History will soon be fully restored at the Dana Adobe in the Nipomo Mesa, thanks to an almost $331,000 grant from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment.
The adobe was one of only 21 sites statewide to receive an award, according to an announcement from the Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos. The money will be used to complete the adobe’s restoration, including physical restoration of the building, with major attention paid to the kitchen, milking room, and courtyard.
“This award represents a huge step forward in our work to restore the Adobe,” DANA president Joe Dana said in a press release.
Dana’s great-great-grandfather, Captain William G. Dana, designed and started building the adobe in 1837.
“When our work is completed, we will have much, much more to share with those who visit the Adobe,” Dana said in the release.
Funding for the final phase of restoration is scheduled to begin in late 2010.
“This award will enable us to interpret the lives of workers, women, and children whose roles have been under-represented in early California history,” DANA’s executive director Marina Washburn added in the release. “Our next step is to raise the required match with community donations.”
According to DANA officials, this is the second award DANA has received from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment. In 2008, an $861,167 award helped fund the acquisition of 29 acres around the adobe, which is now owned by DANA and protected in perpetuity. The money also helped restore some parts of the adobe.
This article appears in Apr 22-29, 2010.