Manuel Valencia
House of The Four Winds sold
oil on canvas
20″ x 30″
Sometimes called by its Spanish name, La Case de Los Vientos, it was built in 1835 comprising of a large piece of property developed on Calle Principal by Thomas O. Larkin, the first and only U.S. consul to Mexican Alta California.
This house was first used as the residence of the Spanish governor of Alta California Juan Bautista Alvarado, who later gave his name to the one of the main streets of downtown Monterey. Later, William S. Johnson designated it as the first Hall of Records in the State of California for the newly formed County of Monterey.
The Women’s Civic Club was one of the first groups to encourage the preservation of the historic adobes of Monterey in 1906. The House of the Four Wind was purchased by the WCC in 1914 and transformed it into their club house with additions to the rear of the building. This adobe is believed to be the oldest such club house in the U.S.
Restorations on this building include the original front section and the entire second story, which have been lovingly furnished and restored in the style of 1850s. The charming facade still faces the street. Information from the Old Monterey Foundation
(1856-1935) Landscape painter. Born in Marin County, CA on October 30, 1856 on the family hacienda called Rancho San Jose (now Hamilton field). A member of one of California’s earliest families, Manuel was named for his grandfather who came to California with the Anza party in 1774 and became administrator of the Presidio in San Francisco. The Valencias were given many land grants in the San Francisco Bay area and a street near Mission Dolores is named in honor of them. Manuel attended Santa Clara College and then established a studio in San Francisco. He began painting while quite young and remained a self-taught artist except for a few lessons locally with Jules Tavernier and in Mexico City. The earthquake and fire in 1906 caused the Valencias to move down the peninsula to San Jose; however, he commuted to his San Francisco studio. There he was a staff artist for the Chronicle and an illustrator for the Salvation Army newspaper. Following an operation, he died in Sacramento on July 6, 1935. His ashes were scattered on Mount Tamalpais. A prolific painter, Valencia is famous for his landscapes and historic scenes of northern California, often with adobes, missions, and pueblos. Works held: California Historical Society; Orange County Museum; San Jose Historical Museum; Nevada Museum; Oakland Museum; Huntington Art Gallery; Bohemian Club; California State Library; California State Capitol.
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