{"nrhp_refnum":"79000502","name":"Los Coches Rancho","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"1 mi, (1.6 km) S of Soledad on U.S. 101","address_restricted":false,"city":"Soledad","county":"Monterey County","state":"CA","lat":36.40393258600005,"lon":-121.31801259099996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-01-31","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Prehistoric","Historic - Aboriginal","Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Los Coches Rancho/Richardson Adobe is a two-story adobe and wood structure with an attached redwood barn and pumphouse, located about one mile south of Soledad on U.S. Highway 101 in Monterey County, California. The adobe dates to around 1841 and was built by William Brenner Richardson.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the adobe is a rare intact stage stop and hostelry in Monterey County, serving the San Juan Bautista-Soledad stage, the Bixby Overland Stage and others along El Camino Real. It is also an example of post-Larkin adobe construction. Subsurface deposits hold both prehistoric and historic archeological resources.","narrative":"Los Coches Rancho, also called the Richardson Adobe, is a two-story adobe and wood building about a mile south of Soledad along Highway 101. Its date is given as 1841, with William Brenner Richardson named as builder. A redwood barn is attached at the northeastern end, and a pumphouse stands behind. Beginning in 1848 the building served as a stage stop and wayside inn on the El Camino Real route, first for the San Juan Bautista-Soledad stage and from 1854 for the Bixby Overland Stage, with Wells Fargo agents there in later decades. The nomination describes it as a unique intact stage stop and hostelry in Monterey County and an example of adobe construction showing post-Larkin influence. Excavations also found prehistoric and historic deposits, including evidence of a possible military encampment in 1846. The City of Soledad began rehabilitation in December 1977 to stabilize the deteriorated structure and protect the archeological resources.","period_of_significance":"1841","architect_builder":"William Brenner Richardson","architectural_style":"Adobe construction showing post-Larkin influence","criteria":[],"status_note":"Deteriorated before December 1977; rehabilitation by the City of Soledad was under way when nominated, with plans for a historical interpretive center, rest stop and community park.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:32.096997-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/79000502.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859930","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/monterey-county/los-coches-rancho-79000502/"}