The Society, in partnership with the City of Benicia and Phil Joy Housemoving, will hosted a special Von Pfister Adobe Pop Up this past Saturday, October 3. During the event, the protective tent currently surrounding the Von Pfister Adobe was lowered, offering the public a rare opportunity to get a closer look at Benicia’s oldest surviving building.

Built in 1847, the Von Pfister General Store was the third building erected in Benicia and the first general store in Solano County. More than a store, it served as a saloon, boarding house and gathering place during the earliest days of our town. In February 1848, Charles Bennett reportedly displayed gold from Sutter’s Mill there, an event considered among the earliest public announcements of the discovery outside Sutter’s camp.

Society historian, Jerry Hayes, along with former board member, David Hyde, both spoke about the Adobe's significance to Benicia and California history and the process to get it recognized on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. The Society handed out Von Pfister Adobe history postcards to the first 75 guests and had an estimated 150 people come through. The Society hopes to have more pop-up history events like this next year. 

We’re grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so memorable.