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June  10,  1987



                    Santa  Clarita  Valley  Historical  Society
                    P.O.  Box  875
                    Newhall,  California  91322


                    Re:    The  Mitchell  Adobe  Schoolhouse



                    Dear  Ms.  Harris  and  members  of  the  Society:

                    At  your  request,  we  made  a  site  visit  to  the  above  adobe  on
                    June  5,  1987,  to  make  recommendations  for  its  reconstruction.
                    Present:      Marilyn  Neil-Harris,  President,  SCV  Historical  Soc.
                                  Tom  Mason,  Builder
                                  Members  of  the  Historical  Society
                                  Gil  Sanchez,  A.I.A.,  Architect
                                  Daryl  Allen,  Associate,  Sanchez  Architects

                   We  viewed  a  small  adobe  structure,  approximately  11'-9''  wide
                    by  21  feet  long,  which  was  in  the  process  of  being
                    reconstructed.        Walls  were  about  three  feet  high  on  the  day
                   we  viewed  it.       The  structure  was  unfortunately  damaged  in  a
                    demolition  attempt  by  a  developer  who  planned  to  demolish  it.
                   Total  demolition  was  prevented  by  the  Historical  Society.
                   All  roof  framing  was  destroyed,  although  a  large  quantity  of
                   adobe  blocks  from  the  walls  and  door  and  window  frames  were
                   saved.      Adobe  blocks  were  disassembled,  marked  as  to  which
                   wall  they  came  from,  and  were  moved  to  their  present  site.
                   New  adobe  block  was  manufactured  to  supplement  the  old  block
                   as  needed.

                   The  small  building  was  built  in  1860  by  Thomas  Mitchell  and
                   was  used  as  a  school  building  on  his  ranch  beginning  in  1872.
                   A  photograph  of  the  building  taken  in  1960  reveals  roof
                   framing  and  window  and  door  plac~ment  on  the  front  facade.
                   An  earlier  photograph  also  gi~~~  useful  information  regarding
                   the  historic  appearance  of  the:· adobe  plastered  walls.

                   Tom  Mason,  volunteer  in  charge  of  construction,  showed  the
                   construction  drawings  to  Gil.             The  structural  system  was
                   designed  by  an  engineer  according  to  recommendations  of  the
                   County  of  Los  Angeles  building  department.                 Steel  reinforcing
                   bars  were  installed  in  a  concrete  slab  and  project  upward  on
                   the  interior  walls.         The  adobe  walls  will  be  covered  at  the
                   interior  with  welded  wire  mesh  and  covered  with  4"  of  gunite
                   trowelled  to  a  smooth  finish.            Exterior  walls  will  be  plaster
                   with  adobe  (mud)  plaster  and  whitewashed.                An  examination  of
                   existing  historic  adobe  block  revealed  a  very  thin  layer  of
                   mud  plaster  adhering  to  the  block.




                    GILBERT ARNOLD SANCHEZ, INCORPORATED
                    ARCHITECTURE           •        HISTORIC CONSERVATION
                    3022 GLEN CANYON RD.     SANTA CRUZ, CA 95(}50.(408) 438,0888
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