The adobe was built between 1817 and 1823 to house the mayordomo and herdsmen who tended the cattle and horses from Mission San Juan Capistrano to the south, in Alta California.

The way-station was strategically situated on the banks of the Santa Ana River, some six leguas (Spanish Leagues) north of the parent mission, to overlook cattle grazing lands and the Tongva villagers of Lupukngna.

[4] It served as a lookout post when the French privateer Hippolyte de Bouchard attacked San Juan Capistrano on December 14, 1818.

The adobe and its surrounding property, a portion of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, were deeded by the U.S. government to Diego Sepúlveda around 1868.

The building then became a local history museum, operated by the Costa Mesa Historical Society.