Title supplied by cataloger. In 1837, Ygnacio Palomares built the first of two adobe homes on Rancho San Jose´, a 22,000-acre tract of land that had been granted to him and Ricardo Vejar by Mexican Governor, Juan Bautista Alvarado. Don Ygnacio's first home, aptly referred to as "La Casa Primera", is credited as being the first structure in the Pomona Valley. Eventually, Palomares built a second, much larger house and moved into that one, known as Adobe de Palomares, or "La Casa Madera" (The Wooden House) - so named because its roof was made of wood. This second home, built in a "T"-shape between 1850 and 1854, consisted of thirteen rooms; two fireplaces, one of which was located in the living room; the living room, which was the largest room and the social center of the home and was used as a chapel; a master bedroom that featured wood plank flooring - a rarity in adobes of that period; a large dining room, kitchen, "tienda" (store), and storeroom; a wide corridor that extended along the entire east side of the house, and a hipped roof. Sadly, by the mid-1880s the old adobe had been deserted and from then until the 1920s, it fell into severe disrepair and was reduced to ruins. The City of Pomona purchased the land in 1939 and began restoring the home; the task was completed on April 4, 1940 at a cost of approximately $54,000. The Adobe de Palomares open to the public as a museum two days later, on April 6, 1940. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 3, 1971 - #71000157, and was designated Historical Landmark No. 372 by the State Park Commission. It is located at 491 E. Arrow Highway in Palomares Park. Interior view of the Palomares Adobe living room, showing a piano, curio shelf, and several pictures on the wall. A woman identified as Mrs. Palomares sits next to the old piano. Her husband was the grandson of the original settler, Ygnacio Palomares. Don Ygnacio Palomares was one of the first Pomona Valley settlers in 1837 and owned, along with the Vejar family, the Rancho San Jose´, which covered eastern Los Angeles County.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;21 x 26 cm. Photographic prints
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