Old Town San Diego

 "Old Town San Diego" is the location of the first European settlement in California. It is the oldest neighborhood in San Diego located in the heart of San Diego county.

Old Town San Diego" community area is at 230 acres, but the state park is only 29 acres in size and was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Old Town San Diego Historic District in 1971.

 

This park is on the ancestral land of the First People, the Kumeyaay, whose story is shared in the outdoor exhibit Iipay ~ Tipai Kumeyaay Mut Niihepok (Land of the First People). San Diego became California’s first Spanish settlement when a mission and fort were established here in 1769. Later, it passed into the hands of the newly made Mexican government before California gained statehood after the Mexican American War. 

 When California was admitted to the United States in 1850, San Diego (still largely limited to the Old Town area) was made the county seat of San Diego County, even though the town's population was only 650.

 Old Town San Diego State Historic Park preserved and recreated Old Town as it existed during the Mexican and early American periods, from its settlement in 1821, through 1872 when it lost its dominant position to Downtown.

 Through museum exhibitions, restored historic buildings, living history demonstrations and special events, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park offers visitors a glimpse at the converging cultures that transformed San Diego from a Kumeyaay village to a Mexican pueblo to an American Settlement.

 The core of restored original historic buildings from the interpretive period are complemented by reconstructed sites, along with early twentieth century buildings designed in the same mode. Five original adobe buildings are part of the historic park, which include museums, unique retail shops, and several restaurants. 

(source)
(source)