Preserving Local History

In the early years, the MPHF was involved in saving and preserving many historic properties. Other properties that were preserved are the Patterson House at Ardenwood Farm and Rancho Higuera.

Today the primary focus of the non-profit Mission Peak Heritage Foundation is to manage the historic Shinn House and Archive/Museum. The Chinese Bunkhouse Preservation Project is our only historic building preservation project now.

We give tours of the Shinn House and host events. Several preservation projects are underway now to preserve the Shinn family document, photos, and history. The Shinn Historical Park & Arboretum is the last 4 acres of the historic Shinn's Nurseries and Shinn Ranch. 

At the Shinn House we tell the stories of the Shinn family who came to the Washington Township in Southern Alameda County in 1856 and lived here until the 1960s.