Where the city's adobe stands
Three houses to start with
If you read only three entries before walking Monterey, read these — the highest-tier landmarks in the catalog and the foundation for everything else.
CA-M-002 · NHL The Cooper-Molera Adobe occupies an entire town block in central Monterey, on Polk and Munras Streets, just inside the historic district of the old capital of Alta California. The principal house was built beginning in…
CA-M-003 · NRHP The Josiah Merritt Adobe stands at 386 Pacific Street in Monterey, within the dense fabric of original Mexican-era and early American-period buildings that survive in the old capital of Alta California. Monterey served…
CA-M-001 · Catalog The Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (Spanish: Catedral de San Carlos Borromeo), also known as the Royal Presidio Chapel, is a Catholic cathedral located in Monterey, California, United States. The cathedral is the…
Monterey's adobe character
Monterey holds 4 documented adobe properties in the catalog. The catalog mix: 3 vernacular adobe, 1 Spanish Colonial. The single dated entry was built in 1791.
Registry status: 1 National Historic Landmark, 1 additional NRHP listing.
Entries in this catalog
- Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (Monterey, California) — built 1791, Spanish Colonial; museum.
- Cooper-Molera Adobe — vernacular adobe; private residence (NHL).
- Merritt, Josiah, Adobe — vernacular adobe; private residence (NRHP).
- Soberanes Adobe — vernacular adobe; private residence.
The cluster reflects the layered building history of Monterey: the older properties anchor the catalog as documented colonial or vernacular work, while later revival-era entries record how the form was rebuilt and re-styled across the twentieth century.
Suggested walking tour
A route through the documented adobe of Monterey — 4 stops, measured at a researcher's unhurried pace.
A field tour of Monterey
Stops chosen from the catalog and ordered to make a coherent walk. Each stop links to the full catalog entry — addresses, dates, and photographs.
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Cooper-Molera Adobe
Boundary undetermined at this timeThe Cooper-Molera Adobe occupies an entire town block in central Monterey, on Polk and Munras Streets, just inside the historic district of the old capital of Alta California. The principal house was built beginning in 1827 by John Bautista Rogers Cooper, a…
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Merritt, Josiah, Adobe
386 Pacific St.The Josiah Merritt Adobe stands at 386 Pacific Street in Monterey, within the dense fabric of original Mexican-era and early American-period buildings that survive in the old capital of Alta California. Monterey served as the political and commercial center…
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Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (Monterey, California)
Monterey, CA · Built 1791The Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (Spanish: Catedral de San Carlos Borromeo), also known as the Royal Presidio Chapel, is a Catholic cathedral located in Monterey, California, United States. The cathedral is the oldest continuously operating parish and the…
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Soberanes Adobe
336 Pacific StreetThe Soberanes Adobe at 336 Pacific Street in Monterey is one of a group of surviving Mexican-period residences clustered in the historic core of California's first capital. Built in the 1840s for the Soberanes family, prominent members of the Monterey rancho…
All 4 entries in Monterey
Documented properties in Monterey, listed alphabetically. Each plate carries the entry's reference number, registry status, address, and date of construction.
CA-M-001 Catalog CA-M-002 NHL CA-M-003 NRHP CA-M-004 Catalog Nearby cities
Other adobe centers within reach of Monterey. Each links to its own chapter of the Atlas.