<p>The Mormon Battalion is one of the lesser-known chapters of religious and military history but offers significant lessons as the only example of an American military unit recruited from a single religion and officially designated as such. The battalion is the result of church leaders sending a representative to Washington D.C. in hopes of securing relief from years of persecution and support for the eventual western trek and settlement in Utah. The Mormon diplomat arrived in Washington just days after the war with Mexico began and was presented with a request and opportunity to recruit a battalion for federal service. Church leaders saw military service as a way to demonstrate loyalty to the U.S. in an era when many viewed LDS members with suspicion.  </p><p>Members of the Mormon Battalion arrived here after marching from Council Bluffs, Iowa. Some of the troops were later sent to San Luis Rey and Los Angeles, while others remained at this garrison. During that tie, the volunteer soldiers labored to support the construction of a variety of military and civilian structures, creating the bricks that would be used to build the first courthouse in San Diego.</p>

Rendition of the Battalion arriving at San Diego Bay

1857 (10 year reunion) of some of the Battalion members in San Diego

Period drawing of the Battalion raising the flag in San Diego

Mormon Historic Sites: Mormon Battalion Historic Site

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2010 Mormon Newsroom report on the opening of new center

Old Town San Diego, Mormon Battalion Historic Site official website

Website

<p>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.</p>

Mormon Battalion Historical Site

California Battles of the Mexican War

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<p>The park is home to nine small museums and a number of historic homes: La Casa de Estudillo, La Casa de Machado y Stewart, La Casa de Machado y Silvas, the Pedrorena-Altamirano House, La Casa de Bandini—which became Albert Seeley's Cosmopolitan Hotel—the Schoolhouse and San Diego Union Building, the Seeley Stable, the Robinson-Rose Visitor Information Center, the Colorado house, and La Casa de Rodriguez. Many of these buildings have been designated national and/or state historic structures.</p>

<p>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.</p>

The newspaper&nbsp;contained four pages and, as was common in those days, the first and last pages were mostly literary efforts -- a short story, some dreary humor and a few ads. Colonel William Jefferson&nbsp;Gatewood, one of the paper's founders and&nbsp;an attorney, advertised his services. But the biggest ad on the page was from George Irvine, a meat packer in San Francisco.<br><br>The building is believed to have been the first framed building in San Diego. Much of the original building is still intact. It went underwent remodeling and alteration but was restored in 1968 and preservationists were able to retain 70% of the original materials.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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.



San Diego Union Museum

Between May and July of 1847, the battalion took part in building brick structures, wells,&nbsp;sidewalks and chimneys. The soldiers built the courthouse in about a month, leaving behind the 16 x 27 foot structure. In fact, the courthouse&nbsp;was the first fired-brick building constructed in San Diego. It was originally to be used as schoolhouse but, as the city became the first one to be incorporated in California, it became the courthouse. <br><br>Like many of the other buildings in the area, it was burned down in the 1872 fire. Also like the others, it was rebuilt in 1992 by the California State Parks. Pieces of some of the original bricks can be seen on the ground outside the building.&nbsp;Interestingly, it is clear that the bricks were not of great quality.<br><br>

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.


First San Diego Courthouse

Couts arrived in San Diego as part of the army contingent tasked with protecting the newly created Boundary Commission, which was going to map the new boundary between the United States and Mexico. Not long after&nbsp;Couts arrived, he&nbsp;married Ysidora Bandini, a daughter of a friend. One wedding gift was a big tract of land which Couts began using as a cattle ranch. This interested him more than the Colorado House and he leased the building in 1854.<br><br>The house became a saloon, home of the <i>San Diego Herald</i>, a jeweler store, and other businesses. Unfortunately it burned down in the 1872 San Diego Fire. It was reconstructed in 1992 to be included as part of the&nbsp;Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.<br><br><br>

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.

Wells Fargo Museum San Diego

Juan Bandini was born 1800 in Lima, Peru to José Bandini, a Spanish sea captain. His father came to California in 1819 and 1821 and participated in the Mexican War of Independence. After the revolution his father's family moved to San Diego, arriving in San Diego September 1, 1834 on the brig Natalie. Bandini married Marie de los Dolores Estudillo on November 20, 1822. She was born c. 1808, daughter of Captain José María Estudillo. They had three daughters, Arcadia, Ysidora, and Josefa, and two sons, Juanito and one who died in childhood. Bandini's second wife was Refugia Argüello, daughter of Santiago Argüello. They had three sons, Juan de la Cruz, Alfredo, and Arturo, and two daughters, Dolores and Victoria.<br><br>Bandini served various public offices such as member of the assembly, 'sub-comisario' of revenues, and substitute congressman. Bandini was granted and occupied Rancho Tecate in 1836. However he was soon driven to abandon it by raids to plunder the ranchos around San Diego by bands fugitive neophytes, rancho employee's, and natives from the interior in 1836-1837. This is now the town of Tecate. In 1838, the Mexican government granted him Rancho Jurupa in modern day San Bernardino County and Riverside County.<div><br></div><div>During the Mexican-American War, Bandini supported the Americans. With Santiago Arguello he issued an appeal to not resist the Americans. After the war, Bandini was increasingly critical of the U. S. government, especially the Land Act of 1851 that allowed Mexican land grants to be challenged. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Mexico, in 1848, had guaranteed the land grants would be recognized.<br><br>Bandini was dressed elegantly and always gracious, and cut a refined presence wherever he went. He was known as a charming public speaker, fluent writer, excellent dancer, fair musician, and fine horseman. His home was the social center of San Diego. His lifestyle and hospitality often got him into trouble financially, requiring his children to bail him out in later years. During March 29–September 27, 1848 he was Juez de Paz (Justice of the Peace) of San Diego Pueblo. In 1850 he opened a store in San Diego and built the Gilla House hotel. Soon after he moved to Mexico then in 1855 to Los Angeles where he died in 1859.</div><div><br></div><div>Bandini built this large U-shaped house, Casa de Bandini, in 1829. Initially it had 12 rooms and was one-story. The Casa de Juan Bandini had features of Spanish Colonial architecture usually found only in California missions. During the 1840s, he added several enhancements such as pane-glass windows, a brick-lined patio with well, and a small, bathhouse to entice his daughters to visit his wife Refugio and him more frequently.&nbsp;Bandini was forced to sell his house in 1859 due to financial losses.<br><br><div>In 1869, ten years after Bandini's death the property passed to Albert Seeley. Seeley a stage master, converted the old adobe into an L-shapped Greek Revival hotel. He renovated the original first story, and added a wood framed second story and balconies. Albert Seeley sold his hotel in 1888. In the decade that followed the hotel was used as a rooming house, and converted for use as an Olive packing factory.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1928 Don Juan Bandini's Grandson, Cave J. Couts Jr., bought the property in order to restore it as a memorial to his mother Ysidora Bandini de Couts. Couts remodeled the residence in Steamboat Revival architecture style. By 1930 the building was wired for electricity, and gas. Cave J. Couts Jr. Ranames the building as, "The Miramar," hotel and restaurant.</div><div><br></div><div>in 1945 James H. and Nora Cardwell purchased the Bandini property. During the 1950s their son Frank renovated the building into an upscale tourist motel. The Cardwells eventually sold the property to the state of California in 1968, the same year Old Town became a state historic park. The State of California and concessionaire Chef and restaurant owner Joseph Melluso came to an operating agreement. Under agreement the Hotel would receive necessary historical excavation, and restoration to the time period of The Cosmopolitan Hotel.</div><div><br></div><div>The Cosmopolitan reopened for business as a Hotel and Restaurant July 21, 2010. By August 2011 Owner Joseph Melluso had sold a majority of ownership over to Catherine Miller. In July 2013, the Cosmo was taken over by Old Town Family Hospitality Corp. Owner and President Chuck Ross, who also operates two restaurants in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park – Casa de Reyes and Barra Barra Saloon. The Cosmopolitan Hotel was featured on Episode 56 of Ghost Adventures which aired October 7, 2011.&nbsp;San Diego based Daniel Scott has also been involved with paranormal investigations at The Cosmopolitan Hotel.</div><div><br></div><div>Painter Anni von Westrum Baldaugh lived at the Casa de Bandini for many years.</div><br><br></div>

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. 

Casa de Bandini

Beginning in the 1850s,&nbsp;James and Louis sensed that San Diego could become an important economic center. They also hoped that San Diego could become a new state capital, with Hawaii and Baja California comprising the new state. Both surmised that San Diego would be either the terminus or headquarters of a transcontinental railroad; the house was built in anticipation of this. However, drought, floods, economic instability and the Civil War completely stymied these hopes.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>James died in 1857 and his widow Sarah Robinson sold the building to Louis Rose in 1868. Fire destroyed the roof in 1874 and the building was abandoned&nbsp;by 1900 and eventually&nbsp;demolished. The building was reconstructed in 1989 to be&nbsp;Old Town's visitor center. A highlight in the center is&nbsp;a model of Old Town as it looked in 1872. Over the years the building served a law office, medical office, jail, school, newspaper office, store, apartment and the County Clerk's office.

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.  


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

<p>The history of print journalism in San Diego begins with its first official newspaper, the <em>San Diego Herald, </em>a short-lived weekly periodical that began in 1851 and folded by 1860. At the time, the well-established <em>Sacramento Union </em>commented on the lack of newspapers in San Diego, reporting that:</p><blockquote>“<em>A number of young but well-defined interests called for the publication of [a newspaper] in this end of the Western American seaboard, though San Diego at that early day, no less than in later times, offered very little encouragement of the quality of local support to a newspaper. Any person who was willing to accept the chances of an easy living, and endure the dull routine of a little out of the way place, holding on for advantages that must certainly come by and by, might publish a newspaper in San Diego successfully…. To him belongs the merit of establishing the press on that lonely shore.”</em></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><p>On October 10, 1868, Colonel Jeff Gatewood arrived in San Diego, where he set out to establish a newspaper eight years after the collapse of the city’s first publication, the <em>San Diego Herald.</em> An attorney and entrepreneur, Gatewood was already the founder and publisher of the <em>San Andreas Register. </em>Upon his arrival in San Diego, Gatewood brought with him a hand press and “a very good assortment of type,” with which he launched <em>The San Diego Union</em>. A prefabricated wood-frame structure was shipped from the East Coast to serve as the headquarters and printing offices for the newspaper in Old Town San Diego<em>.</em></p><p>By 1870, <em>The Union</em> had outgrown its original building and was relocated to downtown San Diego, then referred to as ‘New Town,” where it continued to serve its readership. In 1928, James S. Copley acquired both <em>The San Diego Union</em> and <em>The</em> <em>San Diego Tribune.</em> Compared with the staunchly conservative <em>San Diego Union</em>, <em>The San Diego Tribune</em> was considered the more progressive publication, and it received Pulitzer Prizes in 1979 and 1987 for excellence in journalism. Eventually, the <em>Union </em>and the <em>Tribune </em>were merged in 1992 to form <em>The San Diego Union-Tribune, </em>while still under the continued ownership of the Copley family<em>.</em></p><p>Today, <em>The San Diego Union</em> building sits at the heart of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. A historical marker was erected at the site by the San Diego Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. The marker appears to the left of the steps leading to the building’s entrance.</p>

<p>Founded by Colonel Jeff Gatewood on October 10, 1868, <em>The San Diego Union </em>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 <em>The San Diego Union </em>eight years after the city’s first newspaper, <em>The San Diego Herald,</em> folded<em> </em>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 <em>The San Diego Union</em>’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.</p>

Birthplace of The San Diego Union Newspaper 

<div>Born in Andalusia, Spain, Captain Juan Maria&nbsp;Estudillo was Commandant of the Presidio of San Diego from October 23, 1820 to September 1821 and again from 1827 to his death in 1830.</div><div><br></div><div>Estudillo married Gertrudis Horcasitas and of their children was named Jose Antonio Estudillo, who would become just as important in the San Diego as his father. &nbsp;Jose Antonio Estudillo was the grantee of Rancho Janal. Estudillo's other children were Jose Joaquin Estudillo, grantee of Rancho San Leandro, on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay; María Dolores Estudillo, who married Juan Bandini; and Magdalena Estudillo, the grantee who received Rancho Otay.</div><div><br></div><div>In December 1823, Jose Maria&nbsp;was diarist with Brevet Captain José Romero when they were sent to find a route from Sonora (Mexico) to Alta California; on their expedition they first recorded the existence of "Agua Caliente" at Palm Springs, California.<br><br><div>José Antonio Estudillo was born in 1805 in Monterey, Alta California. Estudillo probably came to San Diego as a boy in 1820, when his father became commandant of the Presidio of San Diego. His brother José Joaquín was the second alcalde of Yerba Buena, the pueblo that later became San Francisco.</div><div><br></div><div>Estudillo joined the Spanish Army at the Presidio and eventually made lieutenant around 1824. He received the Rancho Janal Mexican land grant in 1829 and Rancho San Jacinto Viejo in 1842. He was a member of the assembly from 1833 to 1835. During 1837-38 he was Alcade and Juez de Paz of San Diego Pueblo. At various times he was also treasurer and tax collector for San Diego.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1827 Estudillo built a large L-shaped adobe house for his father on land granted by Governor José María de Echeandía . The adobe was later enlarged and became U-shaped. It was considered one of the finest homes in Alta California. The house is still standing, known as Casa de Estudillo, and is one of the oldest surviving buildings in California. It is located in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, on the southeast side of the Old Town San Diego plaza, and is designated a National Historic Landmark in its own right. The Estudillo family lived there until 1887, after which the home became a tourist attraction popularly known as "Ramona's Marriage Place," based on the fictional character in Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona. The house was obtained by the State of California in 1968, was restored to its original condition, and is now a museum open to the public.</div><div><br></div><div>During the Mexican-American War Estudillo remained neutral. After California became part of the United States in 1850, he was the first San Diego County assessor.</div><div><br></div><div>Estudillo married María Victoria Dominguez (July 28, 1800 – October 19, 1875) in the Presidio of San Diego on March 1, 1824. She was the daughter of María de los Reyes and Sergeant Cristobal Dominguez, grantee of Rancho San Pedro. They had 7 sons and 5 daughters. Their daughter, María Antonia Estudillo, married Miguel Pedrorena. Their daughters María Francisca Estudillo and later María del Rosario Estudillo married José Antonio Aguirre. Their son José Guadalupe Estudillo was California State Treasurer.</div><div><br></div><div>Estudillo died in 1852 and is buried at El Campo Santo Catholic Cemetery in Old Town San Diego. In his biography in Smythe's History of San Diego, he is described as "a man of excellent character and large influence.<br><br><div>The large building is a U-shaped structure, measuring 113 feet on the front side, and 98 feet on each of the wings. It is constructed in the Spanish Colonial style, meaning that the house's 13 rooms are set consecutively in the building and connected only by an external covered corredor (as opposed to an interior hallway).</div><div><br></div><div>The main portion (the center) contains the entrance, facing west. To its left is the chapel and to its right is the schoolroom. Both rooms originally were smaller, with bedrooms located at the ends of building, but a 1910 restoration eliminated those walls to enlarge the rooms. Two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen (which was added at a later date), and the servants' dining room are in the north wing, while the south wing has three bedrooms and the family dining room. The house is topped by a cupola from which bullfights and festivals in the adjacent plaza could be seen.<br><br>Meanwhile, the 1884 publication of&nbsp;<i>Ramona</i>, a novel set in&nbsp;Southern California&nbsp;which painted a&nbsp;romanticized&nbsp;portrait of&nbsp;Californio&nbsp;life, generated a nationwide interest in the region. This, combined with the opening of the&nbsp;Southern Pacific&nbsp;and&nbsp;Santa Fe Railway&nbsp;lines (and the ensuing rate war,&nbsp;which drove prices down to as low as $1 from&nbsp;St. Louis, Missouri&nbsp;to Los Angeles<span>), meant that hordes of tourists made their way to Southern California to see the locations in the novel. Unfortunately, Jackson died in 1885 without ever having disclosed what the actual locations in the novel were, which caused a great deal of speculation.<br></span><br>In 1887, a front page article of the San Diego Union declared the Estudillo home to be "Ramona's Marriage Place", saying, "To sleepy Old Town (the house) is known as the Estudillos, but the outside world knows it as the marriage place of 'Ramona.'" This was despite Jackson never having visited the house, but in the novel, Ramona was married in a "long, low adobe building which had served no mean purpose in the old Presidio days, but was now fallen in decay; and all its rooms, except those occupied by the Father, had been long uninhabited". Despite the novel being a work of fiction, visitors flocked to the building thinking it was the actual location of Ramona's marriage. To be clear, the Union did not simply invent this story; a tourist had already scratched the name "Alessandro" (Ramona's husband in the novel) in one of the walls. The caretaker decided to capitalize on the attendant publicity and began selling off pieces of the house as souvenirs. Naturally, the building's condition began to deteriorate rapidly.<br><br><div>In 1906, the dilapidated building was purchased by the San Diego Electric Railway Company, owned by prominent San Diego citizen John D. Spreckels (who also owned the Union). In his vision, the house would anchor a number of tourist attractions connected via his railway which would realize his twin goals of developing San Diego into a popular locale and generate revenue for his company. To this end, he hired architect Hazel Wood Waterman to renovate the house to a condition more closely matching descriptions in the novel. The original cupola and balcony was removed because there was none mentioned in the novel, and several doors and windows were moved. Waterman was exacting in her specifications: She wanted the building to look aged as well as have the "charm of the work of half-skilled Indian hands," although modern conveniences such as electricity and indoor plumbing were included. Upon its completion in 1910, it was marketed as a Ramona-related tourist attraction, and remained popular as such for years to come, drawing 1,632 visitors on one day in 1940.</div><div><br></div><div>Spreckels hired Tommy Getz, a theater showman, to manage the property, and it was under Getz's guidance that the property truly gained its Ramona association. He began strongly marketing the property: Tchotchkes of all sorts were labeled with "Ramona's Marriage Place", and more postcards were printed for the adobe than any other Ramona attraction. Due to its association with Ramona's marriage, the house was used to host weddings as well. Getz eventually purchased the adobe from Spreckels in 1924.</div><div><br></div><div>The association with the novel was so keen that the application for National Historic Landmark status was entitled, "Casa Estudillo/Ramona's Marriage Place." The Journal of San Diego History goes so far as to say that without the novel's influence and the popularity of the house, the historic buildings that make up Old Town San Diego would have been razed. In fact, for a time, the Estudillos' relationship to the house was nearly forgotten.</div><div><br></div><div>After Getz's death in 1934, his daughter Margeurite Weiss continued to operate the business for another thirty years, finally selling it 1964 to the Title Insurance and Trust Company, which then sold it to local businessman Legler Benbough, who donated it to the State of California in 1968.<br><br><div>The state Park Service then set about restoring it to its pre-Ramona state, including the missing cupola. The house now stands as a museum and is furnished as it would likely have been during Estudillo's ownership, but with an added kitchen. The state seemed embarrassed at the property's association with the novel: The long-standing "Ramona's Marriage Place" sign was removed, and brochures printed in the 1970s make no mention of the novel at all. By the 1990s, the state began to acknowledge the long-standing relationship to the book.</div><div><br></div><div>Ramona no longer has the same hold on the country's imagination as it once did. It is estimated that only 1% of visitors to the Casa de Estudillo now are aware of the house's ties to the novel.</div><br></div><br><br><br><br></div></div><br><br></div>

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. 

Casa de Estudillo

Born in 1828 in Massachusetts, Mary Chase Walker&nbsp;moved to California in the early 1860s because she had difficulty finding work during the Civil War. Her first stop was in San Francisco where she again could not find employment. She heard about an open teaching position in San Diego and moved there in 1865. She married the president of the school board Ephraim Morse eleven months after she arrived.<br><br>Mary came to be known as a very strict teacher who was not afraid of handing down the harsh punishment of lashes. Stealing, fighting, lying,&nbsp;having dirty fingernails,&nbsp;and interacting with girls were some of the offenses that could warrant lashes. Mary also became known for another reason. She met a woman in a general store&nbsp;whose grandparents were&nbsp;African-American and later they both went to a hotel to have a meal together. This offended some of the guests; some of them got up and left in protest. This caused a small scandal in the community, with those opposing and supporting Mary. Those opposing wanted her to lose her job as a teacher. In the end she did, marrying a supporter of hers, Ephraim Morse in 1866.

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.

Mason Street School

<p>The Church of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic Church located in San Diego's Old Town historic district. On July 2, 1769, Saint Junipero Serra celebrated First Holy Mass in California, close to the present location of the church. St. Serra planted a cross in the ground to mark the site of the San Diego Mission and Presidio. </p><p></p><p>In 1849, a parish was established in Old Town, and a cornerstone was laid for an small adobe church in 1851. Because the church was small, masses were celebrated in the homes of residents living in Old Town. In 1858, a Chapel of the Immaculate Conception was dedicated by Father John Moliner, who was its pastor. This was the first church in Old Town. During this period, Father Antonio Ubach also officiated at the chapel. He was characterized by the author Helen Hunt Jackson in her novel, Ramona, as a character named "Gaspara." The novel described Fr. Ubach and his chapel in the following manner:</p><p></p><blockquote>"In a neglected weedy open stood his chapel, a poverty-stricken little place, its walls imperfectly white-washed, decorated by a few coarse pictures and broken sconces of looking-glass... a few candles lighted the room. Everything about it was in union with the atmosphere of the place, the most profoundly melancholy in all Southern California." </blockquote><p></p><p>Today, the chapel remains standing as the Old Adobe Chapel, located on Conde Street. </p><p></p><p>In 1868, Father Antonio Ubach laid the cornerstone for a new Church of the Immaculate Conception, a building large enough in which to celebrate weekly masses. However, a fire swept through the area, and for several decades, the construction of the church was stalled by a lack of funding. In 1917, the church was finally completed. The building was indeed large enough to hold masses, and the parish grew in size. In 1919, the church was dedicated by Archbishop John J. Cantwell of Los Angeles.</p><p></p><p>In 1998, the Church of the Immaculate Conception was retrofitted to withstand seismic damage from earthquakes. Today, the church serves several hundred families living throughout San Diego. It offers a live stream of one of its weekly masses, and it frequently receives visitors from all around the world. </p>

<p>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.</p>

Church of the Immaculate Conception

While the Gilberts were not the original owners of this impressive San Diego home, once Mrs. Gilbert purchased the property in 1897 it remained in the Gilbert family for nearly seven decades. From 1892 until 1965, sisters&nbsp;Bess and Gertrude Gilbert, who were important patrons in the city's art and music scene,&nbsp;owned the house. They knew many artists, including Pavlona and Rubinstein, and invited them to perform in the house.&nbsp;&nbsp;Only with the death of Bessie was the architectural gem sold and briefly turned into a rental property by its new owner, Louie Pauletto, who bought the house in 1965.&nbsp;<br><br>It became quickly apparent, however, that the Sherman-Gilbert house was in danger far greater than its transition to rental property; it's lucrative location meant it was slated for demolition to make room for a paring lot for a neighboring hospital. The imminent razing of this&nbsp;unique and beautifully preserved&nbsp;example of Victorian stick style architecture--a late nineteenth century American trend and most lavish of Victorian styles--galvanized concerned citizens together to prevent its destruction. Without any formal preservation organization at their disposal, these citizens successfully raised the funds to purchase and relocate the historic home in 1969. <br><br>The successful rescue of the Sherman-Gilbert House would become the first of many efforts made by this newly-organized citizens group. Soon, they would formally organize into what is known today as the Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO). Today, the Sherman-Gilbert House is just one of many examples of historic architecture in San Diego that fill Heritage Park, an area specifically set aside for the preservation of these architectural marvels.&nbsp;<br><br>

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.

Sherman-Gilbert House

<p></p><p><b>Senlis Cottage (1896)&nbsp;A modest cottage built for Eugene Senlis, an employee of San Diego pioneer horticulturist Kate Sessions. This house, without the amenities of gas, electricity, water, or sewer, is an example of dwellings occupied in the 1880s by working-class people. Senlis Cottage is open daily for public viewing from 9am – 5pm.</b></p><p><b>Sherman-Gilbert House (1887)&nbsp;This house was built and first owned by John Sherman, cousin of General William Tecumseh Sherman. The “widow’s walk” and circular window are key elements of this structure, which moved to Heritage Park in the spring of 1971. From 1892 to 1965, sisters Bess and Gertrude Gilbert, patrons of art and music, brought internationally famous entertainers to receptions in their home. Among the artists were Yehudi Menuhin and Arthur Rubinstein.</b></p><p><b>Christian House (1889)&nbsp;This graceful residence was constructed by Harfield Timberlake Christian, founder of an early San Diego abstract company. It is built in a popular late Victorian design characterized by a variety of chimneys, shingles, a corner tower, and encircling veranda.</b></p><p><b>Bushyhead House (1887)&nbsp;Edward Wilkerson Bushyhead, early San Diego sheriff, chief of police, and San Diego Union newspaper owner, built this house as a rental. The Italianate style combines double doors with glass panels, tall protruding bay windows and a low-pitched roof. The Bushyhead House was moved to Heritage Park in summer of 1976. Bushyhead, who was part Cherokee Indian, marched in the “Trail of Tears” during the displacement of the Southeastern tribes in 1838-39.</b></p><p><b>McConaughy House (1887)&nbsp;This house is named for its original owner, John McConaughy, who founded the first scheduled passenger and freight service in San Diego County. His four-horse passenger stages and six-horse wagons operated between San Diego and Julian. Visit the Old Town Gift Emporium, specializing in Victorian porcelain dolls, inside the McConaughy House Thursday - Tuesday from 10am to 5pm.</b></p><p><b>Burton House (1893)&nbsp;Pediments and dentil cornices inspired by classic sources mark this house. Henry Guild Burton, retired Army physician, built it during a trend that by the turn of the century began to eliminate decoration.</b></p><p><b>Temple Beth Israel (1889)&nbsp;San Diego’s first synagogue, constructed by the Congregation Beth Israel, also became temporary quarters for many religious sects before establishing churches of their own. The structure reflects the church styles of the late 1800s. The first services were held September 25, 1889. PHG handles reservations for weddings, bar mitzvahs, receptions, and public meetings in this building. Temple Beth Israel is open daily for public viewing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an exception for private events.</b></p><p></p>

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.

Heritage Park San Diego

<p>Thomas Whaley was born in New York City in 1823 to Scott-Irish parents. His grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War and allowed George Washington to use his Long-Island house; he also participated in the Boston Tea Party. Whaley moved to California in 1849, which took him just over 200 days. He followed countless others who moved there during the Gold Rush. His family owned a successful hardware and woodworking business in New York City. When he arrived in California, he set up a store attached to his house where he sold his family's products. He too was very successful and later in life got into real estate. Thomas Whaley set out to make his own legacy and in 1853 married Anna Eloise DeLaunay and had an idea of creating his own business empire.</p><p>The house was built at the site where the handing of Yankee Jim Robinson took place in 1852. Despite being a witness to the execution, Thomas Whaley still bought this property in 1855 and built his house and a general store.Robinson’s death was not the last to occur on the property. Some short after moving in Thomas Whaley’s eighteen-month son died of scarlet fever, and only a few months after the death of baby Thomas, the general store that the family owned was destroyed in a fire. Unable to deal with the death and destruction associated with the property, the Whaley family relocated, but in 1868, Thomas Whaley with his wife and five other children returned to their previous home.</p><p>By 1870, the Whaley family had expanded the property to hold multiple businesses like a theater and another general store. But their financial heaven was short lived, and merchants began to move away leaving the district in ruins compared to its former glory. In 1871, Anna Whaley was held hostage in the home as robbers ransacked the house for valuables and paperwork. Unfortunately, the Whaley family’s trouble does not stop there and on August 18, 1885, Violet the youngest daughter committed suicide in the house by shooting herself in the chest to escape a horrible marriage. </p><p>SOHO obtained the house in 2000. The museum is undergoing a major restoration project and in February of 2020, the organization has have restored the master bedroom of Thomas Whaley and his wife Anna. This was made possible by the meticulous diary that their daughter Lillian maintained that was full of details and used to restore other parts of the home.  </p><p>The Whaley House is also renowned for the alleged hauntings that have been reported at the site, many of which have been presented by the Travel Channel’s <em>America’s Most Haunted </em>and many other TV shows and books. These shows speculate about the connection between the hanging that occurred here with the troubled lives of Thomas and Anna Whaley after the suicide of their daughter, Violet, in 1885. Ghost hunting tours are organized by the Whaley House Museum each month and are especially popular around Halloween.</p>

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.

Whaley House Museum

<div>The chapel was originally built in 1850 to be used as a home for a man named John Brown. In 1858, Don José Aguirre converted the house into a chapel. Father Antonio D. Ubach served as the chapel's priest from 1866-1907. Previously, he was a missionary to the Native Americans in the area. While the original&nbsp;chapel was bulldozed in the mid 1930s&nbsp;to make way for a new street alignment,&nbsp;it was subsequently&nbsp;rebuilt in 1937 as a project for the Depression era Works Progress Administration (WPA).&nbsp;<br><br>Not only was the artwork from the Mission and Presidio churches retained at the chapel, a substantial photographic record of that artwork was kept as well. As a result, almost all of the artwork from the churches have been recovered. The chapel itself retains key original items, including the&nbsp;tabernacle, marbleized&nbsp;altar, some original pews and doors, and Jose Aguirre's tombstone.</div><div><br><br></div>

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. 


Old Town San Diego

Mormon Battalion Historical Site

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information