings: An Equestrian Landmark in Los Altos Hills
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Westwind Barn’s outline records its growth. What began as a smaller horse barn developed into a larger complex, with added wings and supporting riding facilities reflecting changes in ownership and use.
The building also helps explain a particular aspect of Los Altos Hills: the connection between equestrian activity, public land and the town’s pathway system. Its architecture and surrounding routes belong to the same local story.
The original barn used a roof shaped for storage
The town’s history anthology traces Westwind to Frank Ellithorpe’s six-stall barn in the mid-1940s. It identifies Morgan and Arabian horses and a gambrel roof resembling those found on New England barns.
A gambrel has two slopes on each side. The anthology explains that the form creates more hay-storage space beneath the roof than a simple gable.
That practical purpose makes the silhouette informative. Roof shape is not only an architectural style choice; it can express how a building stores material and supports its work.
At Westwind, the large upper volume belongs to the barn’s original equestrian function. Reading the section through the roof helps explain the building more clearly than its exterior outline alone.
The wings identify later stages of the complex
The town’s architectural archive uses aerial photographs to distinguish the original central portion from a south wing added in the 1960s and an east wing added around 1971. The anthology identifies Robert Clement as the intervening owner who added seventeen stalls, a tack room and a riding arena after acquiring the land in 1965.
The archive also provides plans associated with the 2009 renovation and records the barn’s designation as a town historic landmark in June 2022.
The aerial views are particularly useful because additions are easier to distinguish from above. A complex that appears unified at ground level can contain a clear sequence of construction around a shared working area.
This is a rewarding way to interpret older agricultural and equestrian properties. Their organization often reflects adaptation to changing activity rather than a single, fully realized original design.
A training center became a town-owned facility
The town’s current facility account identifies Countess Margit Bessenyey’s use of the property for Hungarian horses and her work with trainer Linda Tellington-Jones. It records donation of the site to the town in 1976 and extensive renovation in 2009.
The town identifies the facility as occupying fifteen acres beside Byrne Preserve. Its published amenities include riding arenas, a round pen, tack facilities and connections to the local pathway network.
Those supporting spaces matter as much as the historic barn. Equestrian use requires places for training, preparation, equipment and movement between the stable and surrounding routes.
The setting extends beyond the building
A barn beside a preserve is different from a barn considered only as an individual structure. Its relationship with outdoor space and connected routes helps determine how the facility functions.
For someone comparing Los Altos Hills locations, Westwind provides a concrete example of the town’s equestrian landscape. The relevant context includes the building’s historical form, the public facility’s present role and the route network beyond its grounds.
Our Los Altos Hills property settings guide introduces broader residential differences. Westwind adds local architectural detail to that conversation without assuming every nearby property has the same equestrian facilities or access.
Explore real estate and home for sale in Los Altos Hills. Contact Diamond to compare homes in relation to their specific land, buildings and surrounding pathways.
Sources checked October 28, 2026. Historical development follows the town’s anthology and archive; facility use and availability follow the town’s current program.
