El Adobe de Capistrano
The Miguel Yorba Adobe was built in San Juan Capistrano circa 1797, probably by his father, Don José Antonio Yorba. A Juzgado, a courthouse with a jail in the basement was built to the south of the adobe around 1812. The building was also used as a post office, store and stage depot. The area between the two buildings was a passageway for stagecoaches until the railroad arrived in 1888. The two buildings were connected in about 1910 by new owners Harry and Georgia Mott Vander-Leck, who used the building both as their home and their store. Clarence Brown bought the building in 1946 and built the El Adobe restaurant which opened on July 8, 1948. The adobe became the cocktail lounge. The jail serves as a wine cellar. The site has been recognized as a California State Historical Landmark.
San Juan Capistrano, Orange County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt