The Oldest House North of San Francisco Bay!

Oldest House North of San Francisco Bay
Landmark #210 Sonoma County Visited: February 19, 2012 Plaque?  NO. 🙁
What is it? The enclosed adobe remains of the oldest house north of San Francisco Bay!
What makes it historical? THE GUIDE SAYS: This house was built in 1776 by the father of Camillo Ynitia or Unitia, the last chief of the Olompali Indians. The Indians were taught to make adobe bricks by Lieutenant Bodega and his party while they were surveying and charting the harbor of San Francisco Bay. The old adobe house is inside the house now on the site. (Burned in 1976.)

OTHER TIDBITS: Olompali was the name of the village where Camillo’s tribe of Coast Miwok lived! Olompali means “southern village!” It was populated for about six hundred years until it was abandoned in 1856. Camillo (Huemon) was the last hoipu or leader to live here! He married four times and lost three wives and a son!

Despite his personal tragedies, Camillo thrived as a rancher and traded with both the Mexicans and the Russians of Fort Ross. He was the only Native American rancher in Northern California to hold Mexican and US land grants!

During the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846, the Battle of Olompali was fought here between American forces from Sonoma and Mexican forces from Monterey!

This landmark is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places!

How can I Help the Helpers? HERE’S HOW:

  • Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
  • Volunteer with the Olompali People!
  • Donate to the Olompali People!
  • Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
Where is this place? LISTED DIRECTIONS:
Olompali State Historic Park
8901 Redwood Hwy
State Hwy 101 (P.M. 24.8)
3.5 mi N of Novato, CA 94945

ANNOTATIONS:
Yup! That’s correct!

From Los Angeles: ~406mi (654km) — 6.8hrs
From Sacramento: ~78mi (126km) — 1.3hrs
From San Diego: ~525mi (845km) — 8.8hrs
From San Francisco: ~32mi (52km) — 0.6hrs

When should I go? The park is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM!

Oldest House North of San Francisco Bay

Oldest House North of San Francisco Bay

Oldest House North of San Francisco Bay

Click here to see more California historical landmarks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.