Before the arrival to Europeans, an Ohlone Indian village, called Pruristac, occupied this site. The Ohlone's enjoyed an abundance of natural resources and they were skilled basket makers and hunters and gatherers.
The Portola expedition explored the vallay and later, Mission San Francisco de Asis established an asistencia at the site. The Asistencia, named Rancho San Pedro y San Pablo, was established in 1786 for Missionary work and to grow food for the mission. Fray Cambón, a Spanish-born Franciscan friar and Roman Catholic priest, is credited with being the founder of asistencia of San Pedro y San Pablo as well as Mission San Gabriel and co-founder of Mission San Francisco de Asís and Mission San Buenaventura. The asistencia was the main producer of food for Mission San Francisco, including wheat, corn, beans, barley, asparagus, peas, rosemary, an orchard with peach and quince, and a grape vineyard. The Asistencia included a granary, chapel, and three sides of a quadrangle. During the first year, the chapel, tack room, the first granary, and three other rooms were built. In 1788, two rooms were added and in 1789, a second granary, a quarters for missionaries, and a quarters for the Mayordomo were added. Today, logs outline where the building had been. The native population decline prompted the closure of the Asistencia. An epidemic in 1791 killed many of the Ohlone and the agricultural emphasis was shifted to cattle raising. The asistencia was abandoned in 1793 or 1828 or 1834 (all dates are listed in various sources) and the era closed with secularization in 1834. It is possible that roof tiles were reused for a railroad station at the Burlingame County Club. These are the only known ruins of what was believed to be a series of mission outposts on the San Francisco Peninsula. San Franciso de Asis had another asistencia which was later elevated to full mission status, San Rafael Arcangel in San Rafael. Today, logs outline the foundations that were discovered during archaeological excavations in 1978 and 1990.
In 1839, part of the Rancho San Pedro, the former asistencia land, was granted to Francisco Sanchez in return for his service to Mexico. Sanchez built this adobe for his family between 1842 and 1846 on part of the old asistencia foundations. Following the death of Sanchez in 1862, the adobe and part of the land was sold in 1871 to General Edward Kirkpatrick who expanded the house. The adobe became the San Pedro Hotel in 1908 and a speakeasy during prohibition, then continued operating as a restaurant until the late 1930s. The adobe served as a farm building in the 1940s. In 1947, San Mateo County purchased the adobe and 5 acrea and by 1953, restoration was complete. The site opened as a historic site and is currently operated by San Mateo County Historical Association. California Registered Landmark 3391. |
