El Molino Viejo
National Register of Historic Places

El Molino Viejo

Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California
Listed
May 5, 1971
Type
Building
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
71000154

About this property

El Molino Viejo, also known as The Old Mill, is a former grist mill in the San Rafael Hills of present-day San Marino, California, United States, and was built in 1816 by Father José María de Zalvidea from the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (San Gabriel Mission). It is the oldest commercial building in Southern California, and was one of the first ten sites in Los Angeles County to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, receiving the recognition in 1971. The Old Mill has also been designated as a California Historical Landmark.

Location

1120 Old Mill Rd.
Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California
34.12560, -118.12782

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Emery, Katherine Estate
Industrial
0 mi
Freeman, Rose Graham and James Allen, House
Pre Contact
0.2 mi
Culbertson, Cordelia A., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Blacker, Robert R., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
House at 1233 Wentworth Ave.
Pre Contact
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of San Gabriel (California 1847)
1847Mexican-American War
2.4 mi
Battle of La Mesa (California)
1847Mexican-American War
7.3 mi
Battle of San Gabriel
1847Mexican-American War
7.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was El Molino Viejo listed on the National Register?

El Molino Viejo was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 1971.

What type of historic resource is El Molino Viejo?

El Molino Viejo is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for El Molino Viejo?

The period of significance for El Molino Viejo is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1816.

Can I research the history near El Molino Viejo?

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