FJMA President Kent Long gave a special presentation about the history and future of the Moraga Adobe at the Hacienda de las Flores in Moraga. The well-attended event was sponsored by the Moraga Historical Society.
Kent’s presentation gave an overview of the history of the Moraga family and the early days of the Adobe, the transitional ranching period, the restoration in the 1940s and the private ownership since that time. The talk featured many photos from the Moraga Historical Society’s archives.
The current situation of the Adobe was also presented, both by current photographs and a lengthy discussion of the proposed development by the current owners of the property. Kent described the FJMA’s efforts to ensure the preservation and community access for the historic building and also showed preliminary sketches by Orinda architects Bill Simpson and Peter Hasselman that illustrate some possible plans for restoring the Adobe building and providing facilities for the public.
The evening was concluded by remarks by Dave Trotter, Moraga Council member, and long-time Moraga historical advocate. He spoke eloquently about the unique opportunity to save this important site and urged all Moraga and Orinda residents to work actively to make their support known.