2018 May PASO Magazine

By Lynne
Schmitz
The Friends of the Adobes will
hold their annual memorial service
at the little Estrella Adobe
Church on Airport Road at 2 p.m.
on Sunday, May 27 - Memorial Day
weekend. This service honors the
memory of pioneers who settled
this part of the north county in the
1800s. Churches were very important
to them. Descendents of some
of those families still live in the
area. The adobe was built in 1878
and was the first of several protestant
churches (wood-framed) built
in surrounding districts that had
attracted settlers here even before
the railroad arrived in 1886. Mission
San Miguel, founded in 1797,
is the oldest and the only Catholic
church in the area until St. Rose
of Lima was built in Paso Robles
in the late 1880s. The Estrella
Adobe is the only rural church
that survives. It fell into ruin
over the years until the History
and Landmarks Committee of
the Paso Robles Women’s Club
had it restored. Resident adobe
expert Jess Crettol of San Miguel
did the work, aided by young men
from the nearby El Paso de Robles
Youth Correctional Facility
(known familiarly as the ‘Boys
School’) under the supervision of
correctional officer James White,
also of San Miguel. Along with
the Caledonia, it has been in the
care of Friends of the Adobes since
they were founded in 1968 for that
purpose. The kerosene wall lamps
and reed pump organ enhance the
atmosphere. In San Miguel, the
Friends of the Adobes and the
History Group of the San Miguel
Resource Connection both work
gathering, preserving and presenting
our history and stories. Sadly,
some wonderful original buildings
like the 1887 brick school house
that was located in what is now
San Miguel Park, have been razed
and only pictures and memories
remain. The History Group erected
a kiosk in Fr. Reginald
Park (next to
the mission), built
by Jacob Cagliero
as his Boy Scout
Eagle project, featuring
town maps
and information
about local businesses
provided by
the Chamber of
Commerce. They
created a historical
tour of the town
with an informational
brochure highlighting points
of interest and have placed plaques
at several historic locations. The
Caledonia Adobe Museum and
Gift Shop is open weekends 11
a.m. to 4 p.m. and Mission San
Miguel Museum is open daily 10
ROUND TOWN
a.m. to 4 p.m. The work done by
history groups is invaluable. They
love hearing from people who have
historical information and/or pictures.
Hundreds of school children
visit both museums annually as they
study California history and docents
are welcomed and trained.
Estrella Adobe Church. Photo by Meagan Friberg
To volunteer at the Caledonia, call
Laverne Buckman at 805-712-9920
or go to discoversanmiguel.com.
To volunteer at the mission, call
the Gift Shop at 805-467-3256
during business hours. Better yet,
come to visit!
May 2018, PASO Magazine 41