New Life in Store for Adobe

While most people come to the city to visit the 219-year-old Mission San Juan Capistrano--known as the Jewel of the Missions--many tend to overlook the city’s other historic gems: its adobe houses.

But two residents want to change that.

Starting March 23, one of the city’s oldest structures, the 202-year-old Montanez Adobe, will be permanently open to the public under a plan submitted to the city by resident Rita Tanner-Propersi and local artist David Whittington.

The City Council appointed the two last week as curators of the historic adobe after Tanner-Propersi and Whittington told council members that they would care for the city-owned structure for free and transform it into a “living museum,” complete with period artifacts and displays of Whittington’s bronze western-style sculptures.

They are also asking residents to donate artifacts to be displayed at the adobe.

“I think our community as a whole is not exposed to the rich history that San Juan has to offer,” Tanner-Propersi said, adding that most of the city’s eight historic structures are now closed to the public. “But our history needs to be shared. It would be a wonderful gift to the community.”

Nestled in the heart of the historic Los Rios district, the Montanez Adobe is one of three remaining adobes in the city, and the only original adobe in California that retains a dirt floor, according to local historian Mary Tryon.

It was built in 1794 to house soldiers working at the mission.

For about 20 years, the two-room adobe has been one of the main features of the city’s Walking Tour, whose guides open the structure to the public during weekly tours.

But now for the first time the little adobe will be open regularly, seven days a week, a move that city officials applaud. Since the city restored the adobe in 1981, it has not been able to provide a full-time staff to keep it open.

“This structure needs some life breathed into it,” said Councilman Gil Jones. “It’s one more element of our history and heritage that has been viewed from the outside but not from the inside.”

Marilyn Thorpe, a member of the Cultural Heritage Commission and the Walking Tour Guides/Save the Adobes--the organization that has been unofficially maintaining the building for years--agreed that the historic house should be opened on a regular basis, but expressed concern that throngs of tourists could damage the aging structure.

“This is such a unique and fragile site,” Thorpe said. “It has to be taken care of very carefully.”

Tanner-Propersi, Whittington and the city are working out details of an agreement that would spell out their responsibilities and the limitations on changes they can make to the structure.

But for now, the two hope to open the adobe by the Swallows Day Parade for residents to enjoy.

“We want to share our history with the community,” Tanner-Propersi said.