El Adobe Flores’ contributions to California history, architecture and art were honored by a state Senate Resolution authored by state Sen. Anthony Portantino and presented to the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation at the South Pasadena Historical Museum on July 27.
SPPF board member and Adobe Flores Committee member Mark Gallatin received the proclamation from Erica Nam, Portantino’s district representative, in a presentation attended by former Mayor Bob Joe and former City Clerk Sally Kilby.
A month earlier, Portantino spoke at SPPF’s standing-room only celebration honoring the 1839 adobe’s 50 years on the National Register of Historic Places and the McCloskey-Burzell family’s preservation of the adobe since 1967 at the Republic of Lucha.
South Pasadena’s oldest building, El Adobe Flores was built as a ranch house on El Rancho Rincón de San Pascual, Alta California, México. It was México’s last military and civil outpost in Alta California during the Mexican-American War of 1846-48.
In 1847, Californio leaders meeting at the house under Gen. José María Flores decided to peacefully end bloody battles with invading U.S. forces in return for a treaty guaranteeing Mexicans and others in Alta California rights and protections equal to U.S. citizens. Since the 1800s, it has been photographed and painted to preserve and share its beauty and presence with others.
At last month’s celebration, proclamations also were presented to Adobe Flores owner Jane Burzell by Mayor Jon Primuth for the city of South Pasadena and outgoing SPPF President Jim Tavares and incoming President Jennifer Trotoux. City Councilman Michael Cacciotti, a long supporter of efforts to recognize the adobe, also participated in the presentations.
The program also focused on the importance of El Adobe Flores’ preservation by William Deverell, executive director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West; and SPPF members Lori Rusch, Cal State L.A. art history faculty member; and Félix Gutiérrez, USC professor emeritus of journalism.
First published in the Aug. 11 issue of the South Pasadena Review
