The Adobe is the oldest historic structure at the Arboretum. It is the earthen building beside Baldwin Lake. Most likely it was the site of an earlier building used to shelter shepherds tending flocks of the San Gabriel Mission. The first recorded residents of the Adobe were Hugo and Victoria Reid who applied for a land grand for Rancho Santa Anita in 1839. It is believed they used Rancho Santa Anita in the summer months. The Reid’s permanent residence was a two-story house adjacent to the San Gabriel Mission. Over many years the Adobe was enlarged and modified by a succession of rancho owners. It surely suffered neglect by absentee owners, damage from earthquakes and possible floods. Its dimensions grew and shrunk over the years. When Elias J. Baldwin owned Rancho Santa Anita, the Adobe was an L-shaped, eight-room structure with verandas. One wing was timber and the other wing adobe. Its overall appearance was similar to the territorial-style adobes of New Mexico. It was Baldwin’s home from 1875 until his death in 1909. When the Arboretum was founded in 1948 as a botanic garden, it was also realized as an important historic site. Historian Susanna Bryant Dakin, an Arboretum board member, led the effort to restore the Adobe. Dakin assembled a group of experts who oversaw the restoration. The Restoration Association made the Adobe an important project. The wood frame wing was dismantled with the intention of restoring it in the future. The resulting restoration included interior furnishings viewed through windows, a walled compound, a vineyard, recreated Gabrielino houses and for a while, a corral with a resident donkey named Pancho. This was enjoyed by many generations. It was a favorite of visitors and school age children on field trips. The restored dwelling shaped their understanding of the history of Rancho’s in Southern California. Due to roof leaking and damage from improper maintenance the Adobe is once again in the process of restoration.
