Centinela Adobe Photo courtesy of www.LAOkay.com

Ignacio Machado arrived in the Centinela Valley near Los Angeles in 1826. He planted corn fields and grapevines along a creek bed, now the location of the San Diego Freeway. In 1834 Machado constructed a three room adobe at the top of a hill and named it "Centinela," meaning the "sentinel." The Centinela Adobe was continuously occupied until the 1970s. The walls were constructed of adobe bricks made at the site. Wood frame wings were added to either side of the adobe in the 1860s. Today, the adobe is surrounded by lawns and trees planted in the 19th century.

The Centinela Adobe is located at 7634 Midfield Ave. in Los Angeles. It is open Wednesday and Sunday, 2:00pm to 4:00pm, call 310-649-6272 for further information.