California Historical Landmarks in Contra Costa County

California Historical Landmark 356
Don Francisco Maria Castro Home
9800 San Pablo Avenue
El Cerrito

California Historical Landmark #356: Don Francisco Maria Castro Home in Contra Costa County
California Historical Landmark #356: Don Francisco Maria Castro Home in Contra Costa County
31 January 2016
(Click Photos to Zoom)

This monument marks the southern boundary of the Rancho San Pablo
17,938 acres granted by Governor Jose Figueroa
To Don Francisco Maria Castro
June 12, 1834

Erected by Oakland Junior Chamber of Commerce
And Troop 26. Explorers. Boy Scouts of America
Ferro Porcelain
A. D. 1937

Dedicated by
Soroptimist International of El Cerrito
June 1977

Castro Home

The El Cerrito adobe, as it was known because it was built near the north bank of El Cerrito Creek, was one of the adobes built by the Castro family on Rancho San Pablo. It was destroyed by fire in April 1956.

Citation from California Office of Historic Preservation

We have photographed only one other historic marker sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America: California Historical Landmark 125, the Evans and Bailey Fight, in Modoc County.

We were unable to locate a bear flag plaque for this landmark. Here's a list of other California Historical Landmarks which had no bear flag plaque when we visited them.

On August 23, 2006, a former resident of El Cerrito sent us the following information:

I grew up in El Cerrito and lived in that city from 1947 through 1964.

Prior to the 2002 reconstruction of El Cerrito Plaza, near the central part of the northern edge of the block containing stores (possibly at about where either Talbot or Cornell streets would intersect the Plaza if they extended that far), there existed a large plaque detailing the history of the site, including the Castro Rancho San Pablo, its usage as a gambling facility, and the fire which destroyed it. When I visited the "new" El Cerrito Plaza, I was dismayed to note that all traces of that plaque - and the site where it was - were no where to be found - presumably destroyed during that renovation/reconstruction.

Restoration work on Cerrito Creek along the same north side of the Plaza (from looking at maps, I think it is actually along the boundary between the city of Albany in Alameda county and the city of El Cerrito in Contra Costa county.) I "Goggled" "El Cerrito Creek" and found a lot of information.

Historic Adobe Buildings

Alvarado Adobe in Monterey
Alvarado Adobe in San Pablo
Anza House in San Juan Bautista
Boronda Adobe in Salinas
Branciforte Adobe in Santa Cruz

Caledonia Adobe in San Miguel
Casa Amesti in Monterey
Casa Covarrubias in Santa Barbara
Casa de la Guerra in Santa Barbara
Casa de la Torre in Monterey

Casa del Oro in Monterey
Castro Adobe near Watsonville
Castro Adobe Site in El Cerrito
Castro House in San Juan Bautista
Chew Kee Store in Fiddletown

Cooper-Molera Adobe in Monterey
Dallidet Adobe in San Luis Obispo
Dana Adobe in Nipomo
Don Fernando Pacheco Adobe in Concord
Don Salvio Pacheco Adobe in Concord

El Adobe de los Robles Near Lemoore
Estrella Adobe Church in Paso Robles
Fremont Adobe in Monterey
French Consulate in Monterey
General Sherman's Quarters in Monterey

Groveland Hotel in Groveland
Gutiérrez Adobe in Monterey
Hastings Adobe near Collinsville

Hill-Carrillo Adobe in Santa Barbara
House of Four Winds in Monterey
Ide Adobe in Red Bluff
Janssens-Orella Adobe House Site in Santa Barbara
Juarez Adobe in Napa

Kottinger Adobe Barn in Pleasanton
Larkin House in Monterey
Latter Day Saints Chuch in Moab, Utah
Leese-Fitch Adobe in Sonoma
Locke Adobe Barn in Lockeford
Martinez Adobe in Martinez

Merritt Adobe in Monterey
Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma
Mountain View Adobe in Mountain View
Moraga Adobe in Orinda
Nash Adobe in Sonoma

Old Adobe Barn in La Grange
Oreña Adobe in Santa Barbara
Peña Adobe near Vacaville
Petaluma Adobe near Petaluma
Plaza Hall in San Juan Bautista

Plaza Hotel in San Juan Bautista
Rancho Los Alamos in Santa Barbara
Ray Adobe in Sonoma
Reading Adobe Site near Cottonwood
Roberto-Suñol Adobe in San Jose
Robert Louis Stevenson House in Monterey

Shafer House in Moab, Utah
Sobranes Adobe in Monterey
Sonoma Barracks in Sonoma
Stokes Adobe in Monterey
Stone and Kelsey Adobe Site in Kelseyville
Sugg House in Sonora
Sun Sub Wo Co. in Coulterville

Sutter's Fort Adobe in Sacramento
Swift Adobe Site near Orland
Swiss Hotel in Sonoma
The Fort in Taft
Trussell-Winchester Adobe in Santa Barbara

Vallejo Adobe in Sonoma
Vásquez House in Monterey

Prev | Next
Contra Costa County: List | Map
California: List | Map