Underwood-Brown Adobe - Monterey, CA
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 36° 35.819 W 121° 53.850
10S E 598613 N 4050731
Located at 300-398 Madison St, Monterrey, Ca
Waymark Code: WMRKRH
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 07/05/2016
Views: 1
This tourism website (
visit link) informs us:
"Built in 1843, the building located on the corner of Pacific and Madison streets and known as the Underwood-Brown Adobe, was constructed on part of the original land grant from the Mexican government to the Pueblo of Monterey.Santiago Stokes, a then-prominent Monterey citizen, constructed the older portion of the present building. Later that same year, the house was sold to José María Sánchez and was used by the wealthy ranchero when he was in Monterey.Following Sánchez’ accidental death at the end of 1852, the house was purchased at auction by Monterey County Sheriff William Roach. Subsequently, the adobe became part of the folklore surrounding a notorious feud and the legend of “Sánchez Gold” worth some $85,000, which was hidden and never recovered.In 1854, W. S. Johnson purchased the property from Roach and owned it until 1866 when Charles Underwood acquired it.The house was called the Underwood-Brown Adobe based on the long occupancy of the families of Charles Underwood and his daughter, Margaret Brown.Fulfilling the wishes of Charles Underwood, who died in 1923, the home was sold to the City in 1926.The adobe was deliberately incorporated into the City’s office buildings in 1934 as part of the Few Memorial Complex. The original adobe was a small single-story rectangular structure with a low gabled, shingled roof extending horizontally to form a porch held by vertical posts.The structure has four double sashed windows, two on either side of the central entrance, which was restored and fitted in the late 1970s with a carved door from Mexico.Today the building is home to the City Council’s Office, the City Manager’s Office and executive meeting rooms."
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