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For years and years, there were many old adobe houses concentrated in San Gabriel because the area was the social, economic, and religious center for early Southern California settlers and Native Americans. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the San Gabriel Mission was the hub of activity and many adobe dwellings sprung up near the mission complex. Today, only three ancient adobe structures, all from the Spanish colonial era, remain within the City of San Gabriel.
Located at 315 Monson Lane in San Gabriel, the Rancho Las Tunas Adobe is quite possibly the oldest house in Los Angeles County. It may even be older than the current San Gabriel Mission church that stands an eighth of a mile to the northwest. The house may have preceded the mission by three years as it was built in the early 1770s and used by the padres as a home. What is perhaps more remarkable than its age, is that the house has been continuously occupied ever since its construction and is still privately owned today.
The Mission San Gabriel Archangel was founded on September 8, 1771, six years before America's Declaration of Independence. It was the fourth missionary establishment in Alta California. Originally, the mission was located at the junction of today's North San Gabriel Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue in Montebello. This site was called La Mission Vieja (The Old Mission). In 1775, the mission was moved five miles north to its present site, which was more suitable for agriculture. The current stone, brick, and mortar church, at 537 West Mission Drive in San Gabriel, was constructed between 1795 and 1805. Franciscan padres occupied the adobe house while they supervised Indian neophytes during the construction of the nearby church.
In 1809, Father Jose Maria Zalvedia, who probably lived at the Las Tunas adobe, planted cactus fences, which enclosed hundreds of acres and protected the mission's crop fields and wild horses. These cacti were broad leafed, prickly pears called, opuntias, or "las tunas" in Spanish, hence the name of the mission rancho. Today, Las Tunas Drive, which traverses through the heart of San Gabriel, owes it name to this great cactus hedge.
By 1812, a three hundred-foot long structure of adobe brick and red tile was built adjacent to the mission church to the west. This became the new quarters for the padres and still stands, but it now houses the mission museum.
Henry Dalton, the English born ranchero, lived at the house on Rancho Las Tunas while he was administrator of this mission in 1846. At one time, "Don Perfecto" Hugo Reid occupied the house. Reid was a native of Scotland who received the grant of Rancho Santa Anita, which was a former mission rancho. Later, a man named Hildreth owned the adobe house. He, in turn, sold the house to Judge Volney E. Howard in 1852.
In 1880, Colonel Lance Purcell purchased the century old adobe and lived there with his family. By this time, the cactus hedge surrounding the adobe had grown to be fifty feet thick. Purcell made some improvements including replacing the floor with pinewood, which were six inches thick. When he refurbished the house again in 1927, he uncovered three layers of wood flooring revealing the original tile floor. The top layers of floor material consisted of pine, redwood, and oak successively. The tile floor was similar to what was used at the mission. Redwood beams were used for the ceiling, which at one time was the roof. Instead of replacing old materials from the house, it seems that restorers over the years just laid new floors and roofing upon the previous ones. Colonel Purcell remained as resident of 315 Orange Street until the 1930s.
Originally, the structure was long, rectangular, and had only three large rooms. There was a dining room with storage space, a granary, and an office for the early friars. In the mid-1840s, an adobe addition was erected changing the figure of the house from a rectangle to a shape similar to a "T". During this renovation, a wood shingled roof was built. Corredores ran along the edges of the latter wing and both ends of the original dwelling.
Today, the house contains fifteen rooms, five times the amount of the first building. The backyard and surroundings contain some old plantings, which date back to the early mission period. Numerous artifacts dating back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries have been found in and around the area. This attractive adobe, which astonishingly has held together for some two hundred twenty five years, is a private resident and not open to the public.
The Vigare Adobe can be found at 616 South Ramona Street in San Gabriel, just a couple of blocks south of the mission. Construction of this adobe walled dwelling began as early as 1792, or as late as 1805. The house was twice as large as it appears today. It was originally "L" shaped, and at one time had an adobe lean-to kitchen, which has disappeared long ago. The Vigare home was at the edge of the mission's lime orchard and was separated by the tall cactus fencing planted by Father Zalvidea in 1809.
The structure was built by Juan Vigare, who was a soldier assigned to the guard at the San Gabriel Mission. In 1859, Jean Vigare came to possess the house and operated a 150-acre vineyard south of the mission. Years later, Vigare converted the house into a bakery, the first in San Gabriel. Later, the place was acquired by Dona Luz Vigare, a great-granddaughter of Juan Vigare. She made the adobe casa her home for many years and occupied the place until the 1930s. Several members of the Vigare family were active in the production of the famous "Mission Play" in San Gabriel, since it inception in 1912.
The house has spacious rooms and high walls. Later, a more modern gabled roof with dormer windows covered the original flat roof. What was once the corredor is now an enclosed front porch. This aged adobe structure is well preserved, owned, and maintained privately by the Blessed Hope Church of San Gabriel and is not yet open to the public. It has been recognized by the State of California as Registered Landmark 451. Private Residence
La Casa de Lopez de Lowther is located at 338 S Santa Anita Ave in San Gabriel. Built prior to or about 1806, the structure was part of the San Gabriel Mission complex, situated near the northwest courtyard area. Juan Lopez moved into the house in 1849, and his family occupied the home until 1964. The house was renovated in the 1920s by Maria Lopez de Lowther. Today, La Casa de Lopez de Lowther contains memorabilia of the Lopez family and an antique doll collection. It is open to the public by appointment only.
Historic Adobes of Los Angeles County © 1997 John R. Kielbasa
Photos © 2001-2004 LAokay.com