Page 1 - hs8705

,-_

June 10, 1987

Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society
P.O. Box 875
Newhall, California 91322

Re: The Mitchell Adobe Schoolhouse

Dear Ms. Harris and members of the Society:

At your request, we made a site visit to the above adobe on
June 5, 1987, to make recommendations for its reconstruction.
Present: Marilyn Neil-Harris, President, SCV Historical Soc.
Tom Mason, Builder
Members of the Historical Society
Gil Sanchez, A.I.A., Architect
Daryl Allen, Associate, Sanchez Architects

We viewed a small adobe structure, approximately 11'-9" wide
by 21 feet long, which was in the process of being
reconstructed. Walls were about three feet high on the day
we viewed it. The structure was unfortunately damaged in a
demolition attempt by a developer --w h planned to de demolish -i it • --- ------=
Total demolition was prevented by the Historical Society.
All roof framing was destroyed, although a large quantity of
adobe blocks from the walls and door and window frames were
saved. Adobe.blocks were disassembled, marked· as to which
wall they came from, and were moved to their present site.
New adobe block was manufactured to supplement the old block
as needed.

The small building was built in 1860 by Thomas Mitchell and
was used as a school building on his ranch beginning in 1872.
A photograph of the building taken in 1960 reveals roof
framing and window and door placement on the front facade.
An earlier photograph also gives useful information regarding
the historic appearance of the adobe plastered walls.

Tom Mason, volunteer in charge of construction, showed the
construction drawings to Gil. The structural system was
designed by an engineer according to recommendations of the
County of Los Angeles building department. Steel reinforcing
bars were installed in a concrete slab and project upward on
the interior walls. The adobe walls will be covered at the
interior with welded wire mesh and covered with 4" of gunite
trowelled to a smooth finish. Exterior walls will be plaster
with adobe (mud) plaster and whitewashed. An examination of
existing historic adobe block revealed a very thin layer of
mud plaster adhering to the block.

GILBERT ARNOLD SANCHEZ, INCORPORATED
ARCHITECTURE • historic CONSERVATION
3022 GLEN CANYON RD. SANT A CRUZ, CA 9.S{J:0.(408) 438-0888