John Rains, a former soldier, arrived in California in 1847 as a cattle and sheep driver. He soon married wealthy Maria Merced Williams and together they purchased the 13,000 acre Rancho de Cucamonga for $16,500, and constructed a burned brick building on the property at a cost of approximately $18,000. The Rains House was built in 1860 from bricks made with the red clay adjacent to the site. Its flat roof was waterproofed by tar, an open flume carried water from springs through the kitchen into the patio and under the house to the orchard, providing cooling for the structure. The original house had an entry hall, a parlor, and three bedrooms in the front, with a patio area flanked by a dining room, a kitchen, a padre's room, and two guest bedrooms. The Rains House saw five different owners between 1864 through 1969. And by 1971 it was slated for destruction. The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors purchased the property in October of 1971, and The Casa de Rancho Cucamonga Historical Society was formed in 1972. Rains House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 - Building #73000428. Front view of John Rains' residence; known as Rains House, Cucamonga Rancho, and The Casa de Rancho Cucamonga, at 7869 Vineyard Ave.
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