Rios Caledonia Adobe – a 19th century house near Mission San Miguel
The Rios Caledonia Adobe in San Miguel
The Rios Caledonia Adobe is a nicely restored late mission-era adobe that tells another part of the story of Mission San Miguel.
The Rios Caledonia Adobe represents the tail end of the founding period of the California Missions.
Built in 1835 (contrary to the date on the historic landmark plaque), it is located just a few hundred feet to the south of the Mission San Miguel in northern San Luis Obispo County.
Although it is only open Friday through Sunday, if you are visiting Mission San Miguel at that time of the week, the Rios adobe will complete the picture of how people lived during those times.
The adobe also tells a later story, that of Highway 101 which grew to the thoroughfare it is today from the roots of the El Camino Real.
Adobes are so called because of the adobe blocks that form the walls. You can see the individual blocks in the photo where the protective plaster has worn away.
Depending on the height of the walls and the width of the building, the walls might be a mass of adobe blocks 5 feet thick as they are in the mission churches.
They formed the adobe blocks from soil with a high percentage of clay, straw or animal hair, manure and water. They then poured this mixture into a simple wooden form until it was somewhat set and then allowed to dry in the sun.
Rios Caledonia Adobe Quick Facts
Address: 700 S. Mission St, San Miguel, CA 93451 (San Luis Obispo County), just off Highway 101
GPS coordinates: 35.73862, -120.69977
Phone: Gift Shop/Museum (805)467-3357
Gift Shop & Museum (self-guided tours) Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 11am – 4pm
Organization: San Luis Obispo County Parks Department and the Friends of the Adobe
The Friends of the Adobe have been instrumental in restoring the adobe and making it into a museum of life in early San Miguel.
By the way, the name “Rios-Caledonia” refers to Petronilo Rios the builder and first owner of the adobe after the mission and lands were sold, and Caledonia was added by a later owner in 1868 to remind him of his Scottish roots. “Caledonia” is the name given to Scotland by the Romans.
The Rios Caledonia Adobe later functioned as an inn, tavern and a Wells Fargo stagecoach stop until 1886. It is said that the Dalton Brothers and Frank and Jesse James visited here. It is credible since an uncle of the James boys was one of the founders of Paso Robles, owned property in the area and the gang was known to have traveled out west until conditions in the east “calmed down”.
A very nice collection of historic artifacts have been donated to the adobe by area pioneer families.
These furnishings are authentic and give you a real taste of what life might have been like for the early residents of Central California.
Visit the “spooky” darkened old adobe where you wander about with a candle provided. Luminarias illuminate the way to the adobe from the parking lot.
Picnics at the Rios Caledonia Adobe
Between the adobe and the parking area is a garden, some outbuildings and picnic tables. This is a nice shady area and a good place if you wanted to picnic after picking up something tasty in Paso Robles.
