Moraga Real Estate Listings of Houses and Homes for Sale in Moraga and Contra Costa County, California


	Moraga Houses for Sale

Moraga

The Town of Moraga, incorporated in 1974, was named for Joaquin Moraga. Joaquin Moraga and his cousin, Juan Bernal, received 13,316 acres in 1835 in their land grant – given to them by Spain for military service. Rancho Laguna De Los Palos Colorados (Ranch of the Lake of the Redwoods) was a cattle ranch, and Joaquin Moraga built an adobe overlooking the Moraga Valley in 1841. The adobe still stands and is one of the oldest buildings in Contra Costa County. It was designated a California Historical Landmark in 1954 and remains a private home. The Moraga family lost their rancho in the 1880s when a dishonest attorney from Oakland illegally took the title from the uneducated and cash poor family before they understood they needed to prove they held the rancho’s title to what was now the state of California.

By 1912, most of the land had been sold to James Irvine who started the Moraga Land Company. Land was rented to sharecroppers who planted pear and walnut trees, and cattle were grazed on the hillsides. In 1913 a town site called Moraga was established but lots did not sell. Railroad service helped the area develop and a hotel and other businesses were built. Saint Mary’s College came to Moraga in 1927 on an offer of 100 acres of free land. The rancho’s land changed hands to the Utah Construction and Mining Company in 1947 and then to developer Russell Bruzzone. Most of the homes, roads and businesses in Moraga were built after 1960 and many carry “Moraga” in some form in their names.

Contra Costa County was one of the original 27 counties created when California became a state in 1850. In Spanish, Contra Costa means “opposite coast,” given for its location opposite the city of San Francisco, across the bay.

The area around Moraga is filled with diverse shopping opportunities, including large department stores located in modern shopping centers in nearby Walnut Creek, and charming downtown shopping districts with unique shops, boutiques, and specialty stores. The range of restaurants is sure to please any palate. Recreation areas include Las Trampas Regional Park, Little Hills Ranch Recreation Area, Lafayette Reservoir Recreation Area, Redwood Regional Park and Mount Diablo State Park.

Museums and historical sites abound in and around Contra Costa County and surrounding counties. The John Muir National Historic Site was the home of conservationist John Muir who founded the Sierra Club. The home is now a museum with original furnishings. The Blackhawk Museum features 120 distinctive automobiles from the 1890s to the 1960s. The Automotive Art Gallery is in the museum. Lindsay Wildlife Museum features natural history items, aquariums, insects and hands-on exhibits. Two of the more unusual museums in the area include the American Antique Slot Machine Museum and the Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia. The Antique Slot Machine Museum is the largest of its kind in the world, with displays of antique gumball machines, fortune-telling machines, large music boxes, and slot machines dating from 1857. The Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia is a collection of approximately 400 PEZ candy dispensers plus PEZ jigsaw puzzles, watches, and books on the toy's history. Fioli Estate in Woodside is an example of an early 1900 country estate. The house is Georgian Revival and the gardens are outstanding. Old Molloy's Tavern in Colma was once a hotel and a 1920s speakeasy. There are historical pictures and memorabilia throughout. Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero was built in 1872 following a string of shipwrecks. It is one of the tallest lighthouses in the U.S. Sanchez Adobe is a restored 1848 rancho-era adobe furnished with period pieces. The Pulgas Water Temple, of which there are only three such temples in the U.S., was built in 1938 to commemorate the completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct.

Professional sporting teams in the area include the Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, San Jose Sharks, and the San Jose Earthquakes.