Our History
Founded in 1980, El Camino Real was originally part of the Diocese of California. We are named after the Spanish colonial road from Mexico City to Oregon.
The Brown Book
To read about our diocese’s history, see the 1980 “Brown Book” produced when the diocese was formed.
Sargent House
A historic icon of downtown Salinas
Today, we are blessed with the historic B.V. Sargent House for the diocesan offices. The magnificently restored 1896 Sargent House in downtown Salinas is home to the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real. Designed by architect William Weeks in a “modified colonial” style, the two-story Sargent House was completed in 1896 for a cost of $7,500. The redwood frame building was built for Bradley V. Sargent, Jr., District Attorney of Monterey County and later a Superior Court judge; he was also the first California attorney ever to enter a photograph as evidence in a court case. His father, Bradley Sargent, Sr., was a Monterey County Supervisor, a state senator, and founder of the town of Bradley.
The property originally featured palm trees that lined the sidewalk around the house, plus tennis courts that were eventually replaced in the 1920s by an apartment building. Just a block away is the Steinbeck House, birthplace and boyhood home of the famed author.
Following Bradley Sargent’s death in 1918 during World War I, the Sargent House went through a series of new owners, including F.J. Bernard and wife Mae, who owned the house from 1925 to 1968. In 1980 the house was purchased by M. Douglas Gustafson, who began a six-month renovation that transformed the Sargent House into an office building.
In late 2013 the home was purchased by the Diocese of El Camino Real and underwent a year-long restoration. Today it stands proudly as a witness to the ministry of the Episcopal Church and our commitment to Salinas and all the communities we serve.
In its capacity as a revitalized historical landmark, we offer Sargent House as a welcoming venue. Open houses allow our neighbors and the diocese to enjoy our rotating collection of art masterpieces on loan from California artists. This art provides the final magical component that gives the classically structured Sargent House the warmth and beauty of the 21st Century.
Sargent House
