SPOTLIGHT: RAMON PERALTA ADOBE
Description: Located on land that was once part of the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, the Ramon Peralta Adobe is the oldest remaining adobe in Santa Ana Canyon. Historical exhibits include artifacts excavated on the site, a furnished period room and numerous photographs tracing the history of the adobe. Structural details uncovered during the restoration work can also be seen by visitors.
Location: The Peralta Adobe is at the corner of Fairmont Avenue and Santa Ana Canyon Road in Anaheim Hills. It is surrounded on three sides by a commercial building on the northwest corner of the Hughes Shopping Center.
Information: (714) 637-6950.
Operating hours: Open to the public Wednesday, noon to 4 p.m.
History: It is believed that Ramon Peralta built the adobe in 1871. After he died in 1873, the adobe was vacant at times and may have been damaged by vandals and a fire. In 1881, after repair and remodeling to the structure, Pablo Dominguez and his bride Felipa Yorba moved into the adobe. Pablo Dominguez died in 1895; the family occupied the adobe periodically in the following years but eventually moved to the north side of the river.
In 1908, the Dominguez family sold the adobe to E. Walter Pyne, who set out to preserve it by covering the exterior surface with concrete. That is one reason the adobe stands today, while other adobes that were in the area do not. In 1920, after the realignment of Santa Ana Canyon Road, the adobe became the Canyon Cafe and gas station with the addition of an adjoining structure.
In 1977, the adobe became the property of the Orange County Environmental Management Agency. The structure was restored and opened to the public on Sept. 27, 1986.
No direct bus service.
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