5 Oct 2023

José María Gil Adobe: Historic Context, Maintenance Issues, Measured Drawings, and Adaptive Reuse

Abstract: The José María Gil Adobe, located on Fort Hunter Liggett, California, was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1974. The building has been vacant since the early 1970s. It is a fine example of a small adobe ranch house possessing character-defining features of its period of significance of the mid-19th century on its exterior, interior, and within the site itself. This document is a reconstruction, repair, maintenance, and adaptive reuse report compiled with photographed, written, and drawn as-is conditions of construction materials of the José María Gil Adobe building and site. The building was 3D scanned to obtain the necessary information for the measured drawings. The secretary of the interior’s guidelines on rehabilitation and repair per material are discussed to provide the cultural resources manager at Fort Hunter Liggett a guide to maintain this historic building. Rehabilitation is the best option for the successful reuse of the José María Gil Adobe as it will move the building from a vacant status to an occupied status. It is highly likely that this building can again serve an appropriate use as outlined in Section 11, reflecting its appearance in the early 20th century or WWII periods.

27 Mar 2023

Evaluation of 11 Properties at Fort Hunter Liggett, California for Eligibility to the National Register

Abstract: The US Congress codified the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the nation’s most effective cultural resources legislation to date, mostly through establishing the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NHPA requires federal agencies to address their cultural resources, which are defined as any prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or object. Section 110 of the NHPA requires federal agencies to inventory and evaluate their cultural resources, and Section 106 requires them to determine the effect of federal undertakings on those potentially eligible for the NRHP. Fort Hunter Liggett is in Central California, entirely within Monterey County. It was first established as the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation in 1941. The post was renamed Fort Hunter Liggett in 1975. This report provides a determination of eligibility for nine properties (Buildings 172, 179, 196, 197, 291, 2199, 723, and 914 and facilities 0301BS and radio-controlled aerial target [RCAT]) constructed between 1956 and 1972 and recommends that none are eligible under the NRHP and the California Register of Historic Resources (CRHR) criteria. Two other properties (Buildings 177 and 178) were found to be covered by the Unaccompanied Personnel Housing (UPH) Program Comment of 2006. In consultation with the California State Historic Preservation Officer (CASHPO), this work fulfills Section 110 requirements for these buildings.