Berryessa Adobe, San Jose

Introduction

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Built in the late 1840s, the Berryessa Adobe is one of only two historic adobe homes constructed prior to California statehood. There were once hundreds of adobe homes in what is now Santa Clara County, but now there are only two and this is the only one that is fully intact. This historic adobe home is the oldest residential structure in San Jose and is owned by the city. The home was acquired by the city in 1997. After yeasts of restoration efforts, the Berryessa Adobe opened in 2004 as a local history museum containing artifacts and documents relating to California's colonial period.


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  • The Berryessa Adobe
    The Berryessa Adobe

Backstory and Context

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Local historians believe the adobe structure at 373 Jefferson Street was built by Juan Chrisostomo Galindo, one of the earliest colonists to arrive in the Santa Clara Valley. There is some speculation, however, that the building might have been used as a jail for disruptive Indian field hands.

The home was purchased by the Berryessa family in 1861. After being purchased by the Berryessa family, the home changed owners several times. In 1970, it was recognized by the Santa Clara Historical Landmarks Commission and was purchased by the city in 1997.

Sources

Berryessa Adobe, San Jose city website http://santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/ServiceDirectory/ServiceDirectory/121/2660 Retrieved 11 June 2017.

Additional Information