La Casa Alvarado, also known as the Alvarado Adobe, 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 ...

structure built in 1840 and located on Old Settlers Lane in

Pomona, California Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Polyte ...

. It was declared a historic landmark in 1954 and added to 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 ...

in 1978.

History

The Casa Alvarado is located on a portion of the

Rancho San Jose Rancho or Ranchos may refer to: Settlements and communities *Rancho, Aruba, former fishing village and neighbourhood of Oranjestad *Ranchos of California, 19th century land grants in Alta California **List of California Ranchos *Ranchos, Buenos Ai ...

granted to

Ygnacio Palomares Ygnacio may refer to: Given name: *Ygnacio Coronel (1795–1862), settler in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles of Mexican Alta California * Luis Ygnacio Liendo (born 1980), amateur Venezuelan Greco-Roman wrestler in the men's lightweight category *Ygnacio ...

and Ricardo Vejas in 1837. In 1840, Palomares invited his close friend, Ygnacio Alvarado, to live on the ranch and gave him a plot of land near Palomares' own home,

La Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose La Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose is a historic adobe structure built in 1837 in Pomona, California. It is the oldest home located in the Pomona Valley and in the old Rancho San Jose land grant. It was declared a historic landmark in 1954 and ...

. The land was given to Alvarado with the stipulation that Alvarado would build a chapel in his home to be used for church services when padres visited from the

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel Mission San Gabriel Arcángel ( es, Misión de San Gabriel Arcángel) is a Californian mission and historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. It was founded by Spaniards of the Franciscan order on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary," September ...

. The large by living room (or "sala") of the Casa Alvarado was used for church services for 45 years. The Alvarado's adobe living room was also the site of the first public school classes in the

Pomona Valley The Pomona Valley is located in the Greater Los Angeles Area between the San Gabriel Valley and San Bernardino Valley in Southern California. The valley is approximately east of downtown Los Angeles. History On March 1, 1893 the California A ...

, starting in 1870 or 1871. La Casa Alvarado Sign

For more than 120 years, the house had only three owners. It remained in the Alvardo family from 1840 to 1886, when it was purchased and occupied by Dr. Benjamin S. Nichols and his family. Prior to 1900, Dr. Nichols added redwood frame additions to the house; of the 14 rooms in the house, five are part of the original adobe. The house remained in the Nichols family for 65 years. In 1951, Alphonse and Isabel Fages purchased the home. Alphonse was born in Pomona and a descendant of Ricardo Vejar, who in 1837 was the co-grantee of the Rancho San Jose along with Ygnacio Palomares. Isabel was also the descendant of Spanish settlers and had served as the president of the Historical Society of Pomona Valley and the editor of the official publication of the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West. The Fages bought the adobe with plans to restore and preserve it. The house originally included two-and-a-half acres of land, but the Fages sold several lots reducing it to approximately one acre.

Historic designation

In 1954, the

Native Daughters of the Golden West Native Daughters of the Golden West is an American non-profit organization for women born in California. The organization focuses on the care and preservation of California history. It is the sister organization to the Native Sons of the Golden We ...

declared the Casa Alvarado to be a historic landmark and dedicated a historical marker on the site. The site was added to the

in 1978. Though designated as a historic site, the Casa Alvarado remains a private home and is not open to the public. It is currently for sale (November 2009).

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in California Adobe buildings and structures in California Buildings and structures in Pomona, California History of Pomona, California Houses in Los Angeles County, California Houses completed in 1840 Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California Pomona Valley

History

Historic designation

See also

References