#3: Catalina Verdugo Adobe (Glendale)

Colonnade of the Catalina Verdugo Adobe
The beautifully wooded grounds of the Catalina Verdugo Adobe

Added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 12, 1976

Today, the Rosenbloom clan visited the gorgeous Catalina Verdugo Adobe, said to be the oldest home in Glendale. The adobe is situated on land that was once part of the Rancho San Rafael, a 36,000-acre parcel of land that included parts of modern-day Glendale, Burbank, La Cañada Flintridge, Los Feliz, Eagle Rock, Highland Park and the west side of Pasadena. It was granted to retired Spanish corporal Jose Maria Verdugo by Governor Pedro Fages in 1784, to use for ranching and farming. After Jose passed away in 1831, his estate was given to two of his children, Julio and Catalina Verdugo.

There is no consensus about the exact date of the adobe’s construction. 1828 is given by the City of Glendale and other historians, which would mean that Jose Maria Verdugo was alive when it was constructed, and its construction coincides with the birth of Julio’s son, Teodoro. But Teodoro’s daughter Dora claims that her dad built it in 1860 soon after getting married, and that his new wife invited Teodoro’s aging aunt Catalina to stay with them. So technically the adobe is named after a long-term house guest…though a house guest who co-owned the land she was now staying on.

Postcard, “Tree of Peace,” Glendale, ca. 1960s (San Fernando Valley History Digital Collection / Glendale Public Library – via CSUN)

Just steps from the adobe, according to legend, representatives of the Mexican and American forces met on January 11, 1847 to hash out the terms of a treaty that would end the Mexican-American War, and eventually cede much of the southwest to the US. It’s said that Mexican General Andrés Pico met with an envoy for the American General John C. Frémont under the “Oak of Peace” on the property, to discuss the Treaty of Cahuenga which was signed at Campo de Cahuenga – another site on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Catalina Verdugo Adobe and its surrounding property was in private hands from the time of its construction until 1989, when it was sold by the Bashor family to the City of Glendale. The oak survived until 1987, when it succumbed to root rot at around 500 years old. In late 2023, a new oak sapling was planted in its place.

There is so much history to witness in this city. Only three landmarks in and I’m already drunk on it.

PS: The adobe itself doesn’t have regular open hours, but you can book a tour by calling the Days of the Verdugos Heritage Association at 818-244-2841.