Rómulo Pico Adobe
Encyclopedia
Rómulo Pico Adobe, also known as Ranchito Rómulo and Andres Pico Adobe, was built in 1853 and is the oldest residence in the San Fernando Valley
, and the second oldest residence in the City of Los Angeles. Located in the Mission Hills
section of Los Angeles, the Rómulo Pico Adobe is a short distance from the San Fernando Mission
(Mission San Fernando Rey de España). It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
in Mission Hills, the original part of the Romulo Pico Adobe was built in 1834 by Tongva-Fernandeño, Tataviam-Fernandeño
, and Chumash-Ventuaño Native Americans
(Indians) from the San Fernando Mission. The original purpose of the structure is unknown, though the adobe was located in the center of the Mission's orchards and surrounding vineyards.
Before 1846, the original adobe consisted of what is now the living room. In 1845, Juan Manso and Andrés Pico
had been granted a nine-year lease by his brother Governor Pío Pico
for the Mission San Fernando Rey de España
lands. In 1846 the Pío Pico government sold Eulogio de Celis the secularized Mission
lands, nearly the entire San Fernando Valley
, as the Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando
which included the Pico Adobe. The dining room and library were added during the time of de Celis' ownership. De Celis vacated the property in 1853 and sold Andrés Pico an undivided half interest in the Rancho, which included the southern half of the Valley, the San Fernando Mission compound, and the adobe. It is unknown if the adobe was used for any purpose for the next 20 years. In debt, Andrés Pico had sold his southern half-interest in the Rancho ex-Mission San Fernando to his brother Pío Pico in 1862. In 1873, Rómulo Pico and Andres Pico found the house, on the northern half of the divided Rancho
, in a dilapidated state as a result of abandonment. Rómulo is credited for restoring
the adobe
and adding a kitchen and two side wings. He also placed wooden flooring over the original tile floor. A second story was added in approximately 1873, Pio Pico sold his southern half of the San Fernando Valley to Isaac Lankershim in 1869. In 1874, the heirs of Eulogio de Celis sold their northern half of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando lands to northern Californians, California State Senator
Charles Maclay
and his partners George K. Porter, a San Francisco shoe manufacturer, and his brother Benjamin F. Porter. It did not include the Mission ruins and immediate surroundings. Rómulo and Catarina Pico continued to live at "Ranchito Rómulo" ('Rómulo's Little Ranch') for many years before moving to Los Angeles. They kept the adobe until the late 1890s, using it for overnight stays during return visits to the valley. In the following years it was rented or sold several times, eventually being abandoned. The vacant structure deteriorated and was subjected to vandalisms during the first two decades of the 20th Century. Thieves and scavengers picked apart the adobe, including some that dug up the floors and knocked down walls in search of fabled buried gold and 'treasure.'
The adobe was allowed to deteriorate in the early 20th Century, and treasure hunters began to dig up the walls, having been told of buried treasure. In 1930, Mark Raymond Harrington
, curator of the Southwest Museum
, purchased the property from the heirs of the Lopez family. Harrington restored the adobe after acquiring it. He later wrote:
In 1965, the City of Los Angeles purchased the property. The adobe was damaged in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. The city removed the chimney, and a section of the office wall which separated had to be repaired. The exterior and grounds are administered by the city Department of Recreation and Parks. The adobe itself is managed by the San Fernando Valley Historical Society, which restored the interior and operates a "living museum" at the adobe. The adobe is also used for the Historical Society's monthly meetings, weddings, receptions, breakfasts, dinners, and picnics. Two special affairs are "Rancho Days", depicting early California living, held on the third Sunday of September; and Las Posadas, the enactment of the Mexican Christmas procession on the Saturday before Christmas.
Also in the park is the Lankershim Reading Room, the only remaining structure of the Lankershim Ranch, which once covered a large part of the southern San Fernando Valley. The small octagonal building was moved to the park in 2001.
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The Pico Adobe has been listed as a historic building at the city, state, and national level as follows:
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, and the second oldest residence in the City of Los Angeles. Located in the Mission Hills
Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California
Mission Hills is a suburban community in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is located near the northern junction of the Golden State Freeway and the San Diego Freeway . The Ronald Reagan Freeway bisects the neighborhood. Mission Hills is the northern...
section of Los Angeles, the Rómulo Pico Adobe is a short distance from the San Fernando Mission
Mission San Fernando Rey de España
Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary" , 1797. The settlement is located on the former Encino Rancho in the Mission Hills community of northern Los Angeles, near the site of the first gold discovery in Alta California.-History:Mission San Fernando Rey de...
(Mission San Fernando Rey de España). It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
Early history
Located on Sepulveda BoulevardSepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles, California, which stretches some 42.8 miles from Rinaldi Street at the north end of the San Fernando Valley to the city limits of Hermosa Beach, where it "jumps" east and continues on to Long Beach. It generally runs north-south, passing underneath...
in Mission Hills, the original part of the Romulo Pico Adobe was built in 1834 by Tongva-Fernandeño, Tataviam-Fernandeño
Tataviam
The Tataviam , were called the Alliklik by their neighbors the Chumash , are a Native American group in southern California...
, and Chumash-Ventuaño Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
(Indians) from the San Fernando Mission. The original purpose of the structure is unknown, though the adobe was located in the center of the Mission's orchards and surrounding vineyards.
Before 1846, the original adobe consisted of what is now the living room. In 1845, Juan Manso and Andrés Pico
Andrés Pico
Andrés Pico was a Californio who became a successful rancher, served as a military commander during the Mexican-American War; and was elected to the state assembly and senate after California became a state, when he was also commissioned as a brigadier general in the state militia.-Early...
had been granted a nine-year lease by his brother Governor Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
for the Mission San Fernando Rey de España
Mission San Fernando Rey de España
Mission San Fernando Rey de España was founded on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary" , 1797. The settlement is located on the former Encino Rancho in the Mission Hills community of northern Los Angeles, near the site of the first gold discovery in Alta California.-History:Mission San Fernando Rey de...
lands. In 1846 the Pío Pico government sold Eulogio de Celis the secularized Mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
lands, nearly the entire San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, as the Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando
Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando
Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California granted in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Eulogio de Celis...
which included the Pico Adobe. The dining room and library were added during the time of de Celis' ownership. De Celis vacated the property in 1853 and sold Andrés Pico an undivided half interest in the Rancho, which included the southern half of the Valley, the San Fernando Mission compound, and the adobe. It is unknown if the adobe was used for any purpose for the next 20 years. In debt, Andrés Pico had sold his southern half-interest in the Rancho ex-Mission San Fernando to his brother Pío Pico in 1862. In 1873, Rómulo Pico and Andres Pico found the house, on the northern half of the divided Rancho
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
, in a dilapidated state as a result of abandonment. Rómulo is credited for restoring
Restore
Restore may refer to:*Restoration *ReStore - Retail building supply stores run by local Habitat for Humanity affiliates...
the adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
and adding a kitchen and two side wings. He also placed wooden flooring over the original tile floor. A second story was added in approximately 1873, Pio Pico sold his southern half of the San Fernando Valley to Isaac Lankershim in 1869. In 1874, the heirs of Eulogio de Celis sold their northern half of Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando lands to northern Californians, California State Senator
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
Charles Maclay
Charles Maclay
Charles Maclay was a California State Senator and the funder of the city of San Fernando, California in the San Fernando Valley.-History:Charles Maclay's heritage was from Ireland and Scotland...
and his partners George K. Porter, a San Francisco shoe manufacturer, and his brother Benjamin F. Porter. It did not include the Mission ruins and immediate surroundings. Rómulo and Catarina Pico continued to live at "Ranchito Rómulo" ('Rómulo's Little Ranch') for many years before moving to Los Angeles. They kept the adobe until the late 1890s, using it for overnight stays during return visits to the valley. In the following years it was rented or sold several times, eventually being abandoned. The vacant structure deteriorated and was subjected to vandalisms during the first two decades of the 20th Century. Thieves and scavengers picked apart the adobe, including some that dug up the floors and knocked down walls in search of fabled buried gold and 'treasure.'
Deterioration and restoration
Mark Raymond Harrington
Mark Raymond Harrington was curator of archaeology at the Southwest Museum 1928-1964 and discoverer of ancient Pueblo structures near Overton, Nevada and Little Lake, California.-Early life:...
, curator of the Southwest Museum
Southwest Museum
The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is a museum, library, and archive located in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the Autry National Center. Its collections deal mainly with the American Indian...
, purchased the property from the heirs of the Lopez family. Harrington restored the adobe after acquiring it. He later wrote:
Current use as a living museum
Also in the park is the Lankershim Reading Room, the only remaining structure of the Lankershim Ranch, which once covered a large part of the southern San Fernando Valley. The small octagonal building was moved to the park in 2001.
Designation as historic site
- In 1939, the adobe was registered as California Historical LandmarkCalifornia Historical LandmarkCalifornia Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
#362. - In 1962, the City of Los Angeles included the Pico Adobe and the Leonis AdobeLeonis AdobeLeonis Adobe, built in 1844, is one of the oldest surviving private residences in Los Angeles County and one of the oldest surviving buildings in the San Fernando Valley. Located in what is now Calabasas, California, the adobe was occupied by the wealthy rancher, Miguel Leonis, until his death in...
in its first group of Cultural-Historic Monuments. As of 2007, there were over 850 such monuments, and the Pico Adobe bears the designation as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural MonumentLos Angeles Historic-Cultural MonumentLos Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites in Los Angeles, California, which have been designated by the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria.-History:...
#7. - In 1966, the adobe was listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
- In 2010, the Lankershim Reading Room was also designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles
- List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in the San Fernando Valley
- History of the San Fernando Valley to 1915History of the San Fernando Valley to 1915The history of the San Fernando Valley from its exploration by the 1769 Portola expedition to the annexation of much of it by the City of Los Angeles in 1915 is a story of booms and busts, as cattle ranching, sheep ranching, large-scale wheat farming, and fruit orchards flourished and faded...
- Louis R. NowellLouis R. NowellLouis R. Nowell was a Los Angeles city fire captain who was elected to the City Council in the San Fernando Valley in 1963 and served until 1977. A conservative, he favored more growth in residential areas and opposed school busing for the purpose of racial integration. He pleaded no contest and...
(1915–2000), Los Angeles City Council member, 1963–77, led fight to save Adobe