History
The Michael White Adobe at 2701 Huntington Drive in San Marino is a surviving Mexican-period adobe residence built in the 1840s by Michael White, an English-born sailor who settled in southern California, married into a Mexican family, and received a small land grant in what is now the western San Gabriel Valley. The property was originally part of a modest rancho carved from the broader lands of Mission San Gabriel after secularization.
The building is a long single-story adobe constructed in the vernacular tradition of the late Mexican period. Walls were laid up in sun-dried adobe brick on stone footings, with timber roof framing originally covered in fired clay tile and later in shakes. A simple covered corridor along the principal facade sheltered the row of openings and shaped the strongly horizontal profile typical of rancho-era residences. Interior finishes were of whitewashed lime plaster, with plank and packed-earth floors organizing the linear plan.
White's tenure on the property continued into the early American period, and the adobe witnessed the broader transformation of the San Gabriel Valley from a landscape of Mexican ranchos to one of citrus groves, country estates, and eventually the planned residential community of San Marino developed around the turn of the twentieth century. The adobe was retained through this transformation and eventually came under the stewardship of the San Marino Unified School District, on whose property it stands.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 under reference number 14000797 in recognition of its surviving Mexican rancho character and its significance as one of the older residences in the San Gabriel Valley. The structure remains under public-institution stewardship.
Within California's adobe tradition, the Michael White Adobe is a rare surviving example of the modest rancho residences built by Anglo-American immigrants who married into Mexican families during the late Mexican period, documenting the cross-cultural settlement patterns that shaped early southern California.
Common questions
What is the Michael White Adobe?
The Michael White Adobe is a historic adobe property in San Marino, California, listed on the National Register of Historic Places under reference number 14000797. It is a vernacular adobe building representative of early California residential construction.
When was the Michael White Adobe built?
The Michael White Adobe exact date of construction is unknown. It was determined historically significant when added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.
Where is the Michael White Adobe located?
The Michael White Adobe is located at 2701 Huntington Drive in San Marino, California, in Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Valley.
Is the Michael White Adobe open to the public?
No, the Michael White Adobe is a private residence and is not open for tours. Visitors should respect the privacy of the occupants and view the property only from the public street.
Why is the Michael White Adobe historically significant?
The Michael White Adobe was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 under reference number 14000797, recognizing its historical and architectural value as a surviving adobe property in the San Gabriel Valley.