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The Fountain Gate
Enter Olivas Adobe Historical Park by the fountain gate. The fountain
is a beautiful place to view the house, the rose garden, the exhibit
building and memorial grove.
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Richard Senate Exhibit Building
The visitors center houses rotating displays of the Rancho Period of
California history and the gift shop.
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The Ray and Jessie
Monk
Volunteer Rose Garden
"To our many
constant gardeners
who keep the Olivas Adobe in bloom"
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Memorial Grove
The
memorial grove was planted in 1976, the bicentennial year of the the
United States of America. There are 76 trees in the grove.
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Bell Gate
To step through the bell gate of the Olivas Adobe
is to step back in
time.
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Courtyard
Why was this large courtyard built? For protection? Possibly. But,
it also provided the Olivas family with privacy and provided an ideal
setting for parties - fiestas!
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Photo Credit: Jim
Greaves
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The
Olivas Owls
Each year between
February and May, a family of great horned owls comes back to the Adobe
to nest in one of the eucalyptus trees. A display regarding the owls is
located in the Richard Senate Exhibit Hall. Click the "Birds of the
Adobe" button at the bottom of the page to find out more about the
Olivas Owls and other birds at the park.
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Horno and Fire Pit
Much of the cooking for the family and staff was
done out-of-doors. Baking was done in the adobe oven (horno). All other
cooking was done on the open fire pit.
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Herb Garden
The Olivas herb
garden is representative of the kind of garden the
Olivas family would have maintained. It is divided into five sections:
CULINARY - For flavoring foods
STREWING - To freshen clothes, floors and carpets
UTILITY - For dyes and pest control
MEDICINAL - For relief and healing
FOOD - To grow edible vegetables
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Mud Pit
The mud pit, source of the bricks that built the Olivas Adobe. Today,
the mud pit is used for brick making during school outreach programs.
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Fuchsias
Rebecca Olivas de la Riva, the last member of the Olivas family to live
in the Adobe, planted five fuchsias in front of the house about 1890.
Three of the plants still thrive and are
reputed to be the oldest fuchsias in the world.
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The House
The Olivas home is a nine-room, Monterey style house. Construction
was begun in 1841, with a one story structure and continued over the
years until 1852.
Click "Next" to tour the house.
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