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Tourists who come to San Juan Bautista to visit the Mission and the historic Third Street district might be forgiven for overlooking the Boronda Adobe, located at 203 Fourth Street. This small two-story building, off the main downtown sightseeing route, is known officially as the Pico-Boronda Adobe, named after two of the original owners.
Constructed in 1836 as a private residence, it has been the home of the San Juan Bautista Parlor of the Native Daughters of the Golden West since 1934, when they purchased the ruins and restored the building to its original condition. The Native Daughters, a social and service organization, has been active in San Juan for 115 years.
“We raise money for children’s surgeries and charities, for the upkeep of the missions and lighthouses, and many other things,” said longtime member and third vice president Judith Cain. “I like that our organization is aware of the needs of California residents.”
According to the Native Daughters website, the order was founded in Jackson, in Amador County, on Sept. 11, 1886, when Lilly O. Reichling gathered 20 women to a meeting at Pioneer Hall to propose its creation. The order was chartered a month later, with the founding principles being “love of home, devotion to the flag of our country, veneration of the pioneers of California, and an abiding faith in the existence of God.”
Organized into local “parlors,” 17 were chartered throughout California within a year. On Feb. 23, 1899, the organization came to San Benito County when Hollister’s Copa de Oro Parlor became the 105th location to be chartered. The Daughters came to San Juan Bautista 11 years later, becoming chartered on Feb. 23, 1910, as the 179th parlor in the organization, eventually absorbing the Hollister parlor.
When the Native Daughters acquired the adobe, it desperately needed repair. Contemporary photographs show broken or missing windows and doors, huge vertical cracks in the walls, missing sections of balcony railing and uneven settling on the foundation. The building had to be substantially renovated before it could be used as the organization’s parlor.
“When we decided to purchase the Pico Boronda Adobe,” Cain said, “It was just a mess. But we bought it and repaired it because it’s part of California history and a beautiful building with an amazing history.”
In 2018, after receiving a grant from the Community Foundation for San Benito County, more restorations and repairs were conducted. Master restorationist Tim Lantz and his team repaired the walls, balcony, exterior staircases and drainage system.
On Feb. 14, the Native Daughters will hold their major fundraiser at the San Juan Bautista Community Center. It will be a traditional San Juan Fiesta chicken BBQ dinner with live music and a silent auction. The funds will go toward maintenance of the adobe, yearly scholarships and other causes the Native Daughters regularly sponsor locally and at the state level.
“It has been four years since we have been able to hold this event,” Cain said. “We’re pretty excited about the idea of bringing it back because it’s been part of the fabric of San Juan for years and years.”
One of the statewide programs the local chapter helps to fund is the Native Daughters of the Golden West Childrens Foundation, which provides corrective lenses, hearing aids, speech therapy, braces, surgery, physical therapy, wheelchairs and other services to families in need.
The local chapter also sponsors a scholarship and participates in local events and community projects, including the Mission San Juan Bautista retrofitting project.
“We are always in the Veterans Parade,” Cain said, “and we support veteran services. We take donations, then go to local veterans hospitals and donate toiletries, socks and other necessities. We also put out educational material, specifically on California history.”
Founded as a women-only organization, the Native Daughters recently began accepting applications from men and currently has around 70 members. The only requirements to apply are being born within California and being a state resident at the time of application. Two sponsors are needed for approval.
“I like the camaraderie of what we can do when we work together,” Cain said. “I feel we have an organization that works together at the state level and at each parlor level to do good work in the community.”
The Valentines Dinner Dance Fundraiser for Native Daughters of the Golden West is Friday, Feb. 14th at the San Juan Bautista Community Hall. Tickets are available through Eventbrite or by phone at (831) 801-3490.
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