La Casa Primera de Rancho San José facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose
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Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose, August 2008
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1569 N. Park Ave., Pomona, California |
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| Area | 1.6 acres (0.65 ha) |
| Built | 1837 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000436 |
| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1975 |
La Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose is a very old house in Pomona, California. It was built in 1837. This house is the oldest home in the Pomona Valley. It is also the first house built on the land of the old Rancho San Jose. People recognized it as a historic landmark in 1954. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in April 1975.
Contents
History of the Casa Primera
How Rancho San Jose Began
The land for Rancho San Jose came from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. In 1834, the Mexican government took this land. Then, in 1837, Mexican Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado gave the land to two men. Their names were Ygnacio Palomares and Ricardo Vejar.
This large area, called a "Rancho," covered about 15,000 to 22,000 acres. It included much of eastern Los Angeles County. Palomares and Vejar used the Rancho to raise sheep and cattle.
Building the First Home
After getting the land, Ygnacio Palomares built his first home in 1837. This house is now part of Pomona. It was a simple house with five rooms. This home is known as the Casa Primera.
The Casa Primera was the very first house built in the Pomona Valley. It was made in the Mexican adobe style. This means its walls were very thick and made of adobe bricks. Palomares and his family lived in the Casa Primera for about 17 years. Later, between 1850 and 1855, Palomares built a much bigger adobe home. This larger home is known as the Ygnacio Palomares Adobe.
Life with Francisco Palomares
In 1867, Ygnacio's son, Francisco Palomares, moved into the Casa Primera. He lived there with his wife, Lujardo Alvarado. Francisco made an important discovery at the house. He found an artesian well on the property. This was the first such well found in the Pomona Valley.
The well provided a lot of water. This allowed Francisco to plant orange trees in the area. Some of these trees were still growing well in the 1970s. Because of the good water supply, Francisco and his partners started a company. They formed the Old Settlement Water Company in 1874. You can still see parts of an old stone canal built by this company nearby. Francisco Palomares lived in the Casa Primera until he passed away in 1882.
New Owners and Preservation
After Francisco's death, Dr. Benjamin S. Nichols bought the Casa Primera. He also bought another nearby house, La Casa Alvarado. Dr. Nichols had moved to Pomona from New York. He became the President of the Pomona Land and Water Company.
In 1947, Roscoe Hart bought the property. He owned it until 1972. In 1972, Mr. Hart sold the Casa Primera at a public auction. He explained that keeping up the old house had become too much work. At that time, the home had four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, and three fireplaces. It also had a pool on 1.7 acres of land.
The Historical Society of Pomona Valley wanted to save the Casa Primera. They raised money to buy the house. They hoped to pay up to $80,000. When the bidding went higher than $80,000, the auctioneer paused. This allowed the Historical Society to talk. They finally made the winning bid, buying the home for $85,000. Another person bidding said they were ready to pay $100,000. But they agreed not to bid higher when they learned they were bidding against the Historical Society.
Casa Primera as a Museum
After buying the Casa Primera, the Historical Society restored it. They furnished it with furniture from that time period. Then, they opened it to the public as a historic museum. Since 1973, the Casa Primera has been a popular place for celebrations. These include traditional Mexican and Spanish folklorico events. These events feature Spanish shawl displays, music, and dancing.
In 1987, a special celebration took place at the Casa Primera. It marked 150 years since the Rancho San Jose land grant was signed. The celebration included Mexican dancers and musicians. There was also a parade of people who were descendants of early Mexican families. A staged wedding ceremony was held, with everyone dressed in old-fashioned costumes.
Historic Recognition
The Casa Primera was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The Historical Society of Pomona Valley now runs the building as a museum.
See also
