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Overview

The residence of Don Vicente Lugo was one of the grandest residences of early Los Angeles during its time as a Mexican territory. It housed one of the wealthiest families of Southern California, whose wealth derived from a generous land grant obtained from the Spanish king in the 1810s.

Building History

This adobe house, erected during the 1840s by Don Vicente Lugo (1822-1890), stood near the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on the central plaza of early Los Angeles, now known as the "Olvera Street" area. It was close to the other large residence on the plaza, the Olvera Adobe. Vicente Lugo inherited a large agricultural estate, known as a rancho, from his parents, Don Antonio Maria De Lugo (1775-1860) and Maria Delores Dominga Ruiz Lugo (1783-1829), a land-grant given to them by the Spanish King in 1813. (See H.D. Barrows, "Don Antonio Maria Lugo; A Picturesque Character of California," Annual Publication of the Historical Society of Southern California, Los Angeles, vol. 3, no. 4, 1896, pp. 28-34, 78.)

Lugo donated his house to the Catholic Church, which opened a boys' school in 1865. This school became renamed Saint Vincent's College, which, in turn, became the forerunner of Loyola Marymount University. The school occupied the Lugo Adobe for about two years, before moving to a new two-story facility constructed on 6th Street between Hill and Fort Streets. (Fort Street was renamed Broadway.)

After the school left, the building became used as the Washington Hotel. The house later became occupied by Chinese-American residents, in what became known as Los Angeles's first Chinatown. The Leeching Hung and Company utiized the building during the late 19th century.

Building Notes

The Vicente Lugo Adobe stood on North Los Angeles Street, lining the east side of the Los Angeles Plaza, opposite Our Lady Queen of the Angels Cathedral. It was located in what is now Father Juniperro Serra Park.

Demolition

The Lugo Adobe remained extant until 1951 when it was razed. Its site was listed as California Historical Landmark #301 on 07/12/1939.