Now, many of the old adobes are open to the public, but a lot of 'em aren't. Here are some local oldies that are privately owned. So for starters, theres the Rancho Las Tunas Adobe built in 1769, and possibly the oldest continuously inhabited house in L.A. (it might even be older than the current mission). The first occupant of the house was Father Jose Maria Zalvedia.
315 Monson Lane, San Gabriel, CA 91776
I believe John Kielbassa took this picture at the right, you see, there's a big ol' wall around it and poking my head in makes my feel like a perv. This was my pic down below
so you see what I mean. Kielbassa undoubtedly was doing research, whereas I was doing a drive-by. I want to know more about this ol' house (tunas means "prickly pear" for you folks who don't know what's good.) Anyway, besides seekin' out these old adobes, I was also on something of a research mission - my boy David Chambers, who is a great-great-great something grandson of Eulalia Perez de Guillen, found this old photo from 1878 and we've all been guessin' which house it is and if it even exists any more. Anyway, even though
Rancho Las Tunas is spittin' distance from the mission, it ain't it.
This here below is the lovely Ortega-Vigare Adobe, built around 1800, and this ain't it either! (right by the mission across the train tracks)
616 South Ramona St., San Gabriel, CA 91776
And, of course, there's the Lopez de Lowther Adobe (built in 1806) that Eualia did live in for many years (her daughter, Maria de Los Angeles was married to Jose Tiburcio Lopez, one of Claudio Lopez's, the majordomo, sons) but that doesn't look right either.
338 S. Santa Anita Ave., San Gabriel 91776
Well, so much for the private adobes around the mission. There are some "fake" adobes in Pasadena / Sierra Madre. Well no, they're real, and they're not imaginary, they just weren't associated with the mission period Here are a few of them:
The Hermitage Adobe
2121 Monte Vista Street, Pasadena, CA 91107
The Hermitage Adobe was built in 1869 for James Craig. It is the oldest adobe house in Pasadena.
Then there's the Hart Adobe:
To quote John Kielbassa "this adobe structure was constructed circa 1885 by John Jacob Hart (1843 - 1932), a native of Ohio and a Union Army veteran of the Civil War. The Adobe was built on a forty-acre parcel owned by Hart. Later, the Montenvina Winery was located there. In 1918 Hart
donated a portion of the property to the city of Sierra Madre to be used as a park. Today it is known as Memorial Park and serves as the grounds of the Sierra Madre city hall. The adobe has been restored in recent years and is now a senior center."
The Hart Adobe
222 W Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CA 91204
And finally, there's the Hawks Adobe, built in 1890. It's a florist's shop.
35 E Monticeto Ave, Sierra Madre, CA 91024
So there it is, folks - we've been to every adobe still around the mission and none of then are it, which brings me to the conclusion that 1- that house probably wasn't a clapboard with an adobe base, 2- it was probably a pretty new building when the picture was taken and 3 - it probably doesn't exist any more. I'm still gonna keep lookin' just in case.
By the way, the Ortega-Vigare Adobe is up for sale. It's lovely. Problem is, it's about 10 feet away from the train tracks and right across the street from the high school. Perfect place for the hearing-impaired, so if you're deaf, feeling flush, like to swim and want to own a genuine piece of California history, take a tip from Jake.
And for LA County adobe hunting, here's your bible:
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