Constructed circa 1845, the Michael White Adobe is one of only thirty-nine nineteenth-century adobes remaining in Los Angeles County. It was home to Michael White, an English sailor who arrived in California in 1829. With California under Mexican rule at the time, White adopted the name Miguel Blanco and became a Mexican citizen in order to be married and own land.

In 1928, the San Marino School District acquired the adobe and its remaining land for a future school. Construction of an elementary school started after World War II, and San Marino High School relocated to the site in the mid-1950s. The school district built a swimming pool and athletic facilities around the adobe. The San Marino Historical Society operated from the adobe for years, and they led tours for the public and local school children (with the permission of the school district) until around 1998, when they had to vacate the adobe due to campus construction. The adobe has sat vacant ever since.