Monterey State Historic Park
Encyclopedia
Monterey State Historic Park is a historic state park
located in Monterey
, California
. It includes part or all of the Monterey Old Town Historic District, a historic district
which is a U.S. National Historic Landmark
. The grounds include both California's first theatre, and the Monterey Customs House, where the American flag was first raised over California.
The historic district includes 17 contributing buildings and was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1970.
The park is a group of restored historic buildings: the Custom House, the Cooper-Molera Adobe Complex, the Larkin House, California's First Brick House, Colton Hall (City Hall of Monterey), Old Whaling Company, the Stevenson House, the First Theater, the Pacific House Museum, the Interpretive House, Casa del Oro, and Casa Soberanes. These houses display the cultural diversity that guided California's transition from a remote Spanish outpost in Las Californias
province, to an agricultural Mexican Alta California
territory, to U.S statehood. These influential adobe
houses made up California's earliest capital and were the site of the state's first constitutional convention.
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The Custom House, built around 1821 by the Mexican government, is California's first historic landmark and its oldest public building. It is where the first American Flag was raised on July 7, 1846, declaring California part of the United States. It is a National Historic Landmark
.
, a sailor, in 1823. He became a merchant and a prominent land owner in Monterey. Cooper's daughter Amelia, married Eusebio Joseph Molera in 1875. The adobe house is the perfect example of Spanish building style combined with New England architecture.
The Cooper-Molera Adobe was featured in Bob Vila
's A&E Network
production Guide to Historic Homes of America.
.jpg)
The Larkin House, itself designated a National Historic Landmark
, combined Spanish building methods with New England architectural features. This created a pattern for the popular "Monterey Colonial" style of architecture.
In 1849, the California constitution was drafted in both English and Spanish in this building. In 1850 California became the thirty first state of America. San Jose was then elected as the seat of California state government, ending Monterey's years as California's capital. (The state's capital changed several times, and became Sacramento in 1854.) Reenactments of the state constitutional convention are held every year in Colton Hall during History Week.
's 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers produced plays as a money-making venture. Swan built a small stage and provided benches, whale-oil lamps, candles for footlights and blankets as curtains. In later years, the First Theatre was used as a lodging house for whalers, but fell into disrepair after Swan's death in 1896. It was purchased in 1906 by California Historic Landmarks League and donated to the State of California. In 1937 and until recently, the Troupers of the Gold Coast staged the first melodramas since the 1850s. Because of structural issues, the building is closed to the public except for the Christmas in the Adobes event in December.
.jpg)
The Stevenson House was the location of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson
lodgings when he moved to Monterey to court his future wife Fanny Osbourne. During this time he stayed in the French Hotel, now called the Stevenson House. He wrote articles for the local Monterey newspaper that captured the essence of the "Old Pacific Capital." Today, the Stevenson House is dedicated to his legacy, and is well known for its lush gardens at the rear of the property.
in 1847. Sherman later became famous as a Union
general during the American Civil War
.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It includes part or all of the Monterey Old Town Historic District, a historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
which is a U.S. National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. The grounds include both California's first theatre, and the Monterey Customs House, where the American flag was first raised over California.
The historic district includes 17 contributing buildings and was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1970.
The park is a group of restored historic buildings: the Custom House, the Cooper-Molera Adobe Complex, the Larkin House, California's First Brick House, Colton Hall (City Hall of Monterey), Old Whaling Company, the Stevenson House, the First Theater, the Pacific House Museum, the Interpretive House, Casa del Oro, and Casa Soberanes. These houses display the cultural diversity that guided California's transition from a remote Spanish outpost in Las Californias
Las Californias
The Californias, or in — - was the name given by the Spanish to their northwestern territory of New Spain, comprising the present day states of Baja California and Baja California Sur on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico; and the present day U.S. state of California in the United States of...
province, to an agricultural Mexican Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
territory, to U.S statehood. These influential adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
houses made up California's earliest capital and were the site of the state's first constitutional convention.
Custom House
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
Cooper-Molera Adobe
The Cooper-Molera Adobe was built by John Bautisa Rogers CooperJohn B.R. Cooper
John Bautista Rogers Cooper was born in England and raised in Massachusetts. He came to California as master of the ship Rover, and was a pre-gold rush pioneer of Monterey, California...
, a sailor, in 1823. He became a merchant and a prominent land owner in Monterey. Cooper's daughter Amelia, married Eusebio Joseph Molera in 1875. The adobe house is the perfect example of Spanish building style combined with New England architecture.
The Cooper-Molera Adobe was featured in Bob Vila
Bob Vila
Robert Joseph "Bob" Vila is an American home improvement television show host known for This Old House , Bob Vila's Home Again , and Bob Vila .-Early life:...
's A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
production Guide to Historic Homes of America.
Larkin House
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, combined Spanish building methods with New England architectural features. This created a pattern for the popular "Monterey Colonial" style of architecture.
First Brick House
1847 California's First brick house was built by Gallant Duncan Dickenson. He was the first man to introduce American building techniques to Monterey's architectural mix.Colton Hall
Old Whaling Station
The Old Whaling Station, was built in 1855 by the Old Monterey Whaling Company as their headquarters and whaler's residence. This building was used to support the shore whaling operations. The unique feature of this establishment is the front walkway, which is made up of whale vertebrae, one of several buildings in the area that prominently feature whalebone. The Old Whaling Station is a reminder of the economic activity in California's history. In the early 1900s, Monterey became the center of a thriving fishing and canning industry. Monterey's scenic coastline attracted artists and writers as well as sailors and fishermen.First Theater
This adobe, California's First Theater, was built by English seaman Jack Swan in 1846-47 as a lodging house and tavern for sailors. He built the wood portion of the building in about 1845. He added the adobe portion in 1847, as the actual theater. It was used as a theatre in 1850 when U.S. Army officers from Colonel Jonathan D. StevensonJonathan D. Stevenson
Jonathan Drake Stevenson was born in New York; won a seat in the New York State Assembly ; was the commanding officer of the First Regiment of New York Volunteers during the Mexican-American War in California; entered California mining and real estate businesses; and died in San Francisco on...
's 1st Regiment of New York Volunteers produced plays as a money-making venture. Swan built a small stage and provided benches, whale-oil lamps, candles for footlights and blankets as curtains. In later years, the First Theatre was used as a lodging house for whalers, but fell into disrepair after Swan's death in 1896. It was purchased in 1906 by California Historic Landmarks League and donated to the State of California. In 1937 and until recently, the Troupers of the Gold Coast staged the first melodramas since the 1850s. Because of structural issues, the building is closed to the public except for the Christmas in the Adobes event in December.
Stevenson House
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
lodgings when he moved to Monterey to court his future wife Fanny Osbourne. During this time he stayed in the French Hotel, now called the Stevenson House. He wrote articles for the local Monterey newspaper that captured the essence of the "Old Pacific Capital." Today, the Stevenson House is dedicated to his legacy, and is well known for its lush gardens at the rear of the property.
Pacific House Museum
The Pacific House was constructed in 1847 during U.S. occupation of California. This adobe was used by the U.S. army as storage, a hotel, a court house, a tavern, and in later years as offices. The gardens outside were used for bullfights and bear fights. The Pacific House Museum tells the story of Monterey when it was the capital of Spanish and Mexican California, and also contains the Monterey Museum of the American Indian.Casa Soberanes
Rafael Estrada constructed the Casa Soberanes, this adobe brick home on a hillside overlooking the bay, during the 1840s. His family lived there until it was sold to the Soberanes family in 1860, who lived there until 1922. The Serranos later purchased and restored the house in the 1920s and 1930s. The house contains furnishings that are a blend of early New England and China trade pieces mixed in with modern Mexican folk art. Casa Soberanes received its nickname - The House of the Blue Gate - from the blue gate at its garden entrance on Pacific Street. Wine bottles, whale bones, and abalone shells border paths meandering through the sheltered garden.Casa del Oro
The Casa de Oro or House of Gold in Spanish is in the Custom House Plaza. Built in 1849 as an army barracks, then as a hospital for sailors run by Thomas Larkin. Later the building was used as general store run by Joseph Boston in the 1850s. The origin of the name could be attributed to a period of time when the building was used as saloon and later as a gold dust exchange for miners.Sherman Quarters
the Sherman Quarters were built in 1834 by Thomas Larkin. This small stone building was the quarters for Lieutenant William Tecumseh ShermanWilliam Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
in 1847. Sherman later became famous as a Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
general during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.