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The Lara Soto Adobe, formerly owned by John Steinbeck, is on the historic walking tour of Old Monterey. The building is a locally-listed historic resource and appears eligible for the National Register/California Register.
Per a document hanging in the Lara Soto, the property was granted to Feliciana Lara as a town lot in 1849. It was in her possession until 1905 when the town marshal, administrator for her estate, sold it for delinquent taxes.
The property was occupied in the 1890s by Manuel Soto and his Indian wife, Felicidad. An artist named Josephine Blanch purchased and restored the adobe in 1940 and sold it to John Steinbeck in 1944.
The Lara Soto Adobe was renovated in 1987 for the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Admired Trustee Jean Thomas donated the house to the Institute along with the Craig Building, now the Kade Center. This building currently houses the admissions offices which are shaded by an adjacent historic cypress tree. |
Admissions Building