The Vásquez House, also known as Vásquez Adobe, is a historic two-story

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 ...

building located at 546 Dutra Street in

Monterey, California Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...

. It was occupied by Dolores a sister of

Tiburcio Vásquez Tiburcio Vásquez (April 11, 1835 – March 19, 1875) was a Californio Outlaw, ''bandido'' who was active in California from 1854 to 1874. The Vasquez Rocks, north of Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, were one of his many hideouts and are n ...

(1835–1875), who was a

Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

''bandido'' that was active in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

from 1854 to 1874. The building is listed as 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 ...

#351. It is owned by the City of Monterey, which uses it as the administrative office of its Park and Recreation Department.

History

Vásquez House, also known as Vasquez Adobe, and Casa Vasquez, was originally a one-story adobe when

's mother, María Guadalupe Cantúa, bought it in 1834 from the chief of police, Luis Placencia, who was also the town blacksmith. Tiburcio Vásquez was a

''bandido'' that was active in

from 1854 to 1874. Tiburcio Vásquez was born in the home on April 10, 1835, and spent his childhood there. The adobe house was by lot, having a narrow single story long and wide, with a peaked tile roof and two rooms with a living room and bedroom and kitchen. The front had a covered patio with two doors that opened directly into the rooms. Each room had a back door that opened into the yard behind it. The mud-brick adobe walls, thick, provided insulation that kept the house warm in winter and cool in summer. According to the City of Monterey: The Vásquez House on Dutra Street is located directly across the street from

Colton Hall Colton Hall is a government building and museum in Monterey, California, United States. It was built in 1847–49 by Walter Colton, who arrived in Monterey as the chaplain on Commodore Robert F. Stockton's vessel. He remained and was named as ...

at 570 Pacific Street and near the old county jail. Colton Hall is a government building and museum. It was the site of California's first constitutional convention in 1849. The Vásquez house has been modified over the years, but is still located in its original location at 546 Dutra Street,

. The adobe was remodeled in 1925 with a second story addition made of wood and a ground floor addition.

Historic preservation

The Vásquez House is a landmark that the city of Monterey was determined should not disappear. The historic house became the 351

on October 8, 1939. On June 22, 1949, Monterey passed an ordinance to authorize the purchase of the Vásquez House. The city purchased the building for $20,000 (). The city remodeled the building after purchasing it in 1949. The city's Recreation & Community Services Department has operated from the building since 1951. The building was retrofitted in 1997 for

earthquake preparedness Preparations for earthquakes can consist of survival measures, preparation that will improve survival in the event of an earthquake, or mitigating measures, that seek to minimise the effect of an earthquake. Common survival measures include storin ...

with some historic areas of the building restored. In 2012, the city provided

ADA Ada may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle'', a novel by Vladimir Nabokov Film and television * Ada, a character in 1991 movie '' Armour of God II: Operation Condor'' * '' Ada... A Way of Life'', a 2008 Bollywo ...

compliant parking for the City Hall and the Vásquez House on Dutra Street for $62,000 ().

For Further Reading

Bandido: The Life and Times of Tiburcio Vasquez by John Boessenecker

References

External links

Office of Historic Preservation Vásquez House
{{Authority control History of Monterey County, California California Historical Landmarks Adobe buildings and structures in California Buildings and structures in Monterey County, California Monterey, California Buildings and structures in California Buildings and structures in Monterey, California Museums in Monterey County, California Houses in Monterey County, California Historic house museums in California History of the Monterey Bay Area

History

Historic preservation

See also

For Further Reading

References

External links