Explore historic Estrella Adobe Church, May 29
Bring the family to the historic Estrella Adobe Church in rural Paso Robles on Sunday, May 29 at 2 p.m. for the annual service sponsored by Friends of the Adobes. Courtesy photo
Annual non-denominational church service hosted by Friends of the Adobes
–The doors to the Estrella Adobe Church in rural Paso Robles will be open to the public on Sunday, May 29 at 2 p.m. for the annual service sponsored by Friends of the Adobes. Located just north of the Paso Robles Airport on Airport Drive, the historic church building was the first Protestant church in northern San Luis Obispo County and was built in 1878-1885 by early pioneers.
“This annual service is a chance for us to open the Estrella Adobe Church to our friends and neighbors and allow them to explore a piece of local history,” said Joyce Herman of the Friends of the Adobes.
Pastor Dan Katches, of the Covenant Presbyterian Church will lead the non-denominational service. Vocalist Lynn Schmitz will lead the crowd in singing traditional hymns, with Cactus Harris providing accompaniment on the antique pump organ along with flautist Krista Moore. Pioneer Day Belle Attendant Emma Marie Dart will be in attendance and Grace Pucci will speak briefly about the history of the Estrella Adobe Church. The program will be dedicated in remembrance of Lester Rougeot.
Following the service, guests are encouraged to wander the grounds of the Estrella Adobe Church, explore its surrounding cemetery, visit with one another, and enjoy refreshments provided by members of the Agua Caliente chapter of the Questers.
History of Estrella Adobe Church
The Estrella Adobe Church (California Historical Landmark No. 542) is located on Airport Road in Paso Robles, approximately two and one-half miles north of Highway 46 East. Although the church prospered for a few years, it fell into disuse and began crumbling into ruins before being restored through the efforts of the Paso Robles Women’s Club and rededicated in 1952. Since the 1960s it has been under the care of the non-profit, Friends of the Adobes, Inc.
Although it is no longer in use, there are approximately 48 people buried in the cemetery on the grounds of the Estrella Adobe Church. The earliest burials appear to be from 1882, and many of the graves reflect the devastation of the diphtheria epidemic of 1884-85. The last burials were in 1938 and 1959.
In 2005, the San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society indexed the burials and photographed the headstones and monuments as part of their “Rural Cemeteries Project.” The surnames of those known to be buried in the cemetery, according to SLOCGS, include: Allen, Baker, Bardin, Brooks, Bucher, Coulter, Durham, Erdman, Exline, Fortney, Jones, McKinley, McNeeley, Mills, Morris, Parsons, Reynolds, Rude, Sinclair, Skinner, Sproul, Stovall, Teachout, Tuley, Weir, and Wolf.
For more information on the Friends of the Adobes and their efforts to keep history alive in SLO County, see www.rios-caledoniaadobe.org.
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