Moraga Adobe

The Moraga Adobe is a mud brick house standing on a knoll in a large property in Orinda, combining original clay construction with later wooden additions. The site on this hilltop property also includes outbuildings and other historical structures showing how a rancho household operated during that time.

Built in 1841 by Joaquin Moraga on a Mexican land grant, this is the oldest standing adobe structure in Contra Costa County. The family was deeply connected to Spanish and later Mexican expansion in California, leaving a significant impact on the region.

The adobe connects to the rancho families who shaped early California, living in a way that blended Spanish and Mexican traditions with the local landscape. The structure shows how wealthy landowners of that era built their homes to suit the climate and resources available to them.

The site is currently not open to visitors as preservation work continues on the structures. The best time to visit would be after this work is completed, when the site becomes accessible again and you can better see the original construction methods.

The building is surrounded by a cluster of eight historical markers spread across about three miles that document the rich history of the area. These markers connect different sites and events into a larger story of early settlement.