Lopez Adobe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lopez Adobe
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Lopez Adobe, 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 | 1100 Pico St., San Fernando, California |
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| Built | 1882 |
| Architect | Lopez, Valentino |
| Architectural style | Monterey |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000157 |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1971 |
The López Adobe, located at 1100 Pico Street in San Fernando, California, is one of the oldest private homes in the San Fernando Valley. It was built in 1882 by early settlers of the San Fernando Valley. This historic home is very close to the San Fernando Mission. In 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The López Adobe officially reopened on March 22, 2015. You can now visit it for public tours. These tours happen on the fourth Sunday of every month from 12 PM to 4 PM.
Contents
Meet Gerónimo and Catalina López
Gerónimo López was born in Los Angeles in 1828. He served as an army messenger in 1847 during the Mexican–American War. He delivered an important document, the Articles of Capitulation, to General John C. Fremont. This document helped end the war in southern Alta California.
Catalina López was the only daughter of Pedro López. Her father was the second manager of the Mission San Fernando Rey de España. She grew up at the mission. In 1847, she moved to Los Angeles. Later, she returned to the valley as Gerónimo López's wife.
The First López Station
In 1861, Gerónimo and Catalina López bought 40 acres of land. This land was near the San Fernando Mission. They built an adobe home there. It was located along an important wagon route. This route connected Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their first adobe home became known as López Station.
The couple also ran the first general store in the San Fernando Valley. They opened the valley's first English language school. In 1869, they even started the first post office at this location.
The López family was very important to the valley's early growth. A historical account notes that in the 1860s and 1870s, the valley had few people. But the López family's stage house was a key spot. They helped establish the first post office and the first English-speaking school.
The original López Station adobe was torn down in the 1910s. This happened to make way for the San Fernando Reservoir. This reservoir was part of the new Los Angeles Aqueduct system. After the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, the old foundation was seen again. It was later covered when the Los Angeles Police Department built a training center.
Senator Charles Maclay and his partners bought the northern half of the Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando in 1874. Maclay owned the part where the López family's land was. He then planned the new town of San Fernando. This new town was built next to the railroad, which arrived that same year.
The López Adobe House
Building the Adobe in the 1800s
Between 1882 and 1883, the López family built a larger adobe house. They used large, sun-baked blocks for its construction. Valentin López, Gerónimo's cousin, built this house. It was the first two-story adobe home built in the San Fernando Valley. Today, it is considered the oldest standing building in the City of San Fernando.
The house is special because it mixes two styles. It has features of Mission Revival architecture and Victorian architectural styles. Catalina López designed the Victorian parts of the home. The first local newspaper, the San Fernando Times, was printed here in April 1889.
Changes in the 1900s
Catalina López passed away in 1918. Gerónimo López died in 1921 at age 90. In 1928, their daughter, Louisa López McAlonan, made some changes to the house. The balcony staircase was updated. Some rooms were divided to create apartments. Modern plumbing and electricity were also added. The original roof was replaced with clay tiles.
Members of the López family lived in the adobe until 1961. The last López family member to live there was Kate López Millen. She was another daughter and lived in an upstairs apartment from 1931 until shortly before her death in 1961. The property stayed with the López family until 1971.
The City Buys the Adobe
In 1970, the City of San Fernando announced plans to buy the property. It took over a year to gather the $70,000 needed. Plans for a grant from the HUD fell through. In early 1971, the owners set a deadline for the purchase. They said the building would be torn down if it wasn't bought.
When the adobe was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1971, HUD finally agreed to help. They provided a $40,000 grant for historical preservation. The city completed the purchase in late 1971.
Opening as a Museum
The López Adobe was restored between 1974 and 1975. It opened as a historical site in 1975. The San Fernando Historical Site and Preservation Commission manages the adobe. However, money problems made it hard for the city to fully renovate the property. They also struggled to operate it as a full-time museum.
Volunteers ran the adobe, and it was first open three days a week. Later, this was reduced to just one Sunday per month. In 1983, the volunteer curator, Carolyn Riggs, noted the city's financial struggles. She said there wasn't enough money to support the adobe fully.
In 1982, over 100 descendants of the López family gathered at the adobe. They celebrated its 100th anniversary. Gerónimo and Catalina López had thirteen children. Nine of them lived to adulthood.
Why the Adobe is Important
The City of San Fernando is the oldest town in the San Fernando Valley. But the López Adobe is one of the few buildings left from its early days. Experts describe it as a two-story home with a lovely balustrade on the balcony. It shows a mix of styles from the 1800s.
The J. Paul Getty Trust gave a "Preserve L.A." grant to the adobe in 2002. They explained its importance. The López Adobe is a key example of California architecture. It shows the time after the missions declined and before the Gold Rush era. It has become a cultural symbol for the city. It is also one of the few historic buildings to survive the 1971 and 1994 earthquakes.
The López Adobe is recognized as an important historical site at both state and national levels.
- In 1945, it became a State Historic Landmark.
- In 1968, it was registered with the State of California Office of Historic Preservation.
- In 1971, it was listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Repairs After the Northridge Earthquake
The adobe was damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. It closed for three years while repairs were made. Repairs were delayed when officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disagreed with the city's repair cost estimate. In April 1996, FEMA and city officials finally agreed on about $100,000 for quake repairs. The city covered the rest of the cost, which ended up being nearly $200,000.
The Adobe in Recent Years
The adobe reopened in December 1997. The ceremony included songs, Mexican dances, and lighting the town Christmas tree.
In 2003, Congressman Howard Berman helped get $150,000 in federal money. This funding was for the historic preservation of the López Adobe. Berman said the adobe is a "national treasure." He was pleased to help save it for the City of San Fernando and the San Fernando Valley.
As of 2004, money problems still limited the adobe's opening hours. It was open only one day per month. Despite years of fundraising, only half of the $750,000 needed for full restoration had been collected. This lack of funding kept the property closed for tours from 2007 to 2015.
The Grand-Reopening of the property happened on March 22, 2015. It is now open for public tours. These tours are led by guides and happen on the fourth Sunday of each month from 12 PM to 4 PM.
See also
