This home is believed to have been built two years after Nicholaus (or Nicholas) Tondre acquired the land on Dec. 27, 1857, from Charles DeMontel for $200.

The first plan consisted of two rooms with a wide central hallway that led to a stairway serving the sleeping loft.  Each of the two square, symmetrical rooms consists of two windows on the street side, one facing the backside, a functional fireplace, a door to the central hallway, a door to the street and a closet that was converted into bookcases on both sides of the home.

Early plans also included a kitchen added as a smokehouse soon after the primary structure’s completion. The front door, window frames and smoke-stained rafters are made of wood. The S iron beams ensure that the stone walls remain intact.

This home has the Pioneer Homes of Castroville marker.