Salinas California is a
charming town that's a mix of modest housing and well-kept Victorian
properties constructed in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and now used as
office buildings, homes and even a museum in Oldtown Salinas. Located within
view of the multi-million dollar Steinbeck Center, the historic homes help
preserve the essence of an era. One very special building, the Steinbeck
House, even serves meals to guests, providing the opportunity for visitors
to be served by volunteers wearing period clothing.
The next time you pass
through or by Salinas located off Highway 101 that extends from Los Angeles
to northern California, be sure to take time to not only see the Steinbeck
Museum, the great downtown shopping and dining and the surrounding houses
located within a few blocks of downtown.
Show above in left photo
is the Sargent House, now used for office space. Listed as National Landmark
80000824 B. V. Sargent House, AKA Sargent House, 154 Central Avenue,
Salinas. The Sargeant House was designed by William H. Weeks and L. U.
Grant. The architect of this Queen Anne house is unknown.
The house pictured
middle-bottom row is the Nesbitt House. National Landmark 82002210
Sheriff William Joseph Nesbitt House, 66 Capitol Street, Salinas,
California. William Joseph Nesbitt was elected Town Marshall in 1882, one
year after bringing his bride to his new home on Capitol Street. From 1902
until 1923, he served Salinas as Sheriff. His well-to-do neighbors, the
Steinbecks, had a boy, John, who would have known Sheriff Nesbitt well.
Literary scholars maintain that Sheriff Nesbitt was John Steinbeck's model
for Sheriff Horace Quinn in East of Eden.
Pictured on the bottom
right photo is the Casa House, the Spanish building established in 1928. It
is used as office space for approximately four businesses. Location:
158 Central Avenue, Salinas, CA.
The pink house pictured
above located at 141 Central Ave. in Salinas appears to be a home. An
internet search listed it as an addiction recovery house. We were unable to
find information about its age or history. Realtor Wesley Franklin contacted
us and provided this information:
141 Central is probably still a rental unit. Style is Colonial Revival
plenty of leaded glass built est. 1900. It is a transitional building from
the Queen Anne Style (1890's) however, its massing, recessed placement of
the entry decorative placement cause it to be in Revival era.
Truth is after a 100 years some things are just estimated educated
guesswork. If you have someone interested in a particular antique home
in Salinas I would be happy to do a tad of research. CaliforniaCoastalCities
1-831-596-9403 www.wesleyfranklin.com/
Century 21 Advantage.
Other historic houses include
National Landmark 82002209 - Krough House, 146 Central Avenue, Salinas and
the Steinbeck House, National Landmark 00000856
John Steinbeck House, 132 Central Avenue, Salinas. Black House at 418 Pajaro
Street, Salinas, National 1984000911;
Peter J. Bontadelli House or The Empire House,
National Landmark 80000823 at
119 Cayuga Street,
Salinas, was designed by Peter J. Bontadelli. It is considered the finest
example of the French Second Empire style in Monterey County.
Other historic properties
in Salinas worth visiting include the Salinas Detention Center Monument,
California Registered Historical Landmark No. 934.
Salinas Detention Center Monument was dedicated to the 3,586 Monterey Bay
Area residents of Japanese ancestry, most of whom were American citizens,
temporarily confined in the Salinas Rodeo Grounds during World War II from
April to July 1942. They were detained without charges, trial, or
establishment of guilt before being incarcerated in permanent camps, mostly
at Poston, Arizona. May such injustice and humiliation never recur.
The plaque placed on this historic site was furnished by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation
with the Japanese American Citizens League chapters of Salinas Valley,
Gilroy, Monterey Peninsula, San Benito County, and Watsonville and the city
of Salinas. The sign was installed on
February 19, 1984.
José Eusebio Boronda Adobe Casa was built between 1844 and 1848 by José Eusebio Boronda.
It is an outstanding
example of a Mexican era rancho adobe. Virtually unaltered since its
construction, it shows many features of the "Monterey Colonial" style which
resulted from the fusion of New England and California building traditions
during California's Mexican period.
