The House of the Four Winds, or La Casa de Los Vientos, is a historic

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 ...

building located at 540 Calle Principal in

Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...

. It was built by

Thomas O. Larkin Thomas Oliver Larkin (September 16, 1802 – October 27, 1858), known in Spanish as Don Tomás Larkin, was an American diplomat and businessman. Larkin served as the only U.S. consul to Alta California during the Mexican era and was covertly in ...

in 1834 (or 1840). The house acquired its named because of the

weather vane A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...

on its hipped roof. The building was used as the first State of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Hall of Records The Hall of Records is a purported ancient library claimed to lie under the Great Sphinx of Giza. There is no evidence to indicate that it ever existed. Overview The story of the Hall of Records is popular among those who hold alternative theo ...

. Today it is used as the

clubhouse Clubhouse may refer to: Locations * The meetinghouse of: ** A club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal ** In the United States, a country club ** In the United Kingdom, a gentlemen's club * A ...

for the Monterey Civic Club. The building is listed as 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 ...

#353.

History

The one-and-half-story adobe home in Monterey was named The House of the Four Winds (originally ''La Casa de Los Vientos'') because it was the first house in Monterey with a

on its hipped roof. Built in either 1835 or 1840, the adobe was originally part of a large piece of property at Calle Principal Calle Principal between Jefferson and W. Franklin Streets, in

. It was built by diplomat and businessman

and used by him as a store. It later served as headquarters for

Henry Halleck Henry Wager Halleck (January 16, 1815 – January 9, 1872) was a senior United States Army officer, scholar, and lawyer. A noted expert in military studies, he was known by a nickname that became derogatory: "Old Brains". He was an important par ...

, Secretary of State. After the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, the building was first used as a residence by the Spanish Governor of

Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...

Juan Bautista Alvarado Juan Bautista Valentín Alvarado y Vallejo (February 14, 1809 – July 13, 1882) was a Californio politician that served as Governor of Alta California from 1837-42. Prior to his term as governor, Alvarado briefly led a movement for independe ...

. In 1846, William S. Johnson designated it as the first State of California

for the newly formed County of Monterey. Johnson had his office and home in the building. The House of the Four Winds is a historic white plastered

Spanish Colonial-style building that was next door to the county sheriff's office and the court house. There is a stone perimeter wall at the sidewalk next to it. The windows and doors are painted green and under the roof is a hand hewn beam.

Historic preservation

One of the first group to encourage the preservation of Monterey's adobes was the Women's Civic Club (WCC), founded in 1906. The House of the Four Winds is a landmark that the WCC was determined should not disappear. They purchased the adobe in 1914 and transformed it into their clubhouse, which is the oldest clubhouse in the United States. The original front section and second story have been restored and furnished in the style at the time of the 1850s. On March 14, 1914, the WCC held a meeting to arrange, with the owner, for the transfer of The House of the Four Winds property. The historic house became the 353

on October 9, 1939. Today, the WCC has monthly programs with speakers about topics of interest, and participate in civic events. They help preserve and maintain the historic adobe. The mission of the club is to ''improve, beautify and promote the welfare of Monterey and to help preserve its history.'' House of the Four Winds was recorded by the

Architectural Resources Group Architectural Resources Group (or ARG; also known as Architects, Planners & Conservators, Inc.) is a firm that was founded in 1980 by Bruce Judd and Steve Farneth in San Francisco, CA. It began by providing professional services in the fields of ...

as a historical building and an application was submitted to the Department of Parks and Recreation on January 2011.

References

External links

Office of Historic Preservation House of the Four WindsOffice of Historic Preservation, MontereyCalifornia Historical Landmark 351=3Buildings In Focus: House Of The Four Winds
{{Authority control History of Monterey County, California California Historical Landmarks Adobe buildings and structures in California Buildings and structures in Monterey County, California Culture of Monterey, California Buildings and structures in California Buildings and structures in Monterey, California Museums in Monterey County, California Houses in Monterey County, California History of the Monterey Bay Area

History

Historic preservation

See also

References

External links