Nailing it down at Blue Wing

Work continues at The Blue Wing Inn on East Spain Street — Lot 35 in Mariano Vallejo’s master plan of 1835 — as the historic adobe gets a seismic upgrade and new roof.

The unreinforced masonry building was designated as potentially hazardous in 1990, and has been vacant since 2001. It is owned by the California State Parks, which paid for the ongoing repairs.

More work will be needed to meet code requirements, a critical step towards the adaptive reuse model – including the possible rental of business space – promoted by the nonprofit Blue Wing Adobe Trust to fund preservation of the structure.

“The value of the contribution of our historic resources to the residents and visitors is inestimable,” said Patricia Cullinan, director of the trust. “Bringing vitality through adaptive re-use of historic buildings provides a path for their preservation for current and future generations.”