The Presidio

Location: 2727 Presidio Drive
Old Town Village
Old Town San Diego, CA (map)
Phone: (619) 297-9327
More info: : Website

Presidio Highlights

El Presidio Reál de San Diego (Royal Fort of San Diego) is an historical fort established on May 14, 1769, by Commandant Pedro Fages of Spain. It was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast and represented the beginning of European colonization of the West Coast of the Americas.

The site of the original Presidio lies on a hill within present-day Presidio Park. While that first lonesome outpost no longer exists, the site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960. Even with the fort gone, its legacy is not forgotten.

San Diego, California was first explored by Europeans as early as 1542, but no settlements were established until the fort was built. The fort was completed on July 1, 1769, and Governor Don Gaspar de Portola claimed “Alta California” for Spain. The Presidio served as the base of operations for the Spanish colonization of California as well as a base of exploration throughout California’s interior.

The fort remained the seat of California’s military power through the Mexican period. The Presidio had a commanding view of San Diego Bay and the ocean, allowing the Spanish to watch for potential intruders. Originally built of wood, the Presidio was reconstructed from adobe in 1778. A stockade was built in response to an Indian attack and included two bronze cannons: one pointed to the bay, the other to the nearby Indian village. Later in 1774, the Mission was moved a few miles up Mission Valley to separate the Indians from the influence of the presidio garrison.

With Mexican proclaimed independence from Spain in 1821, the Mexican army took over the San Diego Presidio. From 1825-1829, it served as the Mexican Governor's residence. The Presidio was abandoned in 1835, after the Mexican government secularized the missions and it gradually fell into ruin.

With the help of George Marston, a wealthy department store owner, the Presidio was save. Marston bought Presidio Hill in 1907 with an interest to preserve the site. When he wasn’t able to attract city funding, Marston built a private park in 1925 with the help of architect John Nolen. Marston donated the park to the city in 1929.

The site is occasionally used for archaeological excavations. Next to the park lies Serra Museum, which houses a collection of archeological artifacts related to the history of Spanish California.