Jose Serrano Adobe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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José Serrano Adobe
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 25151 Serrano Road, Lake Forest, California |
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| Built | 1863 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000505 |
| Added to NRHP | May 24, 1976 |
The José Serrano Adobe is a historic house built in 1863. It is located in Lake Forest, which is in Orange County, California. This special house is one of four historic buildings found at the Heritage Hill Historic Park. Because of its importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1976.
Contents
History of the Adobe House
Building the Adobe
The José Serrano Adobe was built by José Serrano in 1863. An adobe is a type of building material made from earth and organic materials. It is often shaped into bricks and dried in the sun. This house was built on a large piece of land called the Rancho Canada de los Alisos. This ranch was given to the Serrano family by two governors, Juan B. Alvarado in 1842 and Pio Pico in 1846.
The José Serrano Adobe was the second of five adobe buildings the Serrano family constructed on their ranch. José Serrano and his family lived in this house. They raised longhorn cattle on their land. However, a series of dry periods, called droughts, started in 1863 and continued off and on until 1883. These droughts made it very hard for the family to keep their ranch. They had to divide the land and borrow money using parts of the ranch as a guarantee.
New Owners and Changes
In 1884, a man named Dwight Whiting bought the Serrano Adobe and a large part of the ranch. Dwight Whiting was very important in helping the area of El Toro (which is now Lake Forest) grow.
Later, in 1932, Dwight's son, George Whiting, made many additions to the house. He added a dining room, a bedroom, and a kitchen. After George Whiting worked to restore the house, the Serrano Adobe was recognized as California State Landmark #199. The house also has beautiful gardens with two pepper trees that are over one hundred years old.
Preserving the Adobe
The last private owner of the house was V.P. Baker. He used the home from 1958 to 1969. Mr. Baker restored and furnished the house. He used it as a vacation home and a meeting place for the Aliso Water Company.
In 1969, the Bakers sold their large Baker Ranch, which was about 5,000 acres, to a company called Occidental Petroleum. The sale included a special rule: the new owners had to give the Serrano Adobe to a public agency so it could be protected. In 1974, Deane Brothers, a part of Occidental Petroleum, donated about 55.9 acres around the Serrano Adobe and Serrano Creek to the County of Orange. This donation helped make sure the historic house would be saved.
Heritage Hill Historical Park
Creating the Park
The County of Orange set aside about 4.1 acres around the Serrano Adobe. This land was used to create a historical park. This park is now dedicated to teaching people about the early history of the Saddleback Valley and the El Toro area.
Adding More Historic Buildings
In 1973, the Saddleback Area Historical Society was formed. This group helped save other important buildings from the El Toro area.
- In 1976, El Toro's first church, St. George's Episcopal Mission, was moved to the Serrano Adobe site.
- Also in 1976, the first schoolhouse, the El Toro Grammar School, was moved there.
- In 1978, the Harvey Bennett Ranch House, built in 1908, was moved to the site. This was done with help from the developers of the Bennett Ranch neighborhood.
Park Opening and Rededication
The José Serrano Adobe site officially opened as Orange County's first historical park in May 1981. It was named Heritage Hill Historical Park. After the Bennett House was fully restored, the County held a special rededication ceremony for the park in September 1985.
Historic Marker
- A special marker at the site reads: State of California Historic Landmark No. 199, La Casa de Adobe de Jose Serrano, Home of Jose Serrano, original grantee of Rancho Canada de los Alisos Restored A.D. 1932 (Marker Number 199.)
See also
