The dining room and kitchen are lean-to constructions that are typical of the period. A lean-to is a simple three-walled structure added to one side of an existing building, usually with a sloping roof that gives it a leaning or slanting appearance. They are often built of board and batten siding, which are alternating wide and narrow wood planks.
Although the adobe has a formal dining room, most meals were served outdoors because of the southern California climate. The fireplace in the dining room was the only source of heat in the house. The lovely sideboard standing against the adobe wall is similar to what the family had during their occupancy.
The dining room floors are nothing more than exposed hard-packed dirt, also typical in adobe homes of the period. Maintenance and cleaning of the dirt floors took place a couple of times a year. Women of the household would wet the floors with water and sweep them smooth with a stiff broom.
A water cooler, like the one near the exterior door, is one of the items listed in the estate inventory. To the left of the exterior door, an unpainted patch of wood can be seen against the original whitewashed surface.
