Dana Adobe

Historic site · community space · living landscape
danaadobe.org

Field Notes

In the Wild:

Dana Adobe serves several distinct audiences: visitors interested in local history, hikers using the surrounding trails, community members attending events, and groups renting the space for private gatherings. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the grounds also function as a public-facing tool for education, access, and community engagement.

The website needed to reflect this layered use without feeling busy or fragmented.

Observation:

The previous site no longer represented how Dana Adobe functioned day-to-day. It lacked:

• a functional event calendar
• clear visibility into programs and rentals
• support for a business model that would evolve over time
• a cohesive way to present both historical context and present-day use

Adaptations

This project was approached as a clean slate.
Design decisions included:

• retaining the existing logo and color palette at the client’s request to preserve community recognition
• extending the logo’s blue into adobe textures used in sub-page headers to create continuity across sections
• using image and color transitions to guide the reader’s eye down the page
• simplifying layouts to support clarity across multiple visitor paths: history, events, rentals, and nature

The homepage features a transitional image — a historic photo of the adobe fading into its present-day appearance — reinforcing the property’s role as both a historical landmark and a public space.

Ecosystem Evolution

The site continues to evolve alongside the adobe’s programs.
Ongoing changes include:

• frequent calendar updates using Modern Events Calendar
• adding and removing pages and sections to reflect active programs
• content refinement to keep the site concise as offerings shift
• new content areas to support educational programming, seasonal events, and community partnerships
• a Captain Dana family tree (currently in development), which will eventually become a dedicated feature once research is complete

While content changes regularly, the underlying tools and architecture remain stable, allowing the site to adapt without repeated redesigns.

Visual Evidence

[image 453 – Primary site habitat]

[image 726 -Event calendar]

[image 259 – Membership and donation pathways integrated into site structure]