The Dana Adobe and Cultural Center held its Heritage Day on Sept. 11, a gathering celebrating the historic landmark and the mid-19th century Californio era that it signifies.
“We’re trying to bring it back annually, because it’s really a big event where there’s reenactments and so many community groups that come together to celebrate,” Executive Director Lexi Carreño said as we walked through the modern cultural center, which sits about 150 meters from the historic adobe. “[The Adobe] is really the root of how Nipomo blossomed.”
The Dana Adobe’s story begins with William Goodwin Dana, a Bostonian who was orphaned three times in his youth. Through his sailing escapades, he got to know the Central Coast of California and set up a store in Santa Barbara in 1825.
Shortly after, he met María Josefa Petra del Carmen, who he eventually married. But as a foreigner—before California statehood—Dana had to get permission from José María de Echeandía, the Mexican governor of Alta California. Dana had to become Catholic and learn to read and write Spanish before he could marry her.
In doing so, he also became a legal citizen of the Mexican territory of California, which allowed him to apply for a Rancho land grant. Dana was granted thousands of acres in Nipomo, which comes from the Chumash word ne-po-mah, meaning foot of the hills. The Chumash were the original inhabitants of Nipomo, before the Spanish missionary era and subsequent Mexican control of the missions.
It was here that the Dana family built their house, which drew inspiration from traditional Mexican adobe as well as Greek revival architecture brought from the East Coast. As we walk through the restored Adobe, Docent Helen Daurio tells me about her earliest impression of the adobe.
“When I first walked into the house, it was in crumbles,” she said. “I felt like I had come home. It was a really eerie feeling, I felt like I belonged, so I jumped right in and became a docent.”
Today, locals and visitors alike can enjoy the restored landmark thanks to a grant from the state. In 1999, Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos formed to begin the restoration process, which once started took 13 years. In 2015, the Adobe received the governor’s award for historic preservation.
As we walk from the cultural center, which was completed in 2019, to the adobe itself, the expansive landscaping in between features native and water-wise plants. Thanks to the California Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program, 1,300 plants were planted all over the property.
Through the restoration process, wooden marbles, ceramic shards, and metal tools were among the artifacts recovered, which are now displayed within the adobe. These small remnants indicate that the Dana family, which included 13 children who lived to adulthood, had a comfortable life, Daurio tells me.
While some events last year were put on hold due to the pandemic, the Dana Adobe’s staff and docents still found ways to keep the community connected to one of the oldest architectural pieces of Nipomo history.
“We made a really big [effort] to keep staff here, so all of us were still here to work,” Executive Director Carreño said. “As far as volunteers … our education team most definitely kept intact to work on virtual tours. … We had a couple auctions to keep fundraising because we are just based on fundraising here. We were able to have our first summer camps, under every COVID regulation we could, and we had 14 campers [in 2020].”
This summer, the number of summer campers doubled.
Moving forward, Dana Adobe staff and docents are excited to invite the community for other events like a family-style taco dinner on Oct. 9, Hauntings on the Rancho Oct. 22, a Halloween Bash Oct. 29, Taste of Nipomo on Nov. 13, and more. Plus, visitors are always welcome to come take a tour of the Adobe, see the cultural center’s latest exhibit, or enjoy one of the three hiking trails on the property. Reservations are requested during the week, and on the weekend guests can come from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The center is always seeking volunteers and community support. Head to danaadobe.org to learn how to get involved with the historic landmark, located at 671 S. Oakglen Ave. in Nipomo.
Highlight
• Santa Maria’s Recreation and Parks Department in partnership with the Mayor’s Task Force on Youth Safety is organizing Teen Treks to the Coast for youth in grades 7 through 12. “The treks include hikes at the Pismo Preserve and Montaña de Oro, a promenade along Pismo Pier, and a kayaking activity in Morro Bay,” according to the city. Students will be transported from the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center, located at 600 South McClelland St., and participants will be provided with a free lunch. The program is funded by the California Coastal Conservancy’s Explore the Coast grant, and registration is required at cityofsantamaria.org/register. Upcoming excursions include kayaking in Morro Bay on Oct. 2 and a Montaña de Oro bluffs hike on Oct. 16. Direct questions to (805) 925-0951, Ext. 2260.
Staff Writer Malea Martin wrote this week’s Spotlight. Reach her at mmartin@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 16-23, 2021.