Rios-Caledonia Adobe

The Ríos-Caledonia Adobe is a historic adobe house in San Miguel, California. Built in 1835 by Petronilo Ríos, the adobe is a California Historical Landmark.[3] Today, the Ríos-Caledonia Adobe is open to the public as a house museum and library.[3]

Ríos-Caledonia Adobe
Ríos-Caledonia Adobe, north side
Rios-Caledonia Adobe is located in California
Rios-Caledonia Adobe
Rios-Caledonia Adobe is located in the United States
Rios-Caledonia Adobe
Location700 Mission St, San Miguel, California
Coordinates35°44′17″N 120°41′56″W
Area1.7 acres (0.69 ha)
Built1850
Websitewww.historic-rios-caledonia.org
NRHP reference No.71000190[2]
CHISL No.936[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 14, 1971
Designated CHISL1981

History
The Ríos-Caledonia Adobe in 1934.

Petronilo Ríos, corporal commanding the Mission San Miguel guard and later owner of Rancho Paso de Robles, supervised the building of the two-story adobe home using Native American labor on property belonging to Mission San Miguel (which is now across the street).[3] When the mission property was sold by Governor Pio Pico after the Mexican secularization act of 1833, Ríos and William Reed purchased the mission and adobe in 1846.[4]

The original building was made of adobe, had a roof of hand-made tiles, and used strips of rawhide to tie the pine rafters in place. The Ríos family used the home as a residence until Warran C. Rickard purchased it from the state on a possessory claim.[3]

East side

From 1868 until 1886, George Butchart operated the building as the Caledonia Inn, a stagecoach stop, hotel, and tavern on El Camino Real. The arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in San Miguel put an end to the Inn. In 1887, it served briefly as an elementary school. After that, it was used for various businesses (including a mattress factory and tailor shop from 1889 to 1895) and again as a home from 1895 to 1910 for various families.[3]

Charles Dorries purchased the property with 6 acres (24,000 m2) of land in 1923 and restored it to use as a tourist attraction. Dorries also built the gift shop in a similar style in 1938 specifically to serve visitors.[3]

By 1964 the adobe had fallen into disrepair.[3] That year, the County of San Luis Obispo purchased it. In 1968, the Friends of the Adobes formed to preserve and restore the adobe.[3]

Current
Landmark plaque

Major restoration work completed in 1972, and the building was then formally dedicated. A building that was added in 1930 serves as a local history research library.[5] A museum and gift shop opened in June 1978, also opening the adobe for tours. The site is now operated as a county park.[3]

References
  1. "Rios-Caledonia Adobe". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  3. "Historic Rios-Caledonia Adobe". The Historic Rios-Caledonia Adobe website. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  4. Grimm, Michele; Grimm, Tom (December 21, 1986). "On a Holiday Mission to San Miguel". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  5. "May 1 marks grand opening of Rios-Caledonia Research Library". Paso Robles Daily News. April 28, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
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