{"nrhp_refnum":"76000531","name":"Castro, Jose Joaquin, Adobe","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"NW of Watsonville at 184 Old Adobe Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Watsonville","county":"Santa Cruz County","state":"CA","lat":36.94613990400006,"lon":-121.81219598699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-12-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Agriculture","Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story adobe house, also called San Andreas House, on Old Adobe Road northwest of Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, built by Jose Joaquin Castro on his Rancho San Andres sometime after 1830, possibly as late as the 1850s.","why_significant":"It is one of the few remaining adobes in the county from the Hispanic period and the only remaining example in Santa Cruz County of the Monterey Colonial style. It is also linked to Joaquin Castro, whose family held more land than any other in the county. The nomination calls it an outstanding link with the area's early history.","narrative":"Set on Old Adobe Road northwest of Watsonville, this two-story adobe house was built by Jose Joaquin Castro, generally known as Joaquin Castro, on the Rancho San Andres granted to him in 1833. The exact construction date is unrecorded. It could date from any time after 1830, and one historian suggests as late as the 1850s, citing circular saw marks on the timbers and an 1860 survey that labels the house. The plastered adobe walls, low shingled gable roof and full-length second-floor gallery show strong elements of the Monterey Colonial Style, a blend of Yankee and Mexican building traditions. It is the only remaining example of that type in Santa Cruz County. Castro and his children formed one of the county's most influential families, owning several ranchos, and Castro served as alcalde of Villa de Branciforte in 1831. The house has been carefully restored, and its plantings follow Hispanic-era traditions.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Jose Joaquin Castro","architectural_style":"Monterey Colonial Style","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as carefully restored; in use as a private residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:32.269195-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/76000531.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76000531/0a3dfb0985-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76000531/0a3dfb0985-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Mrwrite","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juan-Castro-Adobe.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Mrwrite</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juan-Castro-Adobe.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861845","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castro_Adobe","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5050780"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/santa-cruz-county/castro-jose-joaquin-adobe-76000531/"}