It was the home of Boston sea captain William Goodwin Dana, who in 1837 was granted the 37,888-acre (153.33 km2) Rancho Nipomo in Southern California.

Captain Dana hosted figures such as Henry Tefft and John C. Fremont in his Nipomo home, which also served as an important exchange point on California's first official mail route between Monterey and Los Angeles.

[1] The entire Rancho Nipomo is listed as a California Historical Landmark.

[2] The mission of the Dana Adobe & Cultural Center is to engage visitors with the stories of California's Rancho Era history, connecting them with the peoples, the land and its resources to foster environmental stewardship and cultural understanding.

This article about a property in San Luis Obispo County, California on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.