Only Pieces Remain: the Juana Briones House

Juana Briones was part of the 19th century California population of people with Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and African heritage. She was a famous curandera (traditional folk healer) who used native plants and remedies to help the sick. Among other things, she helped manage a smallpox outbreak in Marin County, owned and managed land at a time when it was extremely unusual for women to do so, and raised seven children.

On June 29, preservationists had a chance to visit the site of the recently torn down house. Artifacts of significance to historians and architects were stacked up on the property, and visitors were escorted around the site to see what little remained of the former home.

On view were pieces of the original adobe walls, and examples of the rare rammed earth style of construction. A portion of wall built in the encajando style lay on its side. Bits of rawhide, early 19th century square head nails, and mortise and tenon joints were on display. A single china shard that may have even sat on Juana's dining table gave pause for thought.

A descendent of the Bernals and Peraltas, who were contemporaries of Juana Briones, gave a brief tour of the native plants on the property, some of which have medicinal properties and may have been used by Juana in her healing practice.

Scroll down for this set of photos courtesy of the Raging Grannies.

(Previous coverage on the Juana Briones House on indybay: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/06/04/18681121.php)