Locals celebrate history and archaeology at Santa Rosa's Carrillo Adobe Day

The first public event at the Carrillo Adobe in many years drew an inquisitive crowd Saturday to the ruins of the oldest home in Santa Rosa.

Hosted by the Historical Society of Santa Rosa, 'A Day at the Adobe' offered tours and presentations on many aspects of the history, construction and significance of the 1837 ranch house of Maria Ygnacia Lopez de Carrillo.

A demonstration of the research methods used by archeologists preceded a full afternoon of talks by experts from several fields and a concluding panel moderated by Cal Berkeley anthropology professor Kent Lightfoot and Gaye LeBaron, the author and Press Democrat columnist.

The remains of the Carrillo Adobe stand between Santa Rosa Creek and Montgomery Drive, on a strip of former orchard just east of St. Eugene's Cathedral.

A construction company based in San Jose owns the nearly 16 acres and intends to build flats and senior apartments on it. The plans calls for a two-acre park to be established around the adobe.