The Castro Adobe in Miniature

Making the Castro Adobe Model

In early 2015, the El Cerrito Historical Society commissioned Charlie Moran to build a model of the Castro Adobe. Several historical society board members met with Moran a number of times to review their research, maps, photos and plans for building the model.

The plans were based on the society's collection of materials related to the Castro Adobe; the “inventory of 1952” as described by Hendry and Bowman in 1940, as well as their observations of the Adobe in 1940; a 1907 article and sketch by architect Samuel Newsom; and various maps.

When Moran completed the model a few months later he included many details which enhanced the accuracy of his project. This model represents the three main buildings on the Castro Adobe site circa 1860.

Architecture of the Castro Adobe

The Castro Adobe is considered a “Monterey Style” home. This style was started by Thomas Larkin who lived in Monterey. He was very influential when California was still part of Mexico.

The first Castro Adobe home, which was built by local natives, was a small, three-room home along Cerrito Creek at the south end of Rancho San Pablo. This first adobe became the barn as more buildings were added. The Adobe site contained three primary buildings: the main home and living space, the chapel and the barn.

Victor Castro had a second story added to the main adobe house. This had a wood-frame construction and was built by John Dall, an American carpenter. It was completed in April 1853 at a cost of $2,000. A balcony was added at that time that went all around the second story of the home. At that point, the home had 14 rooms.

In 1907, architect Samuel Newsom described the Castro Adobe: “The three buildings form a square, with the east side open toward the orchard and forming a court some seventy-five feet square, in which are several large locust trees. Porches were carried around three sides…the ceiling of the first floor was beautifully beamed…The lower story windows are panneled and set in deep adobe walls, which walls are three feet thick.

The Castro Adobe through the Years

Many people visited the Castro Adobe over the years. It was often a place for guests to stay and wait before taking boats Victor Castro operated from Point Isabel to other parts of the bay. At the time, there were no ferries or other means of public transportation.

The captains of early sailing ships that came into San Francisco Bay needed to trade for or buy food for their crews. Several captains wrote of visiting the Castro Adobe for fruit, vegetables and meat. In one case, Victor Castro traded vegetables for a whale boat.

The 35 or so Spanish families around the bay visited the Castro Adobe for family events, parties known as “fandangos,” weddings and the like. During the troubles of the 1846 takeover of California from Mexico, some families took shelter at the Adobe.

More and more settlers came to the Rancho San Pablo to start farming and ranching after trying to make their stake by prospecting for gold. Victor Castro sold land to some of them, while others thought the land was up for grabs by anyone who staked a claim. This put Victor Castro and his siblings in the middle of long court cases which were not settled until 1894.

When the Castro Adobe was burned down on April 20, 1956, a California historical landmark was lost. The Adobe had stood by Cerrito Creek for more than 100 years. Some people in El Cerrito were trying to save the Adobe at the time of its destruction, but their hope went up in flames. This model honors the Castro family, the first non-native family to live in El Cerrito.