The Frink Adobe is the oldest structure in Loma Linda, the only Loma Linda house listed on the California Register of Historical Resources, and the home of the Inland Empire’s citrus industry. The builder was Horace Monroe Frink, a legendary figure in California state history.
Horace Frink came to California in 1848, at the age of sixteen, just in time for the discovery of gold that led to the California Gold Rush. He scouted for Major General John Fremont, surveyed for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and ran a freighting operation between San Pedro and the gold mines of Arizona. He and his brother John developed a ranch in San Timoteo Canyon, “El Casco”, that is the other Two Canyons Conservancy keystone property.
The Frinks moved to Mission Road in 1866, living in a tiny existing adobe home for a time. Horace Frink planted his first orange trees on the property in 1868, igniting what would become the San Bernardino Valley’s economic driver for the next hundred years. The family began building their new adobe home in 1870, finishing in 1874, the year Horace Frink died of tuberculosis.
The Adobe stayed in family hands for five generations, then was sold to a private owner, and finally the Loma Linda Redevelopment Agency. With the Agency dissolved by the Governor in 2012, the home languished for the next thirteen years without necessary repairs. Finally, in January of 2025, the home was donated to Two Canyons Conservancy.
The Conservancy has impressive plans for the property. It will become an archival center, a destination for field trips and historical tours, and a location for cultural and historical events. Because of years of neglect, there is a massive stabilization effort that must be done before the home can be open to the public. The Adobe needs a new roof, a bond beam to stabilize it against earthquakes, and the wall on the east side has moved away from the rest of the house.
The cost of these repairs is $350,000. The Conservancy has some money in hand, but not enough. We are applying for every possible grant, but we also need the public’s help. Your donation is tax deductible, and you can earmark it for “The Frink Adobe”.
Please help! Your gift can make a big difference.
We also regularly need volunteers to weed and care for the historic citrus grove, and to begin cleaning inside the Adobe. The Facebook page “Friends of the Frink Adobe” announces volunteer work days and other events related to the Frink Adobe.
