Monterey County Historical Society Open House
For Immediate Release
Publicity Contact:
Wendy Brickman
(831) 594-1500 or [email protected]
Monterey County Historical Society’s 50th Anniversary Open House to be held on Thursday, December 29th
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: Monterey County Historical Society 50th Anniversary Open House
WHEN: Thursday, December 29th from 1 pm – 6 pm
WHERE: Monterey County Historical Society, 333 Boronda Road, Salinas, CA 93907
PHONE: 831-757-8085
WHAT: The 50th Anniversary Monterey County Historical Society Open House is celebrating its 50th Anniversary of being the custodians of the historic Jose Eusebio Boronda Adobe. The event is free to all and they will serve an array of complimentary soups, breads, sweet treats, hot cocoa and apple cider. They will give tours of the Victorian Library (in construction) and the Boronda Adobe will be open for viewing.
According to James Perry, Executive Director of the Monterey County Historical Society, “We want all of you to know that this celebration is not just about the Boronda Adobe, but it to also to honor all of you who believe in the Monterey County Historical Society. We look forward to seeing you here.”
INFORMATION: [email protected]; 831-757-8085; www.mchsmuseum.com/salinas
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MONTEREY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
According to James Perry, Executive Director of the Monterey County Historical Society…
“Around 1970, the MCHS Board of Directors searched for property to establish its permanent headquarters. Gay Nelson, Robert B. Johnston, Herb Hinrichs, and Burton Anderson had seen the Jose Eusebio adobe and realized it as the only original, unrestored, Mexican Republic era adobe in Monterey County. This was a unique property in need of restoration…..” Burton Anderson, 2017.
On December 29, 1972, Marguerite Wilson, owner of the Boronda Adobe, graciously gifted the adobe and five acres to the historical society. On January 19, 1973, our former society board president Gaylord Nelson had memorialized on parchment a resolution cementing our institutional commitment to the Boronda Adobe and to the people of our community:
RESOLVED, that the Monterey County Historical Society, Inc. gratefully acknowledges the generous and significant gift of Marguerite Wilson as tangible evidence of our rich heritage, and in appreciation accept the responsibility and trust for the restoration of the Boronda Adobe and development of a history center for the benefit of our community’s cultural life.”
This is how it all started. An act of generosity that would place the Monterey County Historical Society upon a path to become the custodians of the oldest private residence in the Salinas Valley and bring about ongoing development of our Boronda Adobe History Center.
Milestones for our beloved Adobe and campus began happening almost immediately— in March of 1973, the Adobe was placed on the Register Historical Places concurrent with our restoration of the house. A year later, in May of 1974, the State of California officially listed our restored adobe as Historic Landmark #870.
As time passed, our membership and archival/artifact collections continued to grow, as did historical society operations as well. For example, we constructed our first archival vault in 1980 precipitating our institution to become the custodians of our regional governmental records dating to 1770.
To be sure, there have been trying times—the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake caused significant damage to the adobe which was subsequently restored and seismically retrofitted between 1990-1992 through grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Our recovery story and open doors garnered the attention of several important civic groups including the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, Monterey Bay Chapter who generously sponsored time, talent and financial resources between 1994-1998 to entirely recreate and install within the adobe exhibits reflecting life here in the 1850s. Our relationship continues on after all this time with their support and generosity towards our restoration of our Queen Anne Victorian home.
Indeed, it has been a long road. Yet, none of this would have been created, sustained and moved along were it not for everyone along the way who has given a helping hand.”
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