Preservation Need and Funding Purpose
The Maria Carrillo Adobe is one of Santa Rosa’s most significant historic and archaeological properties. The site preserves the physical remains of a 19th-century adobe residence—constructed in 1838–1839 as the first non-Native building in the Santa Rosa Valley—and an associated Native American village with more than 2,000 years of continuous occupation. Together, these resources form a rare cultural landscape that reflects Indigenous heritage, Spanish-Mexican settlement, and the early origins of Santa Rosa.
Despite its exceptional historical, cultural, and archaeological importance, the Maria Carrillo Adobe is increasingly vulnerable. As Santa Rosa continues to grow, rising land values and pressure for high-density redevelopment threaten the long-term preservation of this largely undeveloped property. Without timely and coordinated intervention, the adobe ruins, intact archaeological deposits, and historic setting face the risk of damage, loss of integrity, or permanent alteration.
Preserving the Maria Carrillo Adobe requires proactive investment now—before development pressures irreversibly compromise the site’s ability to convey its history and meaning.
Use of Funds
Funds raised through grants and private donations will be dedicated to protecting, stabilizing, and stewarding the Maria Carrillo Adobe for future generations. Priority activities include:
Historic Preservation and Stabilization
Stabilization of the remaining adobe walls, foundations, and associated structural elements to prevent further deterioration and loss of historic fabric, ensuring the long-term survival of the physical remains.
Protection of Archaeological Resources
Safeguarding intact prehistoric and historic archaeological deposits through site protection measures, cultural resource monitoring, and development of long-term management and preservation plans.
Public Access and Interpretation
Creation of safe, controlled public access, along with interpretive signage and educational materials that present the site’s Indigenous history, Mexican-era settlement, and role in the early development of Santa Rosa in a respectful and accessible manner.
Property Protection and Long-Term Stewardship
Implementation of measures to protect the site from incompatible development, encroachment, and unintended impacts, preserving the property as a coherent cultural landscape rather than an isolated ruin.
Lasting Impact
Investment in the Maria Carrillo Adobe will preserve a rare and irreplaceable place where Native American history, Spanish-Mexican settlement, and the birth of Santa Rosa converge. Funding will help transform a threatened site into a protected, accessible, and educational resource—one that honors the legacy of the land and the people connected to it, while ensuring its survival amid ongoing development pressures.
By supporting preservation efforts today, donors and funding partners play a direct role in safeguarding this shared heritage for future generations.
Friends of the Carrillo Adobe is a community-based, non-profit organization 501(c)(3).