Monterey State Historic Park facts for kids
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Monterey Old Town Historic District
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Fremont Adobe
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 Location in Monterey Peninsula
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| Location | Monterey, California |
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| Area | 80.3 acres (32.5 ha) |
| Built | 1776 |
| Architect | Thomas O. Larkin |
| Architectural style | Colonial |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000137 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHLD | April 15, 1970 |
Monterey State Historic Park is a special place in Monterey, California. It's like a living museum! This park includes the Monterey Old Town Historic District. This historic area has 17 important buildings. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
The park is a collection of old, restored buildings. These include the Custom House, the Larkin House, and California's First Brick House. You can also see Colton Hall, the Old Whaling Company, and the Stevenson House. The First Theater, Pacific House Museum, Interpretive House, Casa del Oro, and Casa Soberanes are also part of it.
These historic homes show how California changed over time. It went from being a faraway Spanish outpost to a Mexican territory. Then, it became a U.S. state. These important adobe houses were once part of California's first capital city. The state's first meeting to write its constitution also happened here.
Today, these buildings keep their rich history alive. They save an important part of Californian, Spanish, Mexican, and American history. The park also has an Interpretive Center and the Pacific House Museum. You can take tours of the historic houses and museums. The 'Secret Gardens of Old Monterey' are also part of this outdoor museum. The Monterey State Historic Park Association (MSHPA) helps support the park.
Contents
Exploring Monterey's History
The Custom House
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The Custom House was built around 1821 by the Mexican government. It is California's first historic landmark. It is also the oldest public building in the state. A very important event happened here. On July 7, 1846, the first American Flag was raised over California. This moment declared California a part of the United States. It is a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark.
Cooper-Molera Adobe
The Cooper-Molera Adobe was built in 1823 by John Bautista Rogers Cooper. He was a sailor who became a successful merchant. He owned a lot of land in Monterey. His daughter, Amelia, married Eusebio Joseph Molera in 1875. This adobe house is a great example of Spanish building style. It also has features of New England architecture.
The Cooper-Molera Adobe was shown on Bob Vila's TV show, Guide to Historic Homes of America. In 2015, experts looked at the items inside the house. They wanted to show more about the family's life there. They found that the family was very interested in raising animals and farming. They especially grew artichokes.
Larkin House
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The Larkin House is also a National Historic Landmark. It mixes Spanish building methods with New England designs. This blend created a popular style called "Monterey Colonial" architecture. This building is a California Historical Landmark.
California's First Brick House
California's first brick house was built in 1847. It was built by Gallant Dickenson. He was the first person to bring American building ideas to Monterey. Before this, Spanish and Mexican buildings used unfired adobe blocks. These blocks needed very thick walls to hold up upper floors. They also needed plaster to keep water out. Bricks, however, could make thinner walls that were much stronger. Dickenson planned to make the house bigger. But he left for the California gold fields. So, only the part you see today was finished. Later, the house was used as a restaurant.
Colton Hall
In 1849, California's constitution was written in this building. It was written in both English and Spanish. In 1850, California became the thirty-first state in America. San Jose was then chosen as the state capital. This ended Monterey's time as California's capital. The state capital moved a few times. Sacramento was finally chosen in 1854. Every year, people act out the state constitutional meeting in Colton Hall. This happens during History Week. This building is a California Historical Landmark.
Old Whaling Station
The Old Whaling Station was built as a private home in 1847. But in 1855, it became the main office for the Old Monterey Whaling Company. This building supported the whaling operations along the shore. A special part of this building is its front walkway. It is made of whale vertebrae! This is one of several buildings in the area that use whalebone. The Old Whaling Station reminds us of an important part of California's economic past.
California's First Theater
This adobe building is California's First Theater. It was built by an English sailor named Jack Swan in 1846-47. He first built the wood part of the building around 1845. Then, he added the adobe part in 1847 to be the actual theater. It was used as a theater in 1850. U.S. Army officers in Monterey put on plays there. They called it "The Union Theatre." Swan built a small stage and provided benches. He used whale-oil lamps and candles for lights. Blankets served as curtains.
Later, the First Theater was used as a place for whalers to stay. It fell apart after Swan died in 1896. In 1906, a group bought it and gave it to the State of California. From 1937 until recently, a group called the Troupers of the Gold Coast performed melodramas there. Because of problems with the building, it is now closed to the public. It only opens for the "Christmas in the Adobes" event in December. This building is a California Historical Landmark.
Stevenson House
In 1879, a Scottish writer named Robert Louis Stevenson stayed at the French Hotel. This building is now called the Stevenson House. It is named after him and honors his memory. Stevenson lived there to get better after being sick. He was traveling across the United States to meet his future wife, Fanny Osbourne. While there, he often ate for free at a nearby restaurant. It was run by a Frenchman named Jules Simoneau. Years later, Stevenson sent Simoneau a special copy of his book Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He wrote that it would be even stranger if he ever forgot Jules Simoneau. Stevenson also wrote articles for the local Monterey newspaper. One article beautifully described "the Old Pacific Capital."
The Stevenson House has a special carving called a bas relief. It shows the sick author writing in bed. This house is California Historical Landmark #352.
Pacific House Museum
The Pacific House was built in 1847. This was during the time the U.S. Army was in California. This adobe building was used by the U.S. Army for storage. It was also a hotel, a court house, a tavern, and later, offices. The gardens outside were once used for bullfights and bear fights. The Pacific House Museum tells the story of Monterey when it was the capital of Spanish and Mexican California. It also has the Monterey Museum of the American Indian inside. This building is a California Historical Landmark.
Casa Soberanes
Rafael Estrada built the Casa Soberanes in the 1840s. It is an adobe brick home on a hillside. It looks out over the bay. His family lived there until 1860. Then, it was sold to the Soberanes family. They lived there until 1922. The Serranos later bought and fixed up the house in the 1920s and 1930s. The house has furniture that mixes old New England styles with pieces from China. It also has modern Mexican folk art. Casa Soberanes is known as "The House of the Blue Gate." This is because of the blue gate at its garden entrance on Pacific Street. Wine bottles, whale bones, and abalone shells line the paths in the peaceful garden. This building is a California Historical Landmark.
Casa del Oro
The Casa del Oro means "House of Gold" in Spanish. It is located in the Custom House Plaza. It was built in 1849 as an army barracks. Then, it became a hospital for sailors. Thomas Larkin ran this hospital. Later, in the 1850s, Joseph Boston ran a general store there. The name "House of Gold" might come from a time when it was a saloon. It might also have been a place where miners exchanged gold dust. This building is a California Historical Landmark.
Sherman Quarters
The Sherman Quarters were built in 1834 by Thomas Larkin. This small stone building was where Lieutenant William Tecumseh Sherman lived in 1847. Sherman later became a famous general for the Union during the American Civil War. Later, an artist named Percy Gray lived there. He was a California Impressionist painter. He lived there with his new wife from 1923 to 1939.
