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 very old house built in 1863. It is located in Lake Forest, which is in Orange County, California. This historic adobe house is one of four special buildings found at Heritage Hill Historic Park. It was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1976, meaning it's an important place to protect.
Contents
The Story of the Serrano Adobe House
Who Built the Adobe?
The José Serrano Adobe was built by José Serrano in 1863. It was part of a very large piece of land called Rancho Canada de los Alisos. This land was given to the Serrano family by the governors of California in 1842 and 1846. The adobe house was the second of five such buildings the Serrano family built on their ranch.
Life at the Ranch
José Serrano and his family lived in the adobe house. They raised longhorn cattle on their ranch. However, a series of dry periods, called droughts, hit the area starting in 1863. These droughts made it hard to keep the ranch going. Because of this, the family had to divide their land and borrow money by mortgaging parts of it.
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 developing the area known as El Toro, which is now Lake Forest.
His son, George Whiting, made many changes to the house in 1932. He added a dining room, a bedroom, and a kitchen. After George Whiting's work, the Serrano Adobe was recognized as California State Landmark #199. The house also has beautiful gardens with two pepper trees that are more than a hundred years old.
Saving the Adobe for Everyone
The last private owner of the house was V.P. Baker. He owned the home from 1958 to 1969. Mr. Baker fixed up the house and furnished it. He used it as a vacation home and a meeting place for the Aliso Water Company.
In 1969, the Bakers sold their large ranch, called Baker Ranch, to Occidental Petroleum. They sold it for $11 million. A special rule was part of the sale: the new owners had to give the Serrano Adobe to a public group so it could be saved. In 1974, a company called Deane Brothers, which was part of Occidental Petroleum, gave about 56 acres of land around the Serrano Adobe and Serrano Creek to the County of Orange. This made sure the adobe would be protected.
Heritage Hill Historical Park: A Place to Learn History
Creating the Park
The County of Orange decided to use about 4 acres of land around the Serrano Adobe 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 two other important buildings from El Toro. They moved St. George's Episcopal Mission, which was the first church in El Toro, and the El Toro Grammar School, the first schoolhouse, to the Serrano Adobe site in 1976.
Later, in 1978, the Harvey Bennett Ranch House was also moved to the park. This house was built in 1908. The William Lyon Company, which was developing the land where the Bennett House stood, helped with the move.
Opening the Park
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 celebrated the park again in September 1985.
Special Recognition
The José Serrano Adobe is recognized as State of California Historic Landmark No. 199. A marker at the site says: "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.)
Images for kids
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Josã© Serrano Adobe.jpg
The José Serrano Adobe house.
See Also
