Alvarado Adobe

Alvarado Adobe is a historical adobe house in San Pablo, California in Contra Costa County. Jesús María Castro built the Adobe house for his monther Dona Gabriéla Berryessa de Castro in 1842. At that time, Dona Gabriéla Berryessa de Castro was the widow of Californio landowner Francisco María Castro (1770–1831). After the Mexican secularization, Castro was granted Rancho San Pablo (Cuchiyunes) in 1823 by Governor Luís Antonio Argüello. The land had previously been grazing land for cattle belonging to the Mission San Francisco de Asís, but was secularized by the First Mexican Republic. Castro and his family moved to the rancho in 1824. At Alvarado Adobe, Castro also built grape arbor, and planted gardens. In 1851, Dona Gabriéla died, and the adobe house was passed down to her daughter, Martina Castro de Alvarado, who married Juan Bautista Alvarado, who was Governor of California from 1836 to 1842. The Adobe is named after Juan Bautista Alvarado. Alvarado/Castro descendants sold parts of the Rancho to American ranchers and farmers and town grew around the Alvarado Adobe. Today the house is the Alvarado Adobe Museum. The Alvarado Square Civic Center opened in 1978 at the site of the Alvarado/Castro home. A replica of Alvarado adobe home was built at the Alvarado Square complex and in 1905 the historical wooden Blume House was moved to the Alvarado Square complex. The original Alvarado Adobe was demolished in the mid-20th century to build a motel.