The Historic Adobe Building, also known as the Mountain View Adobe, is a multi-purpose structure in

Mountain View, California Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376. Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is the ...

. The building was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on October 28, 2002. The land under the structure was purchased by Mountain View in 1929 for $10 from Wallace and Alice Angelo; it was used for a pump station and reservoir and served as the town's primary water source. Several years later, the city wanted to create a meeting place between downtown Mountain View and the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

's Moffett Field; the land's location at the corner of Moffett Boulevard and Central Expressway proved ideal.Candice Shih
Adobe Building makes historic list
''Mountain View Voice'', February 7, 2003, Accessed July 30, 2009. The structure was built in 1934 as a

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

Civil Works Administration The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a short-lived job creation program established by the New Deal during the Great Depression in the United States to rapidly create mostly manual-labor jobs for millions of unemployed workers. The jobs were ...

project during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, and was constructed by local laborers using

adobe Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for ''mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of e ...

bricks.Brandon Hong
Now earthquake-safe, Adobe Building reopens its doors
''Mountain View Voice'', September 28, 2001, Accessed July 30, 2009. The project also involved the time and money of members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, one of the building's first tenants. Once

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

broke out, the building was also used as a serviceman's club and hospitality house for veterans. After the war, the structure took on many more civilian events, and was renamed the Eagle Shack

teen center A teen center is a community center serving adolescents in a community. It may provide services for at-risk teens, help to meet their health needs, serve to discourage anti-social behavior Antisocial behavior is a behavior that is defined a ...

as it hosted high school dances and numerous weddings in the late 1940s. In 1949, the first National Guard leased it for four years as its armory. It then served city programs, including housing the Mountain View Recreation Division and the preparation of a senior lunch program. Over the years, the building had been altered and worn down to the point that it was commonly referred to as the "Adobe Shack". 2009-0723-CA-MtnViewAdobe2

In 1987, new seismic building regulations forced the city to close it. As the structure sat abandoned over several years, a community-driven, "Save the Adobe" campaign began in 1995. As a result, the building was restored to its 1935 appearance and reopened for public use on September 29, 2001, at a cost of $1.2 million. The building is now rented by the city as an event center, and includes a modern catering kitchen, office and great room with space for 100 in indoor dining. The building was designated a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

on August 2, 2002. It was nominated to the NRHP based on its use as a community hall and its method of construction.Bill D'Agostino
Feds will likely say Adobe building a historic place
''Mountain View Voice'', August 16, 2002, Accessed July 30, 2009. It was placed on the NRHP primarily in recognition of its historic value as a Works Project Administration project; it was also noted for its aesthetic value in Spanish Revival architecture.

References

External links

The Historic Adobe Building rental information
City of Mountain View {{National Register of Historic Places Adobe buildings and structures in California History of Santa Clara County, California Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in Santa Clara County, California Buildings and structures in Mountain View, California Houses completed in 1934 Civilian Conservation Corps in California Works Progress Administration in California 1934 establishments in California