Corral de Piedra
Why it's listed
Corral de Piedra is an archaeological site near Edna, about one mile south of San Luis Obispo on Price Canyon Road. It covers roughly one acre on an oak-covered sandstone hill and consists of a rectangular dry stone enclosure built of small boulders, an attached L-shaped stone wall, and a mortared brick and stone feature that may be a fireplace remains. The corral dates from before 1841, when cattle roamed unfenced and stone pens held part of the herd for branding and slaughter. It gave its name to Rancho Corral de Piedra, a land grant awarded to Jose Maria Villaviciencio, a captain who took part in the 1836 California Rebellion and held several local offices. The grant was enlarged in 1846, and the ranch later passed to the Steele brothers, who helped establish the regional dairy industry. The site was listed as a rare surviving example of Mexican-period ranching practices. Its stonework remains in good condition, with minor disturbance from cattle and campers.
Significance in brief: The remains are described as rare, dwindling physical evidence of land use and cattle ranching during California's Mexican period. The corral gave its name to the Rancho Corral de Piedra land grant, shown on the grant map, which was given to Jose Maria Villaviciencio, a prominent military and political figure of the time. The ranch was later among the first properties bought by the Steele brothers, credited with founding the area's dairy industry.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78000766, listed May 22, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of San Luis Obispo on Price Canyon Rd., San Luis Obispo |
|---|---|
| County | San Luis Obispo County |
| Listed | May 22, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000766 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Aboriginal |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good integrity with only minor disturbance of the stone features; modern intrusions are cattle grazing and occasional camping. Present use is grazing land. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 35.19358, -120.62553 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78000766.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.