August // September 2020

September 30, 2020 By dobriant

Thanks to all!

We want to say a big thanks to those who continue to visit and support The Cooper Molera Adobe, Gardens, Alta Bakery, and The Barns. We are grateful to all of you who share our content online, visit our bakery, and continue to make this place special.

Our gardens are open to visit and enjoy, as well as the bakery for daily goodies. Please continue following the County of Monterey’s protocols to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

A very big thanks to you all.

Cooper Molera Adobe museum is still closed following Monterey County’s order to close museums to slow the spread of COVID-19.

We want to invite you to explore our online content as we believe museums have the power to create unity on not just social or political levels but also locally. We want to provide a sense of community and place by celebrating our collective heritage. See social links below.

Street View of Alta Cafe & Bakery 2019 © Angela DeCenzo

Alta Bakery continues to be open for outdoor and to-go dining. Visit on-site at 502 Munras Ave. Monterey, or email at info@altamonterey.com or call 831-920-1018. You can also follow them online here for daily posts:

Alta Bakery on Instagram

The Historic Garden League continues to help keep the Cooper gardens beautiful during this Summer/Fall season. A big thanks to these wonderful volunteers! The Historic Garden League is a non-profit foundation formed to restore, support and preserve the historic gardens of this area and to offer the opportunity to gain knowledge and apprecation of them. Interested in volunteering? Visit their website below:

The Historic Garden League

Cooper Molera Adobe Garden Plant Sales

Plant Sale days Extended! Come by the Museum entrance anytime on Wednesdays through Sundays from 10am-4pm to purchase hand propagated plants from the Cooper Molera Adobe Garden. Proceeds go toward the Cooper Molera Adobe and gardens. Masks and social distancing required. Cash/check only.

Ongoing Exhibits

Please visit our website to peruse our online exhibits and information about Cooper Molera’s rich history.

coopermolera.org

2020 Events Update

History Hunt was held on August 22nd. An adventure through historic Monterey in a timed history scavenger hunt. Participants visited 25 historic sites and became part of the past. Thanks to all who attended! The questions and answers to this event are posted on our website.
Painting from Porches September 4 – 6, 2020. CANCELLED
Christmas in the Adobes December 11-12, 2020 CANCELLED. Please mark your calendars for next year’s Christmas in the Adobes: December 10 and 11, 2021.

Yoga at Cooper Molera Thanks to Om Studio and Sweet Heat Yoga for participating with outdoor classes here at Cooper Molera. You can reach out to them below to see their schedules.

Please join us every weekday at 4:00 for an hour of yoga done at this gorgeous historic adobe in Old Town Monterey. The setting is rustic and private, sheltered by walls and gardens. The weather is generally sunny here in the afternoons so it’s a great way to get out of the fog, breathe in some fresh air and synthesize some vitamin D! We will be meeting every Monday through Friday for the remainder of September. See you under the walnut tree! Click on the logo to see the upcoming schedule.

Om Studios, voted best yoga studio 2 years in a row from Monterey County Weekly, is an inclusive community driven yoga and movement studio located in downtown Monterey. Our classes are all-levels with a range from warm and sweaty to slow-down and chill-out. We are committed to creating a welcoming and accepting place for all to come together and connect both on the mat and off. We are currently offering daily outdoor classes and virtual classes through our digital studio. Join us for feel good movement, community and deep breaths as we move through this year together. Outdoor classes require pre-registration. Please visit our website to sign up.

Online Resources

Follow us on our Instagram Page and Facebook Page for updates on history stories associated with the Cooper Molera Adobe and our community.

Our mission is to enrich lives by saving our past, and now more than ever, we look to our history for courage, comfort, and inspiration.

From the Cooper Molera Museum Staff,
Stay Safe!

History Hunt 2020 Winners and Answers

August 23, 2020 By dobriant

On Saturday, August 22^nd the public was invited to join the fun of a history scavenenger hunt in Historic Downtown Monterey!
It was FREE for participants of all ages and is designed for individuals, families, friends and teams. It gave an opportunity to learn about local history, visit important historic sights, view architectural treasures and public art.

Thanks to all who participated! We will now share the winners:

First Place: Linda Shingu (Individual)

Second Place: Lynn Hamilton / Laura Lee Lienk (Group)

Third Place: Brie Kyler (Individual)

HISTORY HUNT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Cooper Molera Garden – What is the name of the broad leaf tree in the orchard next to the apple tree?

Black Mission Fig

Cooper Adobe – Next to the Cooper adobe is a small red building. What is the building currently used for?

Administration office

Barns at Cooper-Molera – What did Andrew Molera use the barns for? Who was Andrew Molera? (Hint: look near the large Cypress tree.)

Racehorses and Rooms for jockeys, Capt. Cooper’s grandson

Cooper Molera – How many garden donation banners are posted on the property?

Four

Alta Bakery, Diaz Adobe – What year did the original Pioneer bakery open?

1869

Casa Amesti is an example of American Colonial architecture. The building was completed in about 1850 by Jose Amesti who came here from Spain in what year?

1822

Across from the Larkin House you will see an anchor from a 19^th Century sailing ship that sank in what cove in Pebble Beach?

Stillwater Cove

Larkin House – According to a nearby sign, the Larkin House was built in what year?

1835

Larkin House -Whose living quarters are still located in the garden of this house?

William Tecumseh Sherman

House of Four Winds – Who built this building in the 1830’s?

Thomas Oliver Larkin

Monterey Museum of Art – In the sculpture garden next to the museum there are three artists represented. Who designed the park?

Frances Adler Elkins

Colton Hall and Old Jail – One of the men who helped build Colton Hall left some graffiti by the front door. What was his name and what year did he leave his mark?

J.H. Miller, 1849

Attached to Colton Hall is the Old Jail. When was it built?

1854

In front of Colton Hall is a California State Seal. How many ships appear on the seal?

Five

In Friendly Plaza, there is a landmark called the Bertold monument. Who wrote the poem about Monterey?

Daniel O’Connell

In a courtyard at Monterey City Hall there is a map of Alta California. Who presented it to the city in 1935?

Edgar Walter

Casa Serrano – In what year did Florencio Serrano purchase the building What was his profession?

1846, Teacher

California’s First Theater – What kind of bones frame the front entrance of the building?

Whale bones

Whaling Station – The sidewalk in front of the Whaling Station is made from whale bones. Who built the building in 1847?

David Wight

Custom House – Displayed at the end of this important building is an essential ship part. What is it, where and when was it found?

Anchor, Monterey Bay, 1944

Casa Soberanes – What color is the gate at the entrance to the property?

Blue

Pacific house – With funding from the Mexican government, Thomas Larkin is credited with building this large structure in a style that matched his own home. When was it built?

1847

Near the entrance to Fisherman’s Wharf is a bust of Pietro Ferrante. What was he the leader of?

Fishing industry

Robert Louis Stevenson House – Stevenson lived here for a brief time when it was a hotel. What is the name of the hotel?

French Hotel

Bonus Question – Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa – This historic site was once part of a Spanish Rancho owned by the Munras family in 1824. The hotel’s restaurant is named to honor the first owner. What was his name?

don Esteban Munras.

February 2020 Newsletter

February 25, 2020 By dobriant

Happy Valentines!

As a special treat for Valentine’s Day, please enjoy our lovers of Monterey place mats for our “At the Table” exhibit. You can find these in the dining room of the Cooper Adobe. These are love stories from notable characters through out Monterey’s rich history.

In the Museum:

Archives Spotlight: Marcia De Voe’s Documentary Photography at Cooper Molera Complex

From her pamphlet recording the 1979 Cooper Renovation by California State Parks:

“I was asked in the latter part of 1979 if I would volunteer my services for a couple of years as to record the restoration process. Those couple of years became five years, and the assignment spread to to slide shows (over 150), art exhibits (over 25), publicity articles, and archaeological digs – to name a few. I have loved every minute of it!”

Over the next few month we will be exploring the Cooper archives and sharing the story that Marcia has captured for us through daily posts on our Instagram page.

“Vital Signs” in Diaz Gallery

Two centuries of commercial signs at the Cooper Adobe complex.

For almost two hundred years a variety of businesses have occupied the Spear Warehouse and Corner Store within the Cooper Adobe Complex.

In 1836 Nathan Spear opened a store in the Spear Warehouse with partners Jacob Primer Leese and William Hinkley. Over the next century a hotel, restaurant and bar, Ballet studio and boys club welcomed the Monterey community.

The Corner store, built by Manuel Diaz, has housed general merchandise stores, a real estate office, a gift store and now Alta Bakery. To attract customers, business owners employed a variety of advertising signs, trademarks and slogans which can be seen in this exhibit.

We invite you to explore our exhibit in the Diaz Gallery; open 7am-4pm daily

SAVE THE DATES

History Hunt & Community Party 2020

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

Please contact Dianna O’Briant at 831-223-0172 x7776.
More details to come for positions…

Event Address: 506 Munras Avenue Monterey, CA 93940. Cooper Molera Adobe
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
Time: TBD
Contact us at 831-223-0172 x7776 or dobriant@savingplaces.org

Test your knowledge of local history and have fun! A free community event for all family, friends, groups and individuals of all ages.

Participants will have free admission to all historic locations on a scavenger hunt list. Visit 25 historic sites and become a part of Monterey’s rich past. Come back to the Cooper Adobe after the hunt for the answers to the questions on your hunt packet and an awards ceremony for the winners!

Want more updates?

January 2020 Newsletter

February 8, 2020 By dobriant

Winter blooms at Cooper-Molera

Even though it is rainy and wet here in the garden, we still have some beautiful blooms! Our garden is designed to have year round blossoms.

New Exhibit: Armin Hansen Paintings and Etchings

Now on view! We would like to thank the City of Monterey and the deHaven/Jacks collections for loaning this exclusive collection of paintings and etchings from their collection as part of our “Changing Places” art program.

Throughout the year we will be displaying artwork from Monterey County institutions, galleries and private collections that reflect or are connected to Monterey’s history in a unique and important way for the public to enjoy.

New Exhibit: Sign of the Times in Diaz Gallery

Two centuries of commercial signs at the Cooper Adobe complex.

For almost two hundred years a variety of businesses have occupied the Spear Warehouse and Corner Store within the Cooper Adobe Complex.

Garden workshops galore!

Thanks to all who attended our garden workshops this month starting with The Historic Garden League’s own Isabella de Sibert and Al Graham. After our regularly scheduled HGL workday on January 15th, Isabella and Al led garden tours and a hands on clinic for rose pruning techniques.

Our next workshop was well attended on January 18 with Peter Quintanilla with his Fruit Tree pruning class. The class covered the initial training of young saplings to the annual pruning of bearing trees and some tips on how to renovate an old or neglected tree: Varieties included apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries and figs.

Peter Quintanilla is an ISA Certified Arborist and Pruning Specialist. He teaches arboriculture and landscape pruning at Cabrillo and Monterey Peninsula Colleges and has been pruning the Cooper Molera orchard for the last 17 years.

Want more updates?

Upcoming Garden events at the Cooper Molera Garden

February 8, 2020 By dobriant

Upcoming Garden events at the Cooper Molera Garden

Rose Pruning Workshop With Al Grahm and Isabella de Sibert

Join garden experts Al Grahm and Isabella de Sibert as they prune Cooper Molera’s many different species roses. This is a special chance to not only learn how to do it, but to get a hands on opportunity to do some pruning. You can also lean how to use those cuttings to make babies of your favorite roses, salvias and geraniums.

Date: Jan 15, 2020
Time: 11:30 am
To register call or email: Bonnie Brooks at:
marybonnie@gmail.com or 831-625-2101
Location: 506 Munras Ave, Monterey CA, 93940
Price: FREE

Fruit Tree Pruning Class at the Cooper-Molera Garden:

The class will cover the pruning techniques for training young fruit trees, the annual pruning of bearing trees and some tips on how to renovate old or neglected trees. The fruit trees that will be discussed will include: apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, figs and citrus.

Instructor: Peter Quintanilla is an ISA Certified Arborist and Pruning Specialist. He teaches arboriculture and landscape pruning at Cabrillo and Monterey Peninsula Colleges and has been pruning the Cooper Molera Adobe orchard for the last 17 years.

Date: Jan 18, 2020
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 am
To register call: Peter Quintanilla at (831) 760-0160
Location: Cooper Molera Adobe Garden 506 Munras Ave, Monterey CA 93940
Price: $30, class limit to 20

Rose Pruning Workshop With Joe Truskot

Join us with Rose expert Joe Truskot and learn how to increase your flowers, reduce fungal diseases, and improve the vigor or your roses by pruning effectively and nourishing the plants.

Date: Jan 22, 2020
Time: 10:00 am
To RSVP call 831-223-0172 x7776 (Cooper-Molera Front Desk)
Location: 506 Munras Ave. Monterey, CA 93940
Price: FREE

History Hunt 2020 Winners and Answers

HISTORY HUNT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS