Larkin House

The Larkin House is a two-story residence in Monterey featuring adobe brick walls, wooden-frame construction, and a hip roof with flat-roof verandas extending across three sides. The structure demonstrates a carefully executed blend of different building techniques.

The house was built in 1835 and became California's first two-story residential building. After construction, it served as the American consulate from 1844 to 1846.

The house blends New England design approaches with Spanish Colonial building practices, showing how different architectural traditions met in California. You can see today how this mixing of styles shaped the look of Monterey.

The house sits on Calle Principal and is now part of Monterey State Historic Park. The location is easy to walk to and serves as a useful starting point for exploring other historic sites around town.

The house pioneered innovative construction methods by combining adobe brick walls with wooden framing. This technique allowed for larger windows and chimneys in multi-story buildings and became widely copied afterward.

Location: California

Architects: Thomas O. Larkin

Architectural style: Mediterranean Revival architecture

GPS coordinates: 36.59806,-121.89500

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:53