Community Events
We are looking forward to our March General meeting where we will hear guest speaker Kent Long, who will present on the history of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe in Orinda, an important part of East Bay history. The Moraga Adobe was built in 1841 by Joaquin Moraga as one of two family homesteads on the 13,000 acre “El Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados” land grant from the Mexican Government. The Joaquin Moraga Adobe is now the oldest surviving building in Contra Costa County. It has been recognized as a California State Historic Landmark since 1954, was designated as an Orinda City Landmark in 1995, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Kent Long is the President & Chairman of the Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe. While Kent’s professional expertise is in software development, he has always had a passion for history, especially local history. An Orinda native, Kent served for many years as Archivist for the Orinda Historical Society before becoming the first president of the newly-formed Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe in 2009. While growing up in Orinda, Kent was surprised to learn there was something as old and historical as the Adobe right here, yet it was relatively unknown. Although that piqued his curiosity at a young age, it was only decades later that Kent found himself involved in the current effort to save it.
Kent's talk will include the story of the Moraga family in early California, the history of the Adobe itself over more than 180 years, a review of the restoration work now nearing completion, and a look ahead at the Adobe's future as a museum.