The long journey to preserve Concord’s history

While sitting with two dear friends in the Rose Parlor at the Galindo Home after undecorating from Christmas, we thought about how it must have been when the Galindo family lived there.

The Concord Historical Society and the Galindo Home would not be in existence if not for Ruth Galindo, a spinster Spanish teacher at Mt. Diablo High School. She was raised in the house, built by her great grandfather in 1857. It was the first wood house in Concord.

As members of the Historical Society board of directors, we started reflecting on our progress through the years. It seemed as if Ruth herself was guiding our thoughts.

Fifty years ago

Fifty years ago, a few pioneer families foresaw the development starting to destroy several historic buildings. They formed the non-profit Concord Historical Society and started getting the historic houses registered at the state and national level, which meant they could not be torn down for redevelopment.

The early board members collected archives and saved artifacts that Concord pioneers donated for a future museum. The society has been working for years to bring a museum to Concord, which has such rich history.

Ruth Galindo

But back to Ruth Galindo. Her great grandfather gave the house to his son, who had married a Spanish woman named Mariana Amador. (The street and court around the Galindo Home are named after her.) Ruth’s grandmother was a classy lady, and she added two large parlors downstairs and two large bedrooms upstairs in 1875. She brought in the high ceilings, marble fireplaces and a magnificent staircase. When her son married and had three children, the youngest being Ruth, they occupied the house.

Ruth lived there her entire life. She was the last living Galindo and left the house to the city of Concord and the furnishings to the Historical Society. Knowing it was easier for the city to maintain the house than the volunteer society, she stipulated that the society could have the house after 10 years.

Sadly, the house was run down and needed attention. When the society received the keys from the city, it started to raise money and renovate the Galindo Home back to its old style and class. It took quite a lot of research to chose paints and wallpaper that were in style back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Open to the public

In 2010, the Historical Society was able to open the Galindo Home to the public as one of the Bay Area’s many historically furnished houses. It’s open 1-4 p.m. Sundays for tours.

Since then, the society purchased the Masonic Temple for $1 and moved it next to the Galindo Home. It was serendipitous that the little piece of property was for sale. We moved the building on the exact last day of the city’s deadline. May 31, 2013, was quite a day for those who watched the move at 6:30 a.m.

The temple is now the Concord Museum and Event Center and is renovated enough to hold rentals in the hall, fireplace room, and the gazebo and gardens. We’re still in need of financial support to finish the museum, which has been the society’s dream from the very beginning.

Prouder than punch

We feel Ruth would be prouder than punch of all the work we’ve done to save history and have a place people can visit to remember the past.

Thank you Ruth for your foresight to preserve Concord’s history. And thank you to the Concord Historical Society for 50 years of volunteer work.

It’s a lot of fun at our social events as people rediscover friends they haven’t seen in years. If you would like to join the society and help in any way, visit ­concordhistorical.org.

Carol Longshore has been a Concord resident since 1950. She is a community leader and past president of the Concord Historical Society. Send comments and suggestions for future topics to editor@concordpioneer.com.