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Prior to the building of the Carrillo Adobe, the area was the location of a Southern Pomo village named Gualomi. The current property is a multi-layerd Tribal Cultural Landscape (TCL) and Tribal Cultural Resource (TCR). Mark Maratto and Kathy Dowdall -
Mission San Rafael had an outpost in the area used for farming food for their mission. Footings of that structure still exist.
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The early 1820s saw the re-naming of the Native village to "Santa Rosa de Lima in Gualomi" by missionaries from the San Rafael mission and the building of a mission in the area a few years later.
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On the feast day of Santa Rosa de Lima in 1828, Father Juan Amoros was celebrating Mass on a creek bank. Father Juan noticed a group of Native Americans watching. One young woman asked to be baptized. Father Juan gave her the name Rosa and declared that the creek and the entire area henceforth would be known as Santa Rosa. The Asistencia Santa Rosa de Lima, an outpost (never declared a mission), was erected on the site; it consisted of a chapel and a residence. https://srdiocese.org/history
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The newly widowed Maria Ygnacio Lopez de Carrillo arrives in the Sonoma County area with her 9 unmarried children (she had 12) at the request of her son-in-law General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. In 1835, Vallejo had been appointed Comandante of Alta California's Fourth Military District and Director of Colonization of the Northern Frontier. (Wikipedia) -
The Carrillo Adobe was described as a long, low structure made of adobe bricks with a tile roof. In front was a courtyard with a porch for shade. The Carrillo adobe was the first non-Native
American home in what became Santa Rosa.
Source: Eric Stanley thesis. -
In 1838, Ygnacia got General Vallejo's permission to settle along Santa Rosa Creek. (Wikipedia) While there was already an adobe structure on the property used by the Franciscans as a chapel, it is unclear what condition it was in when General Vallejo purchased the property. (List Source) -
Maria (age 44) and her children were already farming the area, including planting crops and running as many as 3,000 head of cattle and 1,500 horses on their Rancho de Santa Rosa property when they moved into the Adobe. -
In 1841, Govenor pro tem Manuel Jimeno Casarin confirmed Maria's possession of the property the adobe was built on by granting her 8,885 acres of land, designated as the Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa.
Source Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_Ygnacia_L%C3%B3pez_de_Carrillo -
Doña María Ignacia Lopez de Carrillo dies. In her will, she divided her property evenly amongst her children. Image source: Sonoma County Museum -
Source: May 18, 1951 article in Press Democrat on St. Eugene's fundraising event that recreated 1850 event.
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Daughter Juana marries David Mallagh, who with a business partner turned the front part of the family adobe into a general store. They also opened a tavern they called “Santa Rosa House” in the adobe. Later a trading post was added to the store. This was run over time by several familiar names of early pioneers to the area including: Berthold Hoen, Alonzo Meacham, Hahman, and Hartman.
(Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Sept. 18, 1930) -
Alonzo Meacham buys the store section of the Adobe and petitions the government to open a post office there under the name “Santa Rosa". The first postmaster was Donald McDonald. (Source: press Democrat, 18 Sep 1930) -
Juana Carrillo and her husband David Mallagh became to owners of the the property after Maria died. Possession of the adobe changed several times over the next four years. In 1853, the adobe and 250 acres were sold to Robert Walkinsham of Santa Clara.
(Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Sept. 18, 1930) -
In 1858, Walkensham sold the adobe and property to Berthold Hoen. Later the property was split and the adobe and surrounding property was acquired by the F. G. Hahman who was a farmer. He farmed a prune and walnut tree orchard and used the Adobe as a drying shed at times.
(Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Sept. 18, 1930) -
Photo from Historic American Buildings survey - Library of Congress site. Survey number: HABS CA-1442. Press Democrat Editor Finley provided $500 to have a roof built over the site to protect the adobe. -
In 1937, the current owner of the property - farmer Paul Hahman - was using the Adobe as an out building. When the Press Democrat newspaper announced the Carrillo Adobe's centennial anniversary and people flocked to see it. But Hahman posted a sign that read, "no adobe visitors". The PD pushed for restoration, but there was only a brief spark of interest that faded away. (Press Democrat, Jan. 21, 1990) -
What is seen today is just the east wing of the adobe; a north wing collapsed in 1944. That same year, a roof was put over the rest of the building to protect it. (Press Democrat, Nov. 12, 1978) -
Proposal to move the Carrillo Adobe to the fairgrounds to be used as a museum for the county discussed at a Native Sons and Native Daughters "Golden West" committee meeting. This would required the adobe to be moved brick by brick and a steel frame constructed.
(Press Democrat, Sept. 1, 1949) -
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of SF purchases the 17-acre property from the Hahman family without realizing the adobe was on it. The article in the Santa Rosa Republican stated that Codding had also planned to purchase the property to build on and make a park out of it for the Adobe. (Press Democrat, May 5, 1950) -
Stated by Father Becker in Press Democrat article published on Nov. 15, 1951.
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St. Eugene's Church built within a year on the southwest edge of the Carrillo Adobe property. -
The (Presbyterian) Church of the Roses built near Montgomery Village on land donated by Hugh Codding used a beam from the Carrillo Adobe as a face beam for the church porch stoop. (The Press Democrat, Oct. 21, 1956) -
Using funds through the "Mission 66" project, the Western Office of the National Park Service documented the Carrillo Adobe through measurements, drawings, brief history, and photos under HABS No. CAL-1442 . Source: Library of Congress website: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ca1107.sheet.00000a/resource/ -
The Reverend Leo Maher organized a restoration committee and the church donated several thousand dollars to the effort. However, the public on donated a few hundred dollars and work waned after the adobe's roof was carefully reconstructed and a chain link security fence built around the property to protect it from vandals. (Press Democrat, Aug. 13, 1879)
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The Native Daughters of the Golden West hold a rummage sale to raise funds to restore the Carrillo Adobe. (The Press Democrat, April 16, 1963) -
Catholic Church work near Carrillo Adobe stopped by City. Later approved without permit fee. (Press Democrat, Sept. 4, 1963)
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A resolution was passed by the Santa Rosa Civic Arts Commission to designate 12 buildings as landmarks in the city. The Carrillo Adobe was one of them.
(The Press Democrat, Feb 28, 1965.) -
Carrillo Adobe is one of 33 sites on a list of historically significant properties in Santa Rosa. List created by the Civic Art Commission. (Press Democrat,
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The city's Cultural Heritage Board announces it will file for historic landmark status for the Carrillo Adobe.
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The Santa Rosa Bicentennial Committee wanted to make the restoration of the adobe a project, but could not come to an agreement with the church. -
Church and City disagree on who should lead on raising $250K for repairs. Bill Gaddis donated $1500 and is working with church contractor and Architect Clarence Felciano on estimates to repair roof. Eleanor Carrillo Haney donated $1,000. (Press Democrat, December 1981 multiple issues.) -
A new group "Friends of the Carrillo Adobe" forms and plans to meet with Bishop Mark Hurley. (Press Democrat, 3.12.1986)
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Friends of the Carrillo Adobe hires Santa Cruz architect Gilbert Sanchez - an adobe structure specialist - to assess restoration possibilities. Cost estimate to stabilize $95,000 and full renovation $467,000.
http://sanchezarchitect.com/wordpress/adobe-rehab-projects/
(Press Democrat, April 9, 1986) -
Adobe specialist Gil Sanchez stated that he Carrillo Adobe is one of less than fifteen remaining in California. Estimated only 35% of the original building remains. (Press Democrat, May 8, 1986)
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The Roman Catholic Diocese has leased the property that includes the Adobe to developer Mort Schaffran of El Cerrito who has proposed building a 300 unit development with the restored Adobe used as a community center. (Press Democrat, Jan. 16, 1988) -
A letter by Rev. Steinbock published in the Press Democrat's "Close to Home" column seeks to assure residents that he and the church have been communicating with the city, developer, and FAC in good faith. (Press Democrat, June 20, 1990) -
FCA volunteers to construct roof over adobe after 1962 protective roof collapsed. A donation of $5,000 made it possible. Some supplies were donated by merchants. City waved $35 permit processing fee. (Press Democrat, March 1, 1991)
Finished in October with help from volunteers from the North Coast Builders Exchange. (Press Democrat, October 16, 1991) -
A condo development proposed by Housing Associates, Inc. must do an EIR per the City planners.
(Press Demcorat, July 21, 1992 -
Led by Pete Eirman, the CHB wants the entire acreage around the Adobe turned into a park with an active archeological dig. (Press Democrat, July 20, 1993)
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With the FCA's support the newest high school in Santa Rosa is named for Maria Carrillo. (Press Democrat, Dec. 15, 1993) -
Diocese turns down City's offer to purchase Carrillo Adobe property for a park and historical site.
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Friends of the Carrillo Adobe member Steve Lewis, a Sonoma State professor who is descended from Julio Carrillo, accepted a plaque on the adobe presented by the E Clampus Vitus organization. -
An apartment project was planned on the Diocese of Santa Rosa property on Montgomery Drive. Residents were encouraged to let the City know that they wanted the Adobe preserved. The proposed project goes dormant in 2007.
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Designated as a Native American resource. Adobe is a State Landmark.
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Swenson Builders bought the 14.8-acre property for $5.1 million, over 20 years ago. In December 2025, the Creekside Village project was brought to the City. A neighborhood meeting was held on 12.15.2025. It will be reviewed by the DRPB once formal plans are filed.(Press Democrat, Dec. 16, 2025.) -
Photo taken by Christopher Chung - Press Democrat photographer.