The Roberto-Suñol Adobe, also known as the Roberto Adobe & Suñol House is a historic

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) 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 use ...

dwelling located in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

, within the former

Rancho Los Coches Rancho Los Coches was a Mexican land grant in present-day Santa Clara County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Roberto Balemino, an Indian. The name means Ranch of the Pigs. The grant was located on the west bank o ...

. The house was built in 1836 by Roberto Balermino ( Tamien of the

Ohlone The Ohlone ( ), formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the l ...

tribe), fourteen years before California's

admittance to the Union Admission to the Union is provided by the Admissions Clause of the United States Constitution in Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1, which authorizes the United States Congress to admit new states into the Union beyond the thirteen states that ...

. Then in 1847, Spanish-born

Antonio Suñol Don Antonio María Suñol was a Spanish-born Californio businessman, ranchero, and politician. He served two terms as Alcalde of San José (mayor) and was one of the largest landowners in the Bay Area. He is the namesake of the town of Sunol a ...

built the adjoining brick Suñol House. The California Pioneers of Santa Clara County, a non-profit organization, obtained this property with the intention of establishing a no-cost museum for the public's benefit. The adobe is a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meetin ...

and was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Clara County, California __NOTOC__ This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Latitude and longitude coordinates are provided for many National Re ...

on March 17, 1977.

History

Roberto Balermino ( Tamien of the

tribe) built the one-story Roberto Adobe in 1836, on the

("Ranch of the Pigs"), now the

Midtown San Jose Midtown San Jose is a mixed commercial and residential district of San Jose, California, to the southwest of Downtown San Jose and east of West San Carlos. History The area was a census-designated place and primarily residential area in Santa ...

and

Willow Glen Willow Glen is a district of San Jose, California, San Jose, California, in Santa Clara County, California, Santa Clara County. Willow Glen is known for its historic downtown, dining and shopping, and is one of the most expensive neighborhoods t ...

neighborhoods of

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

property. The of land was officially granted to Balermino by Governor

Manuel Micheltorena Joseph Manuel María Joaquin Micheltorena y Llano (8 June 1804 – 7 September 1853) was a brigadier general and adjutant-general of the Mexican Army, List_of_governors_of_California_before_1850#Mexican_governors_of_California_(1837–47), gover ...

in 1844. Balermino lived in the adobe structure with his family from 1836 until 1847. Spanish-born businessman Don

(1796–1865) obtained the Rancho Los Coches in 1847 from Balermino in payment of a debt. Suñol built the adjoining brick Suñol House in 1847. It was the first brick house to be completed in

Alta California Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva 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 was made a separat ...

. The adobe house became a

in 1976, and was placed on the

on March 17, 1977. A historic marker, number 898, was erected in front of the Suñol House in 1977. In 1853, the Suñol home and the adjacent ranch were sold to Captain Stefano Splivalo, a

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

n sea captain. Splivalo made several modifications to the property, including adding a second story, a balcony, and covering the brick walls with wooden siding. During the 1870s, he expanded the house with the addition of three eastern rooms. The Splivalo family lived in the house for 40 years. After the Captain died in 1891, the house passed through several hands. In 1906, Julio Bassoni, an Italian immigrant, became the owner of the houses and the accompanying four-acre property. He, along with his descendants, maintained a traditional Willow Glen orchard on this land until 1966. In 1934, the Bruzzone family settled on Willow Street in San José. John Bruzzone Sr. eventually inherited the family business and became the owner of the land situated behind the adobe home site. It wasn't until 1973 that Bruzzone first encountered the adobe dwelling and Splivalo's home, known as "Laura Ville." Recognizing the uniqueness of these structures, he dedicated time and resources to restore them. To accomplish this, he hired an adobe-architecture specialist Gilbert Sanchez, an architect, and a contractor. Together, they undertook a restoration of the Roberto Adobe & Suñol House. Their process involved lifting the second story off the first story, reinforcing the building with concrete and steel, and then placing the second story back onto the first. The restored buildings were officially reopened to the public in 1977. Subsequently, Laura Ville was leased for use as law offices, a role it served until 2012.

California Pioneers of Santa Clara County

The California Pioneers of Santa Clara County, a non-profit organization, established a no-cost Roberto Adobe & Suñol House Museum in August 2016.

References

External links

Official Site

California historical landmarks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberto-Sunol Adobe Adobe buildings and structures in California History of Santa Clara County, California Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in Santa Clara County, California Houses completed in 1836

History

California Pioneers of Santa Clara County

See also

References

External links