'Mission to Modern' tour explores Pauma Valley adobes

Kathryn Adams

Special to Village News

The eighth annual San Diego Adobe Home “Mission to Modern” tour was held Sunday, March 24, in Pauma Valley. The San Diego Adobe Heritage Association, whose mission is to inspire the appreciation and understanding of adobe heritage in San Diego County, presented the tour. Adobe construction was periodically popular into the late 1970s in San Diego County, and the largest compilation of modern-day adobe construction lies within the gates of Pauma Valley Country Club, which was the focus of the 2019 tour. Proceeds from the tour went to the Mission San Antonio de Pala, the St. Francis Episcopal Church in Pauma Valley and the Escondido History Center.

After checking in for the tour at St. Francis Episcopal Church, visitors were handed a tour guidebook and informed that they may visit the sites in any order. Four of the adobe homes on the tour were inside the gates of Pauma Valley Country Club, while the other adobe home on the tour was near Lazy H Ranch off Highway 76. The St. Francis Episcopal Church and the Mission San Diego de Pala were on the tour as well.

Once inside the gates of Pauma Valley Country Club, visitors were able to enjoy the many charming aspects of the country club, weaving their way through the hills and Robert Trent Jones golf course. One of the first things many visitors noticed were the unique street names, which are all authentic Native American names, due to the close proximity to the Luiseño tribe. Some of the unique street names include: Katkat (duck) Court, Wiskon (chipmonk) Way West, Womsi (snowbird) Road, Ushla (wild rose) Way.

Many visitors began the tour at the Pusateri Adobe, which was built in 1970 by Jack Weir, of the well-known Weir Bros. The Weir brothers have been building adobe homes in San Diego County since 1947. The Pusateri Adobe is a classic California Rancho design style, which embodies the classic Weir Bros. style as well. The current owner has maintained the home with respect to the original work, so visitors who walked through it said they felt like they were taking a step back in time.

Another interesting home on the tour was the Hines Adobe, built in 1961 by Thomas W. Thornburg. This home originally served as a guest cottage for guests at Pauma Valley Country Club, but after it was no longer needed for guests, it was sold in 1966 as a single-family residence. The tour guide recommended visitors imagine how the original guest suites looked, with each having its own patio overlooking the golf course, while sharing a common area for socializing and cooking.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about adobe homes, anyone who owns an adobe home or anyone who would like to be considered for a future tour can contact the San Diego Adobe Heritage Association at [email protected] or visit http://adobehometour.com for more information. For those interested in next year’s tour, more information about the ninth annual San Diego Adobe Home Tour will be added to the website in December 2019, but in the meantime, interested parties are encouraged to take advantage of the resources on the website.