Old Town San Diego (Tour)

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The San Diego Union Museum is a historic structure in Old Town San Diego. It was built ca. 1851 with wood likely shipped from the East Coast, which was a common practice at the time (this was before the Panama Canal was built, so all ships had to sail around Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America). It was here, on October 10, 1868, that the first edition of the Union was printed. Visitors can view the original print room with a Washington press and the editor's office.

2. First San Diego Courthouse

This building is a reconstruction of San Diego's first courthouse. The original was built in 1847 by the Mormon Battalion, a contingent of 500 men, which arrived in San Diego in January of 1847 to help protect the U.S. border during the Mexican-American War. The First San Diego Courthouse Association operates a museum in the building. It is located in the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and is one of several structures intended to recreate the early days of the city.

3. Wells Fargo Museum San Diego

The Wells Fargo Museum celebrates the company's history in San Diego as well as the history of banking, mining and overland travel in the early American West (Wells Fargo operates several other similar museums around the country). This one is located in the Colorado House, a reconstruction of the original that was built in 1851 by U.S. Army Lieutenant Cave Johnson Couts. The museum features an authentic 1867 Abbot-Downing Concord stagecoach, an audio-visual theater, plus documents, maps, photos, early coins and balance scales. The museum is located in the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.

4. Casa de Bandini

Now the Cosmopolitan Hotel, the Casa de Bandini is one of the oldest buildings of San DIego, built in 1829. This single story, adobe home with a thatched roof was home to Juan Bandini and his family. Bandini was an immigrant-Californio, born in Peru, who was an early settler of what would become San Diego. He moved to Spanish-held California in 1819 with his father. Bandini would ally with the United States during the Mexican War. He also owned land in San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California. Before moving to Mexico in the early 1850s and then back to Los Angeles, Bandini was a local politician in San Diego, as well as a store owner, restauranteur, and hotel owner.

5. Old Town Visitor's Center (Robinson-Rose House)

The Robinson-Rose House, a rebuilt structure after the original one was constructed in 1853, is a two-story building in the historic Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and now serves as the park's visitor center. The original building was constructed by by attorney James Robinson, who was a prominent citizen of San Diego and played an important role in the city's growth and development. Another man and acquaintance of James, Louis Rose, lived in the house beginning in 1868.

6. Birthplace of The San Diego Union Newspaper

Founded by Colonel Jeff Gatewood on October 10, 1868, The San Diego Union was one of the pioneering newspapers of California. Bringing with him a hand press and an assortment of type, Gatewood arrived in San Diego, where he successfully established The San Diego Union eight years after the city’s first newspaper, The San Diego Herald, folded in 1860. A simple wood-frame structure in the city’s Old Town served as the original headquarters for Gatewood’s newspaper, although it eventually outgrew the building and was relocated downtown, which at the time was known as “New Town.” Commemorating the site of The San Diego Union’s first headquarters and printing office, a historical marker was erected by the San Diego Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, in conjunction with the California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. The marker appears to the left of the steps leading to the entrance.

7. Casa de Estudillo

The Case de Estudillo is one of a few oldest surviving examples of Spanish architecture (not of the religious variety) in both San Diego and California. Constructed in 1827, the home's popularity is largely due to the 1884 historical fiction novel "Ramona." The novel has within its pages this structure as it relates the lives of Californios soon after California became an American possession. This home of government and army officials of Spain for the San Diego area has gone through many restoration projects in order to preserve it so that it can tell the story of San Diego's early days as a Spanish town and then an American town.

8. Mason Street School

Built in 1865, the Mason Street School was the first public school in San Diego. Its teacher, Mary Chase Walker, was also the city's first teacher. The schoolhouse is located in the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and is one of several other historic buildings there. Visitors can sit at the old desks, view books about California, and attend classes about the state's history.

9. Church of the Immaculate Conception

In 1868, a cornerstone was laid by Father Antonio Ubach for the Church of the Immaculate Conception in San Diego's Old Town. This Catholic church was built as a space for worship that would be large enough to celebrate masses for a growing parish of families living in the area. Previously, the parish had be centered at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, a much smaller building that converted into a Catholic place of worship in November 1858. As the parish quickly outgrew the chapel, it was decided that a new church would be built. However, plans were stalled for years due to a lack of funding and a fire that swept through Old Town. Consequently, the Church of the Immaculate Conception was not completed until 1917. Since that time, however, it has held weekly masses for its parishioners, and it celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2017.

10. Mormon Battalion Historical Site

Dedicated in 2010, this visitor center interprets the experiences of the members of the Mormon Battalion, a contingent of volunteers who arrived in San Diego in January of 1847 to support the American military garrison located here during the war between Mexico and the United States. Five companies totaling over 500 men had been mustered in at Council Bluffs, Iowa, on July 16, 1846. Along with 32 women, these men made the longest march in military history, walking 2,000 miles from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to San Diego. The visitor center replaced a previous facility and offers new exhibits while continuing to offer tours for visitors featuring led by missionaries from the LDS Church in period dress.

11. Sherman-Gilbert House

John Sherman, who was the cousin of General William Tecumseh Sherman, hired architects Nelson Comstock and Carl Trotsche to build this home in 1887. Many internationally famous entertainers were guests in this house. Anna Pavlova danced in the music room and Arthur Rubinstein played piano here.

12. Heritage Park San Diego

Heritage Park near San Diego State Historic Park in Old Town keeps the architectural history of San Diego alive. This 7.8-acre park is dedicated to the preservation of San Diego’s Victorian architecture, which is represented in several historic structures. Examples include Italianate, Stick-Eastlake, Queen Anne and Classic Revival styles may be found at this Historic Park in San Diego. Heritage Park is owned by the County of San Diego.

13. Whaley House Museum

The Whaley House Museum is comprised of several buildings, but the main one, the Whaley House, is the focal point. It is the oldest brick structure in San Diego, with authentic period furnishings from the mid to late 1800s. The home was built in 1856 by Thomas Whaley in the Greek Revival style. Whaley, who was a successful entrepreneur, established the first brickyard in San Diego for its construction. The home has an extensive biography, having been the site of a granary, the county courthouse, the earliest commercial theatre in San Diego, a ballroom, a billiard hall, a school, and the location of many other businesses. It has been described by many as the most haunted house in America. A number of strange sounds have been heard by visitors, as well as unusual sightings. Today, it is managed by the Save Our Heritage Organization, which formed in 2000. The museum opened to visitors in 1960 and receives over 100,000 visitors per year, many of whom come from abroad.

14. Old Adobe Chapel

The Old Adobe Chapel, located near Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, is a historic chapel that now serves as a museum. It is operated by the Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) which manages several other historic properties. The structure currently houses artwork from the Mission and Presido churches after they had been abandoned and left to ruins. The chapel is available for tours, weddings and other special events.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Old Town San Diego

Created by Clio Editor on May 8th 2014, 12:27:32 am.

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Description

One of the most visited state parks in California, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park commemorates the early days of the town of San Diego and includes many historic buildings from the Mexican-American period from 1820 to 1870. The park was established in 1968 and has been designated as a U.S. Historic District. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a California Historical Landmark and San Diego Historic Landmark.

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Old Town San Diego

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