Born in England, William Workman (1799–1876) immigrated to the United States as a young man with his older brother David.

The Homestead Museum also includes "La Casa Nueva" – a spectacular example of Spanish Colonial Revival style, built by the Temple family between 1922 and 1927.

[3] The structure is largely built of adobe bricks handmade by artisans led by Pablo Urzua of Guadalajara, Jalisco, while the supervising contractor was Sylvester Cook of Whittier.

The home (9,000 square feet, as built, with 2,000 square feet (190 m2) of dormitory space constructed in 1930 for a military school using the home) contains twenty-six rooms, including nine bedrooms, six bathrooms, a barber shop, commercial size electric cold storage unit, basement with a late 1870s bank vault for storage, and other notable features such as hand painted designs on windows as well as a vibrant use of stained glass of the period.

The home and property were then owned by the California Bank and occupied by caretakers until purchased in October 1940 by Harry and Lois Brown, operators of El Encanto, a sanitarium moved to the site from Monrovia.

Restoration took place in subsequent years with the home opened as part of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum in May 1981.

On 30 May 1857, the cornerstone to St. Nicholas's Chapel (named in honor of Workman's wife, Nicolasa Urioste de Valencia) was laid and blessed by Bishop Thaddeus Amat.

Construction of the Gothic Revival structure, which measured 24' x 48' and featured gilt ceilings and stained glass windows, was completed by the early 1860s.

From 1919 to 1921, Temple's first priority on the ranch was the renovation of El Campo Santo and the building of a mausoleum, designed by the architectural firm of Garstang and Rea, on the site of the chapel.

Temple's son, Walter Jr., the last member of the family to have lived at the Homestead, and daughter-in-law, Nellie Didier, were buried in the cemetery in 1998.

Guided public tours of the Workman Home, 'La Casa Nueva' , and El Campo Santo Cemetery at the Homestead Museum are available on the hour from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, excepting major holidays.