The Don Joaquin Moraga Adobe – Built By The Grandson Of The Founder Of San José, California

Don Joaquin Moraga was the grandson of Jose Joaquin Moraga, an early Spanish explorer in California who founded the city of San Jose. In 1835, Don Joaquin Moraga and his cousin, Don Juan Bernal, received a land grant from the Mexican government including portions of Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette, and Canyon.

In 1841, Moraga settled on a piece of property overlooking the southern section of Orinda, near the present-day Orinda-Moraga city line. He built a three room adobe house, where his family lived for many years.