| News & Documents | | Adobe Property Development Proposal
Newsletter
Recent Media Coverage
Meeting Minutes
Documents
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On
February 25th 2012, FJMA Board members, Kent Long and Bobbie Landers
visited the Adobe. Unfortunately they found the Adobe in much
worse shape than before. There has been a lot more vandalism and
graffiti. All the historic plaques are now missing; before the
state plaque was gone, but now the City of Orinda historic landmark
plaque is missing as well. Click here to see recent Adobe photos. |
On
February 8th 2011, the Orinda Planning Commission heard an
informational presentation by the J & J Ranch developers (the Moraga Adobe owners) along with comments by FJMA
members and representatives of other community groups . The Orinda
Planning Department has been reviewing the initial application, but no staff
recommendations have been published yet on the need for Environmental Impact
Report etc.
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| July, 2010 |
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The Friends of the Joaquin
Moraga Adobe participated in the July 4th
activities in the cities of Orinda and Moraga. Information booths and
brochures were provided to inform the community about our cause. Local citizens of both Orinda and Moraga
were very receptive and
interested in the Adobe.
FJMA members riding in a horse-drawn wagon in Orinda's Fourth
of July parade. |
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March, 2010
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Article in Lamorinda Weekly - March 30
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The Friends of the Moraga Adobe was
featured in an article by Sophie Braccini in the Lamorinda Weekly
newspaper. The article described the presentation by Kent
Long at the Moraga Historical Society and Moraga Councilmen Dave
Trotter's remarks.
Link
to Lamorinda Weekly article
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Presentation at Moraga Historical
Society - March 25
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FJMA President Kent Long gave a special
presentation about the history and future of the Moraga Adobe at the
Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga. The well-attended event was
sponsored by the Moraga Historical Society.
Kent's presentation gave an overview of the history of the Moraga
family and the early days of the Adobe, the transitional ranching
period, the restoration in the 1940's and the private owenership since
that time. The talk featured many photos from the Moraga Historical
Society's archives.
The current situation of the Adobe was also presented, both by current
photographs and a lengthy discussion of the proposed development by the
current owners of the property. Kent described the FJMA's
efforts to ensure preservation and community access for the historic
building and also showed preliminary sketches by Orinda architects Bill
Simpson and Peter Hasselman that illustrate some possible plans for
restoring the Adobe bulding and providing faciilities for the public.
The evening was concluded by remarks by Dave Trotter, Moraga Council
member and long-time Moraga historical advocate. He spoke
eloquently about the unique opportunity to save this
important site and urged all Moraga and Orinda residents to work
actively to make their support known.
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July, 2009
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FJMA Tour of Alviso Adobe - July 18
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The FJMA visited
the Alviso Adobe in Pleasanton on Saturday, July 18th. The
tour host was Eric Nicholas,
Naturalist for the City of Pleasanton.
The Alviso Adobe is in many ways similar to the Moraga Adobe, although
it is slightly younger (built in 1854). It has recently been
restored and is now part of the Pleasanton park system. The
grand opening was held in October of 2008. It is jointly
operated with the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society and is
used for a variety of historical and cultural
activities, including an active interpretive program.
The
visit was very insiprational for the FJMA members in showing how a
similar historic site has been preserved and enhanced for the benefit
of the community.
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May, 2009
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WJFF Radio Segment on Moraga Adobe -
May 22
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The Moraga Adobe was the subject of a
segment of the Lost and
Saved
program on WJFF radio in Jeffersonville, NY. The program is a
weekly show that features historic preservation projects from around
the country. The host, Ron Bernthal, recently interviewed
FJMA
president Kent Long about the history and current status of the Adobe.
The
program aired on Friday, May 22, 2009. The will be available
in their
show archives for several more weeks. It can be downloaded
from
the WJFF
Audio Archives. Select "Lost and Saved" in the
Available Shows menu.
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FJMA Featured in Preservation
Magazine Online!
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The FJMA and its efforts to save the
Moraga Adobe have been featured in the May/June online edition of Preservation
Magazine. The magazine is produced by the National
Trust for Historic Preservation
in Washington DC.
It is very exciting to have a national organization like this showing
an interest in the Adobe and its future!
Link to article: Group
Hopes to Save Abandoned Adobe House.
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April, 2009
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Adobe Tour - April 9
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Moraga Adobe owner Michael Olsen
generously led FJMA members on another tour of the Adobe and the
surrounding grounds. Michael described the current status of
the project, including plans to submit a preliminary proposal to the
City of Orinda within the next few weeks.
Michael Olsen speaks with FJMA members outside the Adobe.
Tour attendees go up to the attic to see the tops of the original 1841
adobe walls.
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FJMA Meeting - April 13
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The Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe
held its third monthly meeting on April 13th. Several new members
attended,
including Lance Beeson, direct descendant of the Moraga family.
At
the meeting, all members were asked to describe their vision and hopes
for the Adobe. There was a wide range
of ideas ideas presented, with a common theme of using the Adobe as a
center for community education about local history. Several
members expressed concern regarding how much of the surrounding
property could be preserved in order to maintain the character and
atmosphere of the site.
The recently renovated Alviso Adobe in Pleasanton, Calif. was discussed
as length. The Alviso Adobe is similar to the Moraga Adobe
and is now part of the City of Pleasanton park system and is jointly
operated with the Alvarado-Livermore Valley Historical Society.
Full
meeting
minutes
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March, 2009
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Adobe Tour - March 21
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FJMA members were given an hour-long tour
of the Adobe building
and grounds by new owner Michael Olsen. Michael explained the
structure and its history and answered questions about the plans he and
his partners have for the site. It was a fascinating visit
and
gave much better appreciation of the current state of the property and
its potential for the future.
FJMA members speak with Michael Olsen in the living room of the Moraga
Adobe, one of the original rooms with thick adobe walls.
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FJMA Meeting - March 9
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The Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe
held its second meeting on March 9th. Several new members attended,
including several representatives of the Moraga Historical Society. At
the meeting, the membership elected an initial Board of Directors
and Bylaws Committee to
lead the organization.
The new Board of Directors is:
- President/Chair
- Kent Long ( kentlong@moragaadobe.org
)
- Vice-President &
Publicity Chair – Jeff Boero
- Treasurer
– Karen Beck
- Secretary –
Connie Boero
- Publicity Assistant
– Vera Kochan
- Research – Elsie
Mastick
- At large – SB Master
- At large – Ron Louis
Bylaws Committee:
- Bobbie Landers, Flo
Weber, Leasa Raya
Full
meeting
minutes
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February, 2009
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FJMA Meeting - February 6
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The Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe
held its first exploratory meeting on February 6th at the home of
Bobbie Landers. Attendees included the mayors of Orinda (Sue
Severson) and Moraga (Dave Trotter).
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Bobbie Landers speaks at the first
meeting of the Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe.
Full
meeting
minutes |
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