Michael White Adobe
historic place
In San Marino, California, stands the Michael White Adobe, a historic place located on the campus of San Marino High School. This adobe house was constructed around 1845 by Michael White, an English seaman who became a Mexican citizen and was known as Miguel Blanco. In 1845, California Governor Pio Pico granted White 78 acres of land, which he named Rancho San Ysidro. This grant was in recognition of services by White's wife and mother-in-law to the Mission. The Michael White Adobe is a rare example of a surviving 19th-century adobe, being one of only 39 remaining in Los Angeles County. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation it received on September 30, 2014. After White owned the property until 1878, the San Marino School District acquired the site in 1928. The adobe was restored in 1952. A historical marker, erected in 1956 by the Native Sons of the Golden West, commemorates its significance. The Michael White Adobe offers a tangible link to California's Mexican era and early American settlement.