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Yorba and Slaughter Families Adobe

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Yorba and Slaughter Families Adobe

The Yorba and Slaughter Families Adobe sits on an isolated site in the southwest corner of Chino, California. The adobe is one of the oldest remaining adobe residences in San Bernardino County. It was built by he Yorba family in 1852-1853 to replace an earlier structure that was destroyed by fire. The four room one-story adobe had a three room sleeping loft. The rooms were in a row and each had access to the outside. The adobe was surrounded by wide porches.

The Yorba family was one of the most influential families in the Prado Basin. The Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, located between San Diego and Santa Ana, was granted to José Antonio Yorba in 1801. Later, Bernardo Yorba, son of José, purchased 18,000 acres in the Rincon area, including the adobe site, from Juan Bandini. Bernardo's son, Raymundo, built the original adobe which was destroyed.

The new adobe, known as Buena Vista was built by Indian labor from a rancheria east of the site. The adobe, aside the Fort Yuma to Los Angeles Road, was an optional stage stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail from 1858 to the start of the Civil War.

American Fenton M. Slaughter purchased the property in 1868. Slaughter was born in Virginia in 1826, served in the Mexican War of 1846, worked as a blacksmith, surveyor, and sheep and cattle broker. As Slaughter increased his wealth, the adobe became the heart of the community of Rincon. The adobe may have been home to the post office which was established in 1870. Also at the site was a general store, saloon, blacksmith shop, dairy, winery. Slaughter died in the adobe in 1897.

A concrete block house was built in 1906-1909 and served as the principle residence until 1916. Restoration of the adobe started in 1928 by Julia Slaughter Fuqua, third child of Fenton and Dolores Slaughter. The adobe was designated California State Historic Landmark number 191 in 1934. The County of San Bernerdino acquired the property in 1971. Major restoration and seismic retrofitting was completed in 2000.

The house is unusual in that it had more windows than is common in adobes.

The day we tried to visit, we were within the open hours posted on the sign, but it was locked up tight. A very large German Shepherd greeted me and in a forceful way, instructed me to stay out. Finally a woman came out of the caretaker's house to quiet the dog. I asked if the adobe was going to open and she said it was closed. I asked when it would be open and she said she didn't know. So I shot a few photos through the fence and the teeth, and left. Should it ever open, I will try again to visit.

Location:
17127 Pomona Rincon Road
Chino, CA 91710
1-909-597-8332.

Directions:
South on Highway 71 (Corona Expressway)
Exit Euclid Avenue north
West on Pomona-Rincon Road.

The Yorba-Slaughter Adobe is part of the San Bernardino County Museum.

Yorba-Slaughter Adobe. Photo date: 11-13-04