Replica Adobes

The two structures described within this chapter are not original adobe dwellings built long ago by great rancheros or respected pioneer families, but they are still worthy of mention. Both built in the 1900s, one is a duplication of a historic old adobe which was unable to stand the test of time; while the other is a fabricated adobe hacienda designed to give modern and future generations a glimpse into California's rich cultural past.

Cahuenga Adobe

Across the street from the entrance of Universal Studio in Universal City there is a site of great historic interest to California. Behind a wrought iron fence with brick pillars, a structure stands within a courtyard with tall slender palm trees and a high flagpole. This building located at 3919 Lankershim Boulevard is the Cahuenga Adobe, or as it sometimes referred to as "Campo de Cahuenga". It is not an authentic eighteenth or nineteenth century adobe as are nearly all the others described in this book, but it is a 1950 replica of a former one built on the site in 1845. The site was so historically significant that there was a need to replace the old adobe, which was demolished in 1900, with the current duplication. For upon this site on January 13, 1847, a piece of paper was signed ended the Mexican War in California. It was the Treaty of Cahuenga, signed by Lieutenant Colonel John Charles Fremont for the United States and General Andres Pico on behalf of the Californios fighting for Mexico.

The Cahuenga adobe was constructed in 1845 by Tomas Feliz at the north end of the pass bearing the same name. Cahuenga Pass was named for an ancient Indian village in the area and was the main passageway through the Hollywood Hills connecting Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. This well-traveled pass was the site of previous military engagements and subsequent peace negotiations. The revolt against Governor Manuel Victoria culminated here in 1831, and the famous Battle of Cahuenga was fought here in 1845, which resulted in the ouster of the unpopular governor, Manuel Micheltorena.

Tomas Feliz owned the Cahuenga Rancho where his modest six-room adobe stood. He was a member of the same family that owned neighboring Rancho Los Feliz, which today is the site of Griffith Park. It was on the "corredor" or the front porch of this adobe that Pico surrendered to Fremont and the historic treaty was signed. The original English version of the Treaty of Cahuenga vanished without a trace; however, the original Spanish version was kept with General Pico at his San Fernando Mission home. This also disappeared, but was recovered seventy-four years later in the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, California, among the Pico family papers.

The adobe of Tomas Feliz was allowed to decompose in time and was razed in 1900 due to road improvements along Lankershim Boulevard. On May 25, 1925, the City of Los Angeles purchased the site and kept it as a park commemorating the signing of the treaty. In 1950 an exact replica of the Cahuenga adobe was built by using old photographs and other documentation describing the house. The present building was placed on the exact site with the front door facing Lankershim Boulevard. It is a simple single story structure with a roof composed of red tiles. The San Fernando Valley Historical Society copies of documents, photographs and displays relating to the treaty and its signers: Pico and Fremont.

Today, Campo de Cahuenga is maintained by the City of Los Angeles Recreation and Park Department. Every January a celebration, including a re-enactment of the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga, takes place at the site. The Cahuenga Adobe is California State Registered Landmark 29 as indicated by a bronze plaque place on the north wall within the corredor. It is open to the public by appointment only. More photos

Cahuenga Adobe
3912 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91604 Map
Open by appointment
818 292-5190

Casa de Adobe

Casa de Adobe, at 4603 North Figueroa in the Highland Park section of Los Angeles was built in the early part of the twentieth century. Located below the hill from the Southwest Museum, the casa was the conception of the Hispanic Society of California, a group formed by Henry O'Melveny and others. Construction began in 1914, but was delayed by World War I and not completed until 1925. It was designed and built to depict an early California style adobe home that a wealthy young ranchero might have owned. The house has over two dozen rooms furnished with authentic early nineteenth century articles, including two rooms with furniture from the Pico and Sepulveda families. This large casa, which would be considered a mansion by even today's standards, is a fine example of how a prominent California family would have lived in the Spanish colonial era. Associated with the Southwest Museum, Casa de Adobe is a living history museum open to the public.

Casa de Adobe
4603 N Figueroa, Highland Park, CA 90065 Map
Not open to the public.

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