Old Town San Diego

Old Town of San Diego (San Diego, USA) — description, history, location, reviews, photos and videos.

It is the oldest of the San Diego neighborhoods and the site of the first European settlement in what is now California. The Old City is home to the State Historical Park of the same name, as well as Presidio Park. Both parks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. And in 2005 and 2006. California State Parks declared Old Town San Diego Historical Park the most visited state park in the state. See anycountyprivateschools for Massachusetts state information and business schools.

Old Presidio Park is located on the site of the former San Diego Mission, founded in 1769. In 1773 the mission moved several miles upriver, but the fort on Presidio Hill remained. It was created in order to defend against Indian attacks and foreign invasions, but when the need for such protection disappeared, the townspeople began to move to the Old City at the foot of the hill and the fort was abandoned. By 1835 it had turned into ruins.

The San Diego Historical Park was created to commemorate the city’s early history and features many old buildings from the 1820s-1870s. the buildings.

In 1907, George Marston, a wealthy department store owner and prominent citizen, purchased the hill specifically for the purpose of building a historic landmark. He first built a private park with the Serra Museum on the grounds in 1925, and in 1929 donated the park to the city. Today, visitors to Presidio Park can enjoy views of the city, the San Diego River Valley, and the Pacific Ocean while picnicking and playing on the lawns.

On the site of the current Presidio Park, Junipero Serra planted a palm tree when he arrived here in 1769. The planting site has been declared a historical landmark.

The San Diego State Historic Park was also created to commemorate the city’s early history, and the site features many old buildings from the 1820s-1870s. the buildings. The park was founded in 1968. Among the houses that have survived here are the school building, the blacksmith’s shop, the office of the first San Diego newspaper, a tobacco shop, private houses and gardens, and a stable with a collection of carriages. In addition, the park has restaurants, shops and museums.

The number of museums in the Historical Park inspires respect. For the most part, these are original buildings in which ethnocultural expositions are open. For example, “Casa de Estudillo” (built in 1827); “Casa de Macado y Silvas” (1840); Colorado House (a hotel restored in 1850, which today houses the Wells Fargo Historical Museum with a reconstructed 19th century telegraph office); the building of the first court of San Diego (mid-19th century), “Johnson House” (office building of the mid-19th century, later – the house of George Alonso Johnson). Excursions with costumed volunteer guides are regularly scheduled around the territory.

Practical Information

Old San Diego is bounded by Interstate 5 to the west, Mission Halls to the east, Bankers Hill to the south, and Interstate 8 to the north.

The transit center of the Old Town Historical Park can be reached by trolley bus, bus and Coaster train.

Fort Ross

Fort Ross (California, USA) – history, excursions, expositions. Exact address, telephone, cost of entrance tickets. Local legends and ghosts.

A corner of Tsarist Russia in sunny California, Fort Ross is a former Russian colony 80 km north of San Francisco, founded in the early 19th century during the Fur Rush. Today, it is a US National Historic Landmark, visited by more than 100,000 tourists every year. Among the attractions of Fort Ross are the house of the last commandant of the fortress, preserved since 1836, the chapel of the Holy Trinity, the residence of the chiefs of the colony and the administrative building. And here you can also admire the redwood fortress walls, admire the restored wooden mill and spend a day in nature in the picturesque area of ​​the national park of the same name, stretching as much as 1300 hectares. Among other things, various cultural events are regularly held in Fort Ross.

A bit of history

Fort Ross was founded by the Russian-American Trading Company in 1812. An office for the extraction and sale of furs was located here, which later took on an agricultural and small-scale commercial function. Thirty years later, the colony was sold for loss to a California landowner, who, in turn, divided the property into parts and sold it to different owners. In 1873, George Call buys all the areas of Fort Ross and turns it into a personal estate, while opening it to tourists.

The house of the governor of Fort Ross Alexander Rotchev is the only original building of the fortress.

What to watch

Despite the former glory of Fort Ross at the dawn of the 19th century, little remains of the original buildings today. First of all, the monumental log walls of the fortress, built from solid sequoia trunks, invariably attract attention. On both sides of the walls rise octagonal watchtowers, also made of wood, equipped with cannons, and in the courtyard you can see a well.

The house of the governor of Fort Ross Alexander Rotchev is the only original building of the fortress. This is a traditional North Russian house with a row of windows decorated with white architraves and unpainted wooden walls, as well as a high attic. The restored house of the founder of Fort Ross, Ivan Kuskov, is the residence of the other governors of the fortress (there were five in total). In addition to living quarters, there was once an armory here.

In the also restored Church of the Holy Trinity, divine services are held on Orthodox holidays, the original bell sounds. In the barracks of Fort Ross, you can see how the first settlers of the fortress lived, the situation here has been restored, but as close as possible to the original. It is also worth paying attention to the magnificent mill, which appeared here as a gift for the 200th anniversary of the settlement in 2012. The Fort Ross Museum features ship models, architectural plans, blueprints, and documents from the early 19th century.

Practical Information

Address: Fort Ross State Historic Park, Sonoma County Coast, California.

Opening hours: the national park is open from dawn to dusk. The historical part receives visitors daily from 10:00 to 16:30.

Entrance – 8 USD per car. Every day at 12:00 and 14:00 at the main entrance to Fort Ross, you can chat with the guides for free.

Website: fortross.org.