The Peralta Adobe is the oldest building in San Jose, California, built in 1797. It is named after Luis María Peralta, its most famous resident. The original builder was probably Manuel González, an Apache Indian.
Manuel González, his wife, and their five children accompanied the Anza Party to California in 1776. He was one of the founders of the Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe, the first municipal government in California, established in 1777. This was the second house that González chose to live in, the first site was untenable due to winter flooding. In 1804 González died and the adobe went to Luís María Peralta. Peralta was a soldier and owner of Rancho San Antonio, one of the largest ranchos in Spanish California.
The adobe covers an area of 20 feet by 41 feet (6 x 12.4 m), and has two connecting rooms of approximately equal size. The walls are about two feet thick and made of adobe blocks that are 22 inches by 11 inches by 4 inches (56 x 28 x 10 cm). Inside, the adobe is furnished in much the same fashion as it was 200 years ago, and outside is an outdoor fireplace.
Purchased by the City of San Jose in 1966, the building was restored and the surrounding park completed in 1976. The Peralta Adobe is San Jose's Historic Landmark #1, California Historical Landmark #866, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the adobe was the first site certified as a component of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.
The site is available for tour by appointment. This site and the Thomas and Carmel Fallon House, built in 1855 and directly across from the Peralta Adobe, are maintained by History San Jose, a local nonprofit.