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SOHO's Dedication to San Diego’s Adobe Legacy
November/December 2024
 Onsite at the restoration of the Camp Pendleton Chapel. In the foreground, a mud and straw mixing pit is used to make adobe bricks, while wood molds are seen behind it. |
One of the more remarkable aspects of SOHO’s mission is our long-standing and ongoing involvement in the preservation, restoration, and stewardship of San Diego County’s rare 19th-century adobe buildings. These architectural treasures tell the story of the region's blend of cultures: Native Americans, Spanish and Mexican settlers, and early American pioneers. These adobes serve as a fragile link to a time when construction materials and methods were directly connected to the land.
SOHO has had the privilege of playing pivotal roles—both large and small—in saving, restoring, and consulting on many of these irreplaceable structures. From hands-on restoration efforts to guiding sensitive repairs and advocating for their protection, our involvement spans the county.
While each site is unique with its own challenges and rewards, those working to preserve them share a common goal: to ensure these vulnerable links to the past remain for future generations to experience, enjoy, and learn from. Through this work, SOHO has helped safeguard a vital part of California’s architectural heritage.
Our ability to play such a key role in the preservation of San Diego County’s adobe architecture is due in no small part to Bruce Coons, our executive director, and his lifelong passion and expertise in these early, hand-built structures. His love for adobes began as a boy, exploring Old Town and the Presidio in San Diego, where his fascination with early California history and architecture first took root.
This passion only grew with time, and as an adult, he became not only professionally involved but also personally connected to the adobe tradition, owning and preserving two significant adobe homes: the earliest privately owned hacienda in California, the 1836 Alvarado Adobe in Pomona, and the 1879 John Slaughter Adobe in Tombstone, Arizona.
Coons's decades of dedication to adobe architecture have guided SOHO's efforts, allowing us to contribute with a rare blend of historical knowledge and hands-on experience. His intimate understanding of these structures—from their history and cultural significance to the complexities of their conservation—has made it possible for SOHO to approach each project with the sensitivity and expertise that these rare buildings deserve.
Here we explore 10 of the primary adobe structures SOHO has been involved with and shed light on the preservation efforts that have kept these buildings standing strong. From the intricate details of restoration to the broader impact on the region's architectural heritage, each site's story reflects our commitment to protecting San Diego’s rich cultural landscape.
A Broader Impact
In addition to the 19th-century San Diego adobes described in the pages above, others have also benefited from SOHO's consultation, including the Sikes Adobe in Escondido, the Juan María Osuna Adobe in Rancho Santa Fe, Kimble-Wilson at Warners, Marron in Oceanside, Rancho Santa Margarita and Las Flores Adobes on Camp Pendleton, the Rancho Peñasquitos Adobe, and several others. Along with SOHO's vision for the preservation of these rarest of architectural buildings, the camaraderie and enthusiasm of the volunteer groups who have assisted in so many restorations exemplify the community spirit of preservation that SOHO continually fosters in the San Diego region.
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