Branciforte Adobe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Branciforte Adobe
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Driveway on N. Branciforte Avenue
North face: 36°59′24″N 122°00′39″W / 36.9898716°N 122.0108236°W |
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1351 N. Branciforte Avenue, Santa Cruz, California |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1803 |
| Architectural style | Adobe |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000552 |
| Added to NRHP | January 31, 1979 |
The Branciforte Adobe, also known as the Craig-Lorenzana Adobe, is a very old house in Santa Cruz, California. It is the only building left from a settlement called the Villa de Branciforte. This settlement was started in 1797, around the same time as the Mission Santa Cruz.
This two-room adobe house stands at the corner of Branciforte and Goss Avenues in Santa Cruz. It is the oldest single-family home in the city. Imagine, people have lived here for over 200 years!
What Makes This Adobe Special?
The Branciforte Adobe has walls that are about 2-foot-thick (0.61 m). These walls are made of adobe mud, which is a mix of earth and straw. The house originally had a tile roof, common in the Spanish era. Later, this was changed to a redwood shake roof.
There was also a covered porch, called a veranda, at the front. This porch was rebuilt in the 1980s. The first adobe structure was one large room with two covered porches along its long sides. One porch was near the cooking area and fire pit.
Changes Over the Years
The house changed a lot over time. One important change happened in 1848. A man named Jose Lorenzana modified the house. He added a small bedroom to the main room. This was so he and his wife could have their own space, separate from their many children. It's said they had 21 children!
Jose Lorenzana also made the house look nicer. He added new doors, hinges, wallpaper, and decorative molding. He lived in the house until he passed away in 1863. After him, Spanish families no longer lived there.
In the 1870s, Andrew Craig lived in the adobe. He was a district attorney, which is a lawyer who works for the government. He even started a law school in the house! After him, the Winchester family lived there. They covered the adobe walls with redwood. Later, two men, Jim Hawley and Jim Hammond, lived in the house. They rebuilt the outside and the porch. They also changed the roof to redwood shake.
Bringing the Adobe Back to Life
The Branciforte Adobe has been lived in continuously since it was built. It was never left empty or moved. It is one of only two adobe buildings left in Santa Cruz. It is the only one remaining from the Villa de Branciforte settlement.
In the 1970s, Edna Emerson Kimbro and her husband, Joseph Rushton Kimbro, bought the house. Edna was a historian who loved early California history. They worked to restore the house. They removed chicken wire and plaster from the outside. This helped them find the original adobe walls.
This restoration work helped Edna learn a lot about how the adobe was built. It showed how it was similar to other old adobe homes. It also revealed some unique features. During their restoration, they added two more bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Edna Kimbro later sold the Branciforte Adobe. She then moved on to restore another historic building. This was the Castro Adobe, a two-story adobe house in the Watsonville area. It was built in the mid-1800s.
Edna Kimbro's work on the Branciforte Adobe was very careful and detailed. It helped us understand more about these old buildings. Today, the Branciforte Adobe is still a private home.
