Draft:Boronda Adobe History Center
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 Didactic panel for the Casa Boronda, Salinas, CA. Photo by Rubén G Mendoza, 2024. | |
  Boronda Adobe Location in California  Boronda Adobe Boronda Adobe (the United States) | |
 Interactive fullscreen map | |
| Established | 1976 |
|---|---|
| Location | 333 Boronda Rd, Salinas, California |
| Coordinates | 36°42′38″N 121°40′29″W / 36.7106°N 121.6746°W |
| Type | History museum |
The Boronda Adobe History Center (BAHC) is a historic house museum complex owned and operated by the Monterey County Historical Society, Inc. (MCHS), a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization devoted to historic preservation of Monterey County documents, artifacts, and buildings.[1] Located in Salinas, California, the Monterey County Historical Society was established in 1933 and remains an all-volunteer operation, with an Executive Director James Perry, who oversees operations.[2] The Boronda Adobe History Center first came into being after the 1972 acquisition of the Casa Boronda and its 5-acre parcel donated by Marguerite Wilson, and the restoration of its main attraction, the Casa Boronda, or Boronda Adobe. In 1976, the Boronda Adobe History Center was first opened to the public, but was not formally construed as the Boronda History Center until its groundbreaking ceremony on September 26, 1993. The campus features several other historic house museum buildings relocated to the site and multiple climate-controlled artifacts, landmark documents, and archival repositories that contribute to preserving and understanding the region’s rich cultural and historical heritage.[3]
History
[edit]
The Casa Boronda, aka: Boronda Adobe, was acquired by the Monterey County Historical Society (MCHS) in 1974, with restoration efforts initiated the same year.[4] It was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and designated California Historic Landmark No. 870 in 1974. Following restoration, the Adobe was dedicated as a museum and opened for public viewing in 1976.[4] In 1980, the MCHS appointed its first Executive Director and established a climate-controlled repository, Archival Vault 1, so as to preserve Monterey County Historical Society records, including the Spanish Archives of Monterey (1770–1848). The William H. Weeks House, an 1898 Queen Anne structure, was added to the Boronda Adobe History Center in 1989. After damage from the Loma Prieta earthquake, the Adobe underwent a seismic retrofit undertaken in 1989 through 1992. From 1993 to 2005, the Albert & Pearl Jensen Agricultural Museum was constructed, and funded entirely through donations. In 2012, the Breschini-Haversat Archaeological Repository was installed to accommodate one of the largest such Native Californian material cultural collections on the California central coast. This was followed by the addition of Archival Vault 2 to house a Native Californian basketry collection, along with multiple historic or vintage photographic collections in 2016. Major security upgrades, including the installation of an extensive array of night vision cameras and motion detection systems, were donated by Lawrence “Larry” Tracy of Mission Protection Systems of Oroville, California, in 2019 and 2021. Architectural planning for the new Castro-Gumper Library was finalized in 2021, with construction undertaken in the fall, and completion of Phase 1 in 2024.[4]
Exhibits
[edit]
Casa Boronda, 1844–1848
[edit]Built in the mid-19th century, the Casa Boronda is a prominent example of the architectural and social history of California's Californio and Mexican Republic period. Constructed primarily of form-molded adobe bricks and redwood planks and beams, the adobe served as the José Eusebio Boronda family residence through the 1930s, and is one of the oldest such adobe structures in the Salinas Valley of the California central coast.[5] Identified with the Monterey Colonial Style that proliferated through California in the 1830s through 1850s, the Casa Boronda has been furnished to reflect the lifeways of the early Hispanic settlers of the region. Popularly known as the Boronda Adobe, the Boronda family constructed La Casa Boronda between 1844 and 1848. Situated on the 6,700-acre Rancho Rincón del Sanjón, La Casa Boronda was the second adobe built on the Mexican land grant made to José Eusebio Boronda in 1840. Unlike the original teja-tiled Mexican-styled adobe near the Graves School to the southwest, the Casa Boronda was inspired by the 1834 Larkin House Adobe of Monterey, and is thereby identified with the Monterey Colonial Style introduced by early American settlers to Mexican California. Features include a wide veranda, wood-shingled and hipped roof, a dormer, fired-brick chimneys, redwood plank floors, wooden shutters, and Greek Revival door and window trim boards. The olive trees situated just west of the Casa Boronda were the first non-fruit-bearing olive trees brought to the area in 1929, and their planting at the Boronda Adobe History Center was made possible by Charles Brooks.
Historic Alisal Jail, 1878
[edit]The historic two-room redwood-plank Alisal Jail of 1878 once served the community of Salinas, California. In 1976, the Salinas Californian touted it as “Salinas’ first jail.” The Monterey County Historical Society moved the structure to the Boronda Adobe History Center at that time. According to The Salinas Californian, “The two-room redwood jail stood somewhere near the parking lots behind the 300 block of Main Street. One of the cells still has the one ring leg iron. According to former fire chief Elmer Anderson, the jail which had been moved behind the old fire station on Gabilan Street, was used by the fire department to store soda and acid before Anderson’s predecessor, George Von Soosten took possession of the jail.” Soosten subsequently donated and relocated the jail to the Boronda Adobe History Center. The old jail provides a window into early Monterey County law enforcement and penal practices in the late 19th century.
The Lagunita School, 1897
[edit]The Lagunita School and its teachers faithfully served the needs of the children in the Natividad community and its vicinity from 1897 to 1967. This "little red schoolhouse" was featured in John Steinbeck’s 1938 novel, The Red Pony. From 1897 onward, scores of pupils were taught in the one-room schoolhouse by the devoted teachers of that time. Originally located on San Juan Grade Road at the crossroads with Crazy Horse Canyon in Salinas, California, the building before you was declared unsafe in 1967 and was destined for demolition. The Monterey County Historical Society intervened and relocated the original schoolhouse to this site in 1985. Restoration was undertaken between 1986 and 1988, and its original furnishings and exhibits were restored in 2011. Today, the students of Lagunita Elementary School continue to enjoy learning within an enlarged replica of this late 19th-century building.
William Weeks House, 1898
[edit]The William Weeks House offers a glimpse into the domestic life of a prominent Salinas area family during the late 1800s. William Henry Weeks (1864–1936) was a prolific architect who significantly influenced California architecture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Based in Watsonville, Weeks designed this distinctive Queen Anne-style “Folk Victorian” residence in Salinas in 1898. Originally located at the corner of Soledad and John streets, this house features a hipped roof with lower cross gables and a conical witch's cap over an elliptical porch supported by Tuscan columns and stained glass windows. The central gable includes an "owlish" decorative element with paired bull’s-eye windows. In May 1990, the house was relocated to the Boronda History Center by the Monterey County Historical Society and is currently undergoing restoration to serve as a historic house museum depicting late 19th-century lifestyles. Before situating the Weeks House at this location, the Deem House of 1870 was relocated to the Boronda Adobe History Center, but was lost in a fire.
Wax Paper Company Building, 1930
[edit]This 1930s Art Deco Bauhaus-style building once served as the Superintendent's house for the Salinas Wax Paper Company of Salinas, California. Gaylord Nelson, the owner of the Salinas Wax Paper Company and Monterey County Historical Society Board President, donated and relocated this building to the Boronda Adobe History Center in 1975. Today, the building serves as the principal office of the Monterey County Historical Society, Inc.
Filipino Farm Labor Bunkhouse, 1930
[edit]During the early 20th century, particularly around the Great Depression, Filipino farm laborers were integral to Monterey Bay's agricultural industry. Facing economic hardship and racial discrimination, including violent incidents like the 1930 Watsonville riots, these workers persevered in their pursuit of the American dream. The Filipino Farm Labor Bunkhouse, originally from Balestra Farms and now preserved at the Boronda Adobe History Center, offers a glimpse into their living conditions during the 1940s. This structure is a testament to their resilience and significant contributions to the region's agricultural heritage. Was then moved to the Boronda Adobe History Center in 2004, donated by Chris Bunn, Sr.
World War II Bataan Memorial, 1940s
[edit]The restored 1940s half-track serves as the centerpiece of this memorial dedicated to Salinas area soldiers who fought and died in the defense of the Philippines during World War II. The half-track chassis was recovered from the jungles of Bataan, meticulously restored by Salinas area resident Jim Eliopoulos, and installed in an iron cage dedicated in 2006. Moreover, the memorial honors the sacrifices of our veterans and preserves their memory through a host of bronze placards that list all soldiers who endured and/or succumbed to the horrors of the Bataan Death March.
Albert and Pearl Jensen Museum, 2012
[edit]The focal point for archival research, this center houses a vast collection of historical documents and artifacts related to the history, heritage, art, and culture of Monterey and San Benito Counties. Sponsored by a sizable donation from Albert and Pearl Jensen, the foundations and concrete flooring of the steel, wood, and stucco warehouse building were laid in 1993, and the building was eventually enclosed in 2005 and completed in 2012. The first archival repository (Vault 1) was constructed in 1980, whereas the second repository (Vault 2) was installed in 2015. The third repository, that of the Gary Breschini and Trudy Haversat Archaeological Repository (Vault 3), was completed in 2012. The 600 linear feet of specimen boxes constitute archaeological collections recovered from 1,100 archaeological sites in Monterey County. Said collections document evidence of Indigenous human occupation spanning some 13,000 years. Approximately 90% of those collections housed here constitute pre-Contact indigenous lifeways. Vault 1 was retrofitted into existence by repurposing a cinder-block room from a portion of the Brooks House, built in 1928 and demolished in early 1993. Charles Brooks was the inaugural president of the Salinas Valley Growers and Shippers Association.
Archival Repositories, 1770–1995
[edit]The Archival Repositories of the Albert & Pearl Jensen Heritage Museum include a wealth of artifacts from the historical era and historic documents, maps, and related collections. Among the most notable collections available for research and exhibition are those of the Spanish Archives of Monterey (1770–1848), Monterey County Assessors Office Archives (1850s–1930s), Hornbeck Collection – Historical Land Use in California (1500s through 1940s),[6] Boronda Family Collection (1840s–1940s), Dan Madeira Collection (Native Californian and Southwest Basketry, 1870–1960), Pat Hathaway Collection (Vintage photography of early California, 80,000 glass plate negatives, and another 550,000 prints, negatives, and Hathaway photographs),[7] Grensted Collection (Monterey County aerial photography, 1930s–1950s), and vintage area history newspaper collections spanning the mid-19th century through the early 20th century. Other notable collections include the Kobus Collection, Spreckels Sugar, and Union Ice Collections. Whereas the Grensted Collection of aerial photography alone consists of some 300,000 images, the photographic collections alone account for some two million photographs. The three primary library book collections include the law and the community of early California collection donated by David J. Langum, Sr.,[8] the David Hornbeck collections of historical geography,[9] and the Monterey area histories and photography publications of Pat Hathaway.
Gumper-Castro Archival Library, 2024
[edit]Given the historical and scholarly significance of the Spanish and Mexican Archives of Monterey and a host of other historically significant document and photographic collections in the Archival repositories of the Boronda Adobe History Center, the Monterey County Historical Society Board of Directors determined to follow through on the creation of an archival library and reading room that would complement the repositories containing the historically significant documents noted. With the 2021 acquisition of the Hathaway Collection of California Views, encompassing some 580,000 historical photographs and other vintage imagery, including circa 80,000 vintage glass plate negatives, the Society pressed forward with the Phase 1 completion and dedication of the Gumper-Castro Archival Library & Reading Room on Saturday, May 18, 2024. With the artistry and craftsmanship of a host of volunteers and contributors, including MCHS Conservator and Master craftsman Tom Spencer and educator and graphic artist Gail Spencer, cabinet maker John Laughton, vintage wallpaper artisan Gary Sarian of Ameri-Cana Decorating, and the sponsorship and installation of the hardwood flooring by Tad Hughes; the Gumper-Castro Archival Library & Reading Room now makes up an authentic reproduction of an 1880s Eastlake style reading room replete with original walnut woodwork and related architectural elements, including an elaborate Eastlake fireplace mantle, balustrade, and doors, rescued from the Jesse D. Carr-Matthew Williams House of 1884. Notably, the Carr-Matthew Williams house was the first Salinas home to install a gas works system, sitting as it was on parts of a gas pocket. Jessie D Car was a Merchant and owner of various land tracts, encompassing ranching and agricultural land leases. With significant gifts from former MCHS President Robert Baillie and the descendants of the Matthew Williams Family, the Gumper-Castro Archival Library now affords visiting scholars and students an opportunity to access the invaluable collections of the Monterey County Historical Society by appointment.
The Historical Vignettes / Selfie Museum, 2024
[edit]The Albert and Pearl Jensen Heritage Museum is partitioned into a dozen historical vignettes spanning the native Californian period, Spanish missions, Mexican ranchero period, early American, and vintage artifact and household furnishings. The latter category includes a 1860s buckboard wagon, a 19th-century to 20th-century blacksmith shop, a mid-19th-century parlor room, and a mid to late 19th-century bedroom with a circa 1640s Spanish colonial hand-carved wooden bed frame. An early 20th-century Art Deco office of circa 1910 consisting of the office furnishings of Monterey Mayor Dan Madeira, replete with a 1924 telephone switchboard salvaged from the since demolished Cominos Hotel of downtown Salinas. The last Vignette in this series includes 19th-century kitchenware and dining room furnishings. The organization of the Historical Vignettes and Selfie Museum booths was orchestrated by the volunteers of the Work Alternative Program of the Salinas Sheriff's Department and CSU Monterey Bay community service learning students under the supervision of Professor and MCHS Board President Rubén G Mendoza in 2024.
Heirloom Botanic Gardens, 2025
[edit]
A southwest portion of the 5-acre Boronda Adobe History Center campus is devoted to showcasing the heirloom plant varieties representing the agricultural, horticultural, and ornamental plant traditions of the Salinas Valley and the Monterey Bay. The Phase 1 portion of the Heirloom Botanical Gardens is presently dominated by plants and trees representing the late 19th-century traditions of the Victorian era, and was completed under the direction of Dawn Avery and Mark Woods in 2025. The recent installation of brick walkways, composed of vintage 19th-century fired bricks salvaged in 1992 from the Spreckels Sugar Company Refinery of 1899. The refinery was demolished in 1992, and Monterey County Historical Society members salvaged the bricks for this purpose. Coincident with the demolition, the bricks were delivered to the Boronda Adobe History Center. The Spreckels Sugar Company Refinery building was the largest in the world in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Overview
[edit]Each historic house museum building and repository at the Boronda Adobe History Center campus seeks to preserve and showcase different aspects of Monterey County's architectural, cultural, and historical traditions, offering visitors a comprehensive view of the area's past. Guided tours of these unique buildings and repositories are offered and free at the Boronda Adobe History Center.
References
[edit]- ^ Fink, Augusta (1978). Monterey County. The Dramatic Story of Its Past. Fresno, CA: Valley Publishers.
- ^ Mendoza, RGM (2024). "Main". Monterey County Historical Society, Inc. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ Breschini, Gary S.; Haversat, Trudy; Gudgel, Mona (2000). 10,000 Years on the Salinas Plain: An Illustrated History of Salinas City, California. Salinas, CA: Heritage Media Corporation / Monterey County Historical Society, Inc.
- ^ a b c Mendoza, Rubén G., and Jennifer A. Lucido. 2021. José Eusebio Boronda Adobe: The Changing Face of an Early Californio Rancho at Rincón del Sanjón, 1840–2021. In Boletín: The Journal of the California Missions Foundation. Volume 37, Number 1, 2021.
- ^ McGlynn, Betty Lochrie Hoag (1983). "¡Boronda!". Noticias del Puerto de Monterey. Monterey History and Art Association Quarterly. XXVI (3): 2–7.
- ^ Hornbeck, David; Mendoza, Rubén G.; Lucido, Jennifer A. (2020). "Professor David Hornbeck, Ph.D.: The Life and Legacy of an Extraordinary California Historical Geographer [1940–2020]". Boletín: The Journal of the California Missions Foundation. 36 (1): 139–159.
- ^ Mendoza, Rubén G. (2023). "Missions, Presidios, and Pueblos: The Hathaway Collection of Early California Photography, 1850–1990". Boletín: The Journal of the California Missions Foundation. 39 (1): 145–166.
- ^ Langum, Sr., David J. (1987). Law and Community on the Mexican California Frontier: Anglo-American Expatriates and the Clash of Legal Traditions, 1821–1846. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
- ^ Hornbeck, David (1983). California Patterns: A Geographical and Historical Atlas. Palo Alto: Mayfield Publishing Company.