| Reid-Baldwin Adobe | |
|---|---|
_Baldwin%2c_the_former_Hugo_Reid_Adobe%2c_at_Rancho_Santa_Anita%2c_ca.1903_(CHS-5178).jpg) The "Hugo Reid Adobe" c. 1903, prior to removal of a wood-frame addition by Baldwin | |
| Location | 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia CA |
| Built | 1839 |
| Designated | April 3, 1940 |
| Reference no. | 368 |
  Location of Reid-Baldwin Adobe in the Los Angeles metropolitan area | |
TheReid-Baldwin Adobe, formerly called theHugo Reid Adobe, is anadobe house built in 1839. It is located at theLos Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden inArcadia, California. The Hugo Reid Adobe was designated aCalifornia Historic Landmark (No. 368) on April 3, 1940. The Reid Adobe was built by Scottish−MexicanHugo Reid on the shore of what is now calledBaldwin Lake, with the help of local natives.[1] Reid received the fullMexican land grant forRancho Santa Anita in 1845, which included 13,319 acres of land. Reid farmed some of the land and planted grape vines.[2][3][4]
Hugo Reid (1811–1852), born in Scotland, was an early resident ofLos Angeles County who became a naturalized citizen of California (then a part of Mexico) in 1839. He married Barolomea, a respectedGabrieleño woman, who became known asVictoria Reid.[5][6] Born at the village ofComicranga and taken toSan Gabriel Mission at the age of six, Bartolomea was married at the age of 13 to an older indigenous man, as arranged by the Franciscan fathers. The couple later were given small plots of land for their work at the mission.
When the mission was secularized, Bartolomea had been widowed and had remarried, to Hugo Reid. As he was not yet a naturalized citizen, she received a land grant in her name alone. Their marriage elevated Hugo's status, as she was a well-connected mission Indian.[7][8]
Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin purchased Rancho Santa Anita in 1875. In 1879 Baldwin added a wooden wing to the old adobe home. Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin (1828–1909) was a pioneer of California business, an investor, and real estate speculator during the second half of the 19th century. He earned the nickname "Lucky" Baldwin due to his extraordinary good fortune in a number of business deals. He built the luxury Baldwin Hotel and Theatre in San Francisco and bought vast tracts of land in Southern California, where a number of places and neighborhoods are named after him.[9]
In 1947 the state and county acquired the land to create anarboretum around the lake and historic Reid-Baldwin structures.[2]
Without a good roof,adobe structures can be damaged quickly. Even with a good roof, adobe structures still need constant maintenance. The Rancho-Era California Adobe is under repair and reconstruction, with completion expected in 2023.
The original home was built with sun-dried adobe bricks, made with clay soil, water, and straw to add strength. The original adobe home's roof was made ofrawhide animal skin used to tiegiant cane reeds together. The roof was coated withtar to preserve it. The original reconstruction of the Hugo Reid Adobe tried to use much of the original methods and materials.[10][11][12][2]
Proposed State Marker for the site reads: