(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) – Simi Valley’s Box Canyon is often remembered for its ties to infamous figures like Charles Manson, but before Manson’s time, the canyon was home to another enigmatic and controversial group: the Fountain of the World church. Founded by Krishna Venta in 1948, this church had a profound and eerie presence in the area long before Manson’s arrival.
Krishna Venta, born Francis Herman Pencovic, declared himself a reincarnation of Jesus Christ, claiming to have been sent to Earth from the planet Neophrates. He established the Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, and Love (WKFL) Fountain of the World on a 20-acre property in Box Canyon, a rugged and isolated glen in the Santa Susana Mountains. The area was previously inhabited by the Berry family, who had converted a large cave into a home. Venta himself lived in this cave before his followers built more permanent structures.
The church’s members, known as “Fountaineers,” adhered to a strict lifestyle of communal living, wearing long robes, going barefoot, and growing their hair long. They donated all their possessions to the church and lived by Venta’s eleven tenets, which emphasized spiritual unity, selflessness, and love for all beings.
The Fountain of the World compound was a self-sufficient community with dormitories, a main building with dining areas, a hobby room, and even trees growing through the roofs of their buildings. The men and women of the commune worked six days a week, living the hard life of subsistence farming pioneers. Children were raised communally but attended local schools, and the group followed a primarily vegetarian diet.
Despite their isolation, the Fountaineers were active in the local community. They participated in holiday parades, distributed a Fountain newspaper, and entertained locals with their choir. They were known for their humanitarian efforts, such as aiding in the aftermath of the 1949 Standard Air Lines crash and fighting wildfires. These acts of kindness earned them a positive reputation among their neighbors, who often donated food and supplies to the commune.
The peaceful existence of the Fountain of the World came to a violent end on December 10, 1958. In the early hours of the morning, a powerful explosion shook the commune, killing Krishna Venta and nine others. The blast was the result of a suicide bombing orchestrated by disgruntled former members Peter Kamenoff and Ralph Muller, who accused Venta of financial mismanagement and infidelity. The explosion sparked a brush fire that burned 150 acres and seriously injured several other members, including two young girls and a 59-year-old woman.
Following Venta’s death, the church’s influence rapidly declined. Some of his followers, such as Sister Thedra and Sister Wali, moved to Mount Shasta to continue channeling messages from Venta. By the mid-1970s, the Fountain of the World church had ceased to exist. However, the site briefly found new life when Charles Manson and his followers took up residence in 1968. Manson’s apocalyptic visions bore eerie similarities to Venta’s teachings, suggesting a possible influence.
Today, the history of the Fountain of the World church serves as a haunting reminder of Box Canyon’s past. The physical traces of the church may have faded, but their story remains a fascinating chapter in the history of Simi Valley, illustrating the enduring allure and danger of charismatic leaders and isolated communes.
