north america in 49 days: Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

We went to Union Station to catch the train to San Diego. The ticket costs USD37 per person and the trip took 2 hours.

We arrived at San Diego Old Town stop at 11.15am, 21st May.
As the San Diego Old Town is within walking distance from the train station, we decided to walk there.
There was no entrance fee.

First we headed to Robinson-Rose Visitor Information Center.

Things sold at the center:

State Historic Park

Part of the State Historic Park

Quenching my thirst

La Casa de Estudillo

Construction of the most famous Old Town adobe began in 1827 and was completed in 1829 by Captain Jose Maria de Estudillo, commander of the San Diego presidio. When he died in 1830, the house passed to his son, Jose Antonio Estudillo, who served as revenue collector, treasurer, alcalde, and judge of San Diego under Mexican rule and later treasurer and assessor of San Diego County under American rule. He married Maria Victoria Dominguez and their family lived there until 1887. The original adobe home was restored in 1910 with funds provided by the Spreckels family, under the direction of Architect Hazel Waterman; it was donated to the State by Mr. Legler Benbough; furnishings were provided with the assistance of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America. For many years, the building was mistakenly known as "Ramona's Marriage Place" from Helen Hunt Jackson's novel. The museum now features furnished rooms and a working kitchen and large courtyard.

Colorado House

Johnson House

George Alonzo Johnson, a steamboat operator on the Colorado River and later a California State Assemblyman from San Diego, built this small frame home for his family in 1869. His home was at the Penasquitos Rancho about twenty miles from Old Town. He lost the Rancho in 1880 and moved into the Old Town House, where he lived until his death in 1903. Today the house is a Haberdashery/ Millinery store with custom and vintage hats,walking canes and various fine goods.

Cosmopolitian Hotel

San Diego's first one room school house

A restored adobe (mud-brick) home from the 1830s, built by Jose Manuel Machado. Jack Stewart, a native of Maine, married Machado's youngest daughter, Rosa, in 1845 and the couple moved in with the Machados. The house was occupied by descendants of the Stewarts until 1966. Wander behind the house to discover one of the loveliest garden spots in Old Town.

Church of Immaculate Conception - the entrance

the church from another angle

Another side of the church

The Mormon Battalion arrived in San Diego in January of 1847 to support the American military garrison in the pueblo during the Mexican War. When not engaged in military duties, they assisted the community by building the first fired-brick structure in Old Town. Originally designated as a townhall and schoolrooom, once the state legislature incorporated San Diego as the first city in California, it became the office for Mayor, City Clerk, Board of Supervisors. Reconstructed in 1992, the First San Diego Courthouse Association is planning reconstruction of the original jail cell behind the building.

Temple Beth Israel

Temple Beth Israel was San Diego's first synagogue and was constructed by the Congregation Beth Israel. It is now operated by San Diego County as a community center.

Sherman-Gilbert House

The Sherman-Gilbert House is a distinctive structure contains a "widow's walk" cupola or belvedere and circular window. The house was occupied from 1892 to 1965 by Bess and Gertrude Gilbert, spinster sisters who patronized local art and music.

Christian House

This late Victorian design was built by Harfield Timberlake Christian, the founder of an early San Diego abstract company.

Burton House

Burton House was built by Henry Guild Burton, a retired Army physician and continued a trend within Classic Revival that had, by the turn of the century, begun to reduce or even eliminate decoration.

McConaughy House

This two story house is named for its owner, John McConaughy, founder of the first regularly-scheduled freight and passenger service in San Diego County.

Bushyhead House

The Bushyhead house belonged to Edward Wilkerson Bushyhead. Bushyhead was part Cherokee Indian and survived the brutal journey on the “trail of tears” as a young boy.Bushyhead traveled to California during the gold rush and served as San Diego sheriff and chief of police in addition to being part owner of the San Diego Union newspaper, which published its first edition near the Plaza in Old Town on October 10, 1868.

Old Adobe Chapel

Whaley House

The oldest brick structure in San Diego, with authentic period furnishings, was built in 1856 by Thomas Whaley, who established the first brickyard in San Diego for its construction. The North room, originally a granary, was remodeled and became the County Courthouse in 1869. County court records were surreptitiously transfered to "New Town" in 1871.