Presidio Park is a city historic park in
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...
. It is the site where the
San Diego Presidio
El Presidio Real de San Diego (Royal Presidio of San Diego) is a historic fort in San Diego, California. It was established on May 14, 1769, by Gaspar de Portolá, leader of the first European land exploration of Alta California—at that time a ...
and the
San Diego Mission, the first European settlements in what is now the
Western United States
The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the We ...
, were founded in 1769.
In 1773 the mission moved a few miles upriver while the fort remained on Presidio Hill. The presidio had been established to protect against Indian attacks or foreign invasions. As the need for such protection disappeared, people preferred to live in
Old Town at the foot of the hill, and the fort was gradually abandoned. It was in ruins by 1835.
In 1907
George Marston, a wealthy department store owner and civic leader, bought Presidio Hill with the aim of preserving the historic site. Unable to attract city funding, Marston built a private park (planned by architect John Nolan) including the Serra Museum (designed by architect
William Templeton Johnson
William Templeton Johnson (1877 – 1957) was a notable San Diego architect. He was a fellow to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1939.
Johnson is known for his Spanish Revival buildings, all in San Diego unless otherwise noted:
* L ...
) in 1925. Marston donated the park to the city in 1929.
[
The park encompasses about and has views of the city, the ]San Diego River
The San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river ...
valley, and the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
. The grounds are open for picnics and play. The facilities can be used for weddings and other special events.
The spot in the park where Junípero Serra
Junípero Serra y Ferrer (; ; ca, Juníper Serra i Ferrer; November 24, 1713August 28, 1784) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order. He is credited with establishing the Franciscan Missions in the Sierr ...
planted a palm tree when he first arrived in 1769 was declared a California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...
.
Junípero Serra Museum
The Junípero Serra Museum is operated by the San Diego Historical Society
The San Diego History Center is a museum showcasing the history of San Diego, located in the city's Balboa Park.
Description and history
Founded in 1928 by businessman and civic leader George W. Marston, the San Diego Historical Society was h ...
and features displays about the city's founding. Built in 1925, the Serra Museum, with its Mission architecture, is sometimes erroneously called the Presidio.
The Junípero Serra Museum exhibits archeological finds, historic objects, and reference materials related to Spanish colonization and the early history of California and provides educational programs about the Spanish, Mexican and indigenous heritage of the San Diego region.
The Serra Museum was the original home of the San Diego Historical Society, founded in 1929 by philanthropist George Marston. The organization, renamed the San Diego History Center, relocated to Balboa Park in 1982.
See also
* List of parks in San Diego
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official site
Archived original official siteJunípero Serra Museum, in Presidio Park
- San Diego History Center
Presidio Park map
Municipal parks in California
Urban public parks
Parks in San Diego
History of San Diego
Landmarks in San Diego
Junípero Serra