Photographs of Adobes of Northern and Southern California: Finding Aid
Finding aid prepared by Michelle Sanchez.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
© 2013
Photo Archives
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Title: Photographs of Adobes of Northern and Southern California
Dates (inclusive): approximately 1912-1960
Bulk dates: 1930-1949
Collection Number: photCL 528
Creator:
Soberanes, Lucius, 1882-1959.
Extent:
278 photographs in 2 boxes; prints 26 x 32 cm (10.25 x 12.5 in.) and smaller, album pages 37 x 29 cm (14 1/2 x 11 1/4 in.)
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Photo Archives
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: A disbound album of primarily amateur snapshots of 19th century California adobes taken during the 1930s and 1940s by Lucius
Panfelo “Paul” Soberanes (1882-1959),
a descendant of early Spanish landholders in California. The photographs primarily document the exteriors of the historic
adobes and include typewritten captions added by Soberanes in the 1950s.
A strong emphasis is given to adobes in Monterey County, especially in downtown Monterey. The album’s strength is
in the documentation of lesser-known adobes, which include not only houses, but also commercial and military buildings such
as hotels, soldiers’ barracks in Sonoma, and the Bale Grist Mill in Napa.
Language: English.
Note:
Finding aid last updated on April 30, 2014.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Photographs of Adobes of Northern and Southern California. The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Gift of Mrs. Lois Soberanes Lambert on May 4, 1995.
Sources used in the creation of this finding aid
Albertson, Dean. “Dr. Edward Turner Bale, Incorrigible Californio.”
California Historical Society Quarterly 28 (1949): 259-269.
Autry National Center. “Braun Research Library.” Accessed May 21, 2013.
http://theautry.org/research/braun-research-library
eHumanity. “eHumanity: free portal for digital native-american cultural items.” Accessed May 21, 2013.
http://e-humanity.org/index.php
Hoover, Mildred Brooke, Hero Eugene Rensch, and Ethel Grace Rensch.
Historic Spots in California. 3rd ed. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1966.
Library of Congress. “Prints & Photographs Online Catalog.” Accessed May 21, 2013.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
Mathes, Valerie Sherer, and Diane Moll Smith.
Sonoma Valley. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
[Obituary for Vera Irene Soberanes]
Oakland Tribune, 14 March 1970, page 22-E.
Winslow, Carleton M.
Discovering San Luis Obispo County. San Luis Obispo, Calif.: [s.n.], 1971.
Lucius Panfelo "Paul" Soberanes (1882-1959) was born in California on December 30, 1882, and was a descendant of Spanish soldier
Jose Maria Soberanes, who arrived in California in the 1700s, and Feliciano Soberanes, who purchased the
Soledad Mission Rancho in 1846.
City directories indicate that Soberanes worked as a painter and autoworker in Oakland, California. He was married to Vera
Irene Soberanes (died 1970) and they had three children: Leonard Soberanes, Vera Soberanes Woodside,
and Lois Soberanes Lambert. Soberanes died on April 19, 1959.
This collection consists of a disbound album compiled by Lucius "Paul" Soberanes (1882-1959) of primarily amateur snapshots
of 19th century California adobes taken during the 1930s and 1940s, with typewritten captions added by Soberanes in the 1950s.
Soberanes, a descendant of early Spanish landholders in California, put much of his energy into personally photographing adobes
in Northern California for his album; not only did he travel through Monterey County, but also Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa
Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Solano,
and Ventura Counties. He also added a small number of professional photographs by L.A. Sanchez and E.R. Jackson and a photograph
of a drawing by E.A. Burbank into the album.
Some of the adobes are shown to be in disrepair while others
had been restored by the then adobes’ owners, state agencies, historical societies, or service organizations.
Of the Monterey adobes featured, the best known include Casa Soberanes (House of the Blue Gate), the Cooper-Molera Adobe,
Alvarado Adobe, Casa Gutierrez, Casa de la Torre, and Casa Amesti. Various adobes in Monterey County were
held by the Soberanes family, including the Alta Vista Adobe, and the Rancho El Alisal and Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad properties.
Other prominent adobes in Northern California are the Vicente Martinez Adobe, Petaluma Adobe, Castro Adobe, and Dana Adobe.
There are some photographs of Southern California adobes, especially in Santa Barbara and San Diego; adobes from these areas
include the Gonzalez House, Casa de Bandini, Casa de Estudillo, and Rancho Camulos.
Soberanes, his wife, and his children appear posing on the adobe grounds in some of the photographs.
Photograph captions in the list of photographs are transcribed exactly as they appear in the album. The dates mentioned most
often refer to an adobe’s construction date; photographs are printed later.
Photographs from pages 119, 121, and 144 are missing from the album.
In addition to the prints, there are 2 postcards (Items 155-156), a photomechanical print (page 151), and one cyanotype (page
137).
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
Huntington Library's Online Catalog.
Alvarado Adobe (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Alviso Adobe (Milpitas, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Boronda Adobe (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Casa Amesti (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Casa de Bandini (San Diego, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Casa de la Guerra (Santa Barbara, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Casa de la Torre (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Castro Adobe (Watsonville, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Castro-Breen House (San Juan Bautista, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Cooper Molera Adobe (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Dana Adobe -- Photographs.
Estudillo House (San Diego, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Gonzalez House (Santa Barbara, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Gutierrez Adobe (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
House of the Four Winds (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
John Marsh House (Brentwood, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Lachryma Montis (Sonoma, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Lara-Soto House (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Lugo Adobe (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Mission San Juan Capistrano -- Photographs.
Olivas Adobe (Ventura, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Pacific House (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Petaluma Adobe (Petaluma, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Pio Pico Adobe (Whittier, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Rancho Camulos (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Rancho Milpitas -- Photographs.
Rios-Caledonia Adobe (San Miguel, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Salvador Vallejo Adobe (Sonoma, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Sanchez Adobe (Pacifica, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Vasquez Adobe (Monterey, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Vicente Martinez Adobe -- Photographs.
Adobe houses -- California -- Photographs.
Barracks -- 1830-1840 -- Photographs.
Building, Adobe -- Photographs.
Officers’ quarters -- 1840-1850 -- Photographs.
Historic buildings -- California -- 1800-1900 -- Photographs.
Hotels -- California -- Photographs.
Theaters -- 1850-1860 -- Photographs.
Alameda County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Contra Costa County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Los Angeles County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Monterey (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Monterey County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Napa County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
New Almaden (Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Diego (Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Fernando (Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Juan Bautista (Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Luis Obispo County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Miguel (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Santa Barbara (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Santa Barbara County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Santa Cruz (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Santa Cruz County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Solano County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Sonoma (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Sonoma County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Ventura County (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Cyanotypes.
Photographs.
Photograph albums.
Photomechanical prints.
Postcards.
Box 1
Box 1: Album pages 1-75
Page 7
# of photos: 3 photos
Description: Rancho San Pablo. Built by Francisco Maria Castro, Contra Costa County. This adobe, erected before 1829, by Don Francisco
Maria Castro, was covered with clapboards and restored by his daughter, Martina and her husband, Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado,
after 1850. Alvarado lived there with his wife and children until his death, in 1882. This adobe was demolished on Sept. 1,
1954.
Page 19
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Arbor, leading to front door of the Augustin Bernal Adobe house, which is flanked on both sides by orange and lemon trees.
b) This picture shows how the Bernal Adobe house was changed and remodeled by the new owner, who lives there. It is the same
side as that on the opposite page.
Page 20
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Large adobe house built by John Kottinger, the son-in-law of Juan Pablo Bernal in Pleasanton about 1855. Still standing
and used for a store house. This house can be seen on Ray St.
b) Augustin Bernal Adobe. Built by Bernal in 1850 on his portion of Rancho El Valle de San José, in the southern part of Alameda
County. Still standing and occupied.
Page 25
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Fernando Pacheco Adobe, in Contra Costa County near Concord. Restored.
b) Salvio Pacheco Adobe. In Concord, Contra Costa Country. Built in 1850 on Rancho del Diablo. On Sunday, August 22, 1954,
a plaque was placed on this adobe by the Contra Costa Historical Society.
Page 42
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Alta Vista, the adobe house built by Don Feliciano Soberanes in the early part of 1840, in Monterey, Calif. after his
death, in 1866, his sons added a second story and made a hotel.
b) Ruins of the adobe, Alta Vista, which was torn down in 1934. It stood on the corner of Franklin and Pierce Streets.
Page 44
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: [Rancho El Alisal] This adobe house was erected by Mariano Soberanes about 1827, for his wife and large family. He and his
brother Feliciano receive this grant of land, called El Alisal, in 1823, and they lived there until 1840, when it was sold
to Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado in 1840. This house is still standing and occupied. It can be seen from the Natividad—Gonzales
Highway, going south.
Page 64
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Adobe home of Mariano Jesus Soberanes on Rancho Los Ojitos, acquired by Soberanes in 1842. The two houses were built in
the early 1800s.
b) Before 1935, the tiles were removed from the roof of this old adobe, and a corrugated iron roof replaced the tile. During
World War II, troops from an army base [research shows Fort Hunter Liggett], close by, used this old adobe for Target Practice,
and it was totally destroyed.
Box 2
Box 2: Album pages 76-154 and items 155-156
Page 76
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) [Cooper Molera Adobe] Adobe house erected by Capt. John B. Cooper for his bride Encarnación Vallejo in 1829. This house
and other buildings connected to this place still belong to descendants of Capt. Cooper.
b) Casa Grande, adobe house built by Mariano G. Vallejo on his Rancho Petaluma about 1836. This house was used by his vaqueros.
It is now owned by the N.S.G.W. [Native Sons of the Golden West] and is a State Landmark. Vacant.
Page 81
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Adobe house on Ranch Salsipuedes. Picture taken by L.A. Sanchez in 1917. Avila Adobe. [Research has shown that there is
no mention of the Avila Adobe on Rancho Salsipuedes.]
b) Stokes Adobe. Monterey. Built by Dr. James Stokes in the early ‘40’s. Now a landmark.
Page 82
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Adobe house built by Ezekiel Soberanes on Soberanes Point, San Simeon highway, Monterey County. This house has been covered
with clapboards, and is still standing and occupied.
b) José Eusebio Boronda Adobe. Built in 1840 on Rancho Rinconada del Sanjon in Monterey County.
Page 92
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Patio of the Jose Maria Covarrubias Adobe in Santa Barbara
b) Adobe house acquired by Jose Maria Covarrubias in 1853. Santa Barbara. This adobe was built by Domingo Carrillo in 1817.
His daughter married Covarrubias. [On back of photograph]: Irene Soberanes and cousin Amy Cameron [shown in photograph].
Page 105
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Casa de Estudillo, built 1825 by Don Jose Antonio Estudillo. For about 25 years this large adobe house has been known
as Ramona’s Marriage Place. Old Town, San Diego.
b) Casa de Carrillo Adobe. Built by Francisco Ruiz and occupied by Don Joaquin Carrillo about 1820. Old Town, San Diego. Portion
of the Carrillo Adobe. Erected in 1810, and restored in 1931. Old Town, San Diego. La Casa de Carrillo.
Page 116
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Caneda Adobe house, built about 1782, as part of the original presidio enclosure. In 1878, acquired by Pedro Baron. In
1920, Elmer H. Whitaker purchased this old adobe and has restored it to its original charm. In Santa Barbara.
b) Casa de la Guerra Adobe home of José de la Guerra y Noreiga. It was begun in 1819, but not completed until 1826. Santa
Barbara.
Page 118
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Adobe house built by Joaquin Moraga on his Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados, in 1834. Contra Costa County. (Restored).
b) The Joaquin Moraga Adobe. A plaque was placed on this old adobe, (now restored), by the Contra Costa Historical Society
on May 23, 1954.
Page 121
# of photos: 3 photos
Description: a) Bay View Hotel, built about 1878 by José Arano, at Aptos. [Photograph missing]
b) Home of Pedro Zaballa in Salinas. Partly surrounded by a high wall topped with tiles that were taken from the roof of the
Ex Soledad Mission.
c) Adobe house erected in the early 1800’s for the Mission San Antonio vaqueros. Later, this property was granted to Don Mariano
Soberanes in 1842. This adobe was a small house, and was near the large adobe house that Don Mariano used for his home.
Page 122
# of photos: 3 photos
Description: a) Mission Inn. Adobe house erected in 1840 by José Ramon Estrada. Later known as the St. Charles Hotel. Monterey.
b) First theater, built in 1847 by Jack Swan. It was used as a boarding house, salon, warehouse, private residence. Later,
first building used as a theater in California.
c) Bonafacio Adobe, originally built on Alvarado Street in 1835 by José Rafael Gonzales. Later the home of Señorita Maria
Ignacia Bonafacio. Removed to the Mesa.
Page 131
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Adobe house built by Ezequiel [sic] Soberanes on Soberanes Point, San Simeon highway. Still standing and occupied.
b) Adobe house on Blackburn St. in Watsonville. It was originally erected on the Bolsa de San Cayetano Rancho by José Vallejo.
Later torn down and brought over to Watsonville, where it is used as a Girl Scout House.
Page 132
Page 137
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) Large adobe house built by Capt. Alpheus Thompson for his wife, Francisca Carrillo. Later became the St. Charles Hotel.
The last adobe to be torn down on State Street. Santa Barbara. [Cyanotype]
b) Carrillo Adobe, erected by Daniel Hill, in Santa Barbara. Later called the Carrillo Adobe.
Page 146
# of photos: 2 photos
Description: a) José Castro House [On back of photograph: Crisanto Castro, Castro House. The son of Mariano Castro y Trinidad Peralta.
Still standing near Castro Santa Clara Co. Station.]
b) [On back of photograph]: South side of adobe on Ranch Santa Rita. Alameda County. Still occupied. Now Meadow Lark Dairy
on Dublin Road.