After nearly three years of work, the historic Castro Breen
Adobe in San Juan Bautista will open its doors for visitors once
again this spring, showcasing a plethora of structural improvements
and a new exhibit display that highlights the multi-cultural roots
of San Benito County.
San Juan Bautista – After nearly three years of work, the historic Castro Breen Adobe in San Juan Bautista will open its doors for visitors once again this spring, showcasing a plethora of structural improvements and a new exhibit display that highlights the multi-cultural roots of San Benito County.
“The adobe is one of the few remaining examples of Monterey Colonial architecture, so that makes it significantly valuable right there,” said Donald Amos, exhibit coordinator with California State Parks. “But two very different families lived here, and there’s an immense cultural value as well.”
The adobe’s makeover was funded through a park bond from 2000, and was identified as a vulnerable structure in need of reinforcements due to its close proximity to the San Andreas Fault.
“Originally we went in there just to do stabilization work,” Amos said. “But we were fortunate enough to have a chance to redo the exhibits, as well.”
The remodel included installation of a fire suppression system, upgraded mechanical and electric work and reconstruction of the interior as well as earthquake-proofing the structure.
The adobe features seven different exhibit “themes” in four rooms, including “Life in the Plaza,” “Gold Discovery,” and Breen and Castro family history. While the exhibits are designed to appeal to visitors of all ages, a special emphasis was placed on ensuring that the exhibits were accessible to fourth and fifth-grade visitors, who often take field trips to San Juan Historic Park to compliment social studies work focused on early California history and the missions.
“I hope people come away from the exhibit with a better understanding of the people who used to make up San Juan and the times they live in,” Amos said. “All in all, this was a home for two families. It’s not that any historical event really occurred there, but history was made around the house.”
The Castro Breen Adobe was home first to the Castro family, a governing family from Mexico. When the Breen family came to settle in San Juan Bautista a few years after surviving their expedition with the Donner Party in the 1840s, the Castro family’s view toward an American presence was less than kind. However, probably due to their shared Catholic faith, Amos says, the Castros allowed the Breen family into their home after one of the Breen children struck gold in 1848. Breen descendants lived there until the building was made part of the state park system in the 1930s. Many of the exhibits are household items left in the house when the Breen family left, and others still are time period-appropriate pieces taken from all over the state.
“It’s very rare that you can work on a project that examines California’s history from the perspective of the American period as well as the state’s Mexican heritage,” Amos said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to make people more aware of the region’s shared culture, and a really fun project to work on.”
The Adobe will be open for visitors on March 11, while State Parks staff sets up one final photo exhibit.
“I’m really excited and a little bit nervous,” said Park Ranger Sheryl Neufield, who worked extensively on the project. “A lot of time and planning went into this, so to finally be able to open it up for the public is very exciting.”
“We really wanted to personalize the experience, so that you’re seeing history through the eyes of people who lived it,” Amos said. “Too often the emphasis is put on events and dates in history, and not on the fact that you’re talking about people’s lives.”
