National Historic Landmark

Monterey Old Town Historic District

Monterey, Monterey County, California
Listed
April 14, 1970
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
70000137

About this property

Monterey State Historic Park is a historic state park in Monterey, California. It includes part of the Monterey Old Town Historic District, a historic district that includes 17 contributing buildings and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The grounds include California's first theatre, and the Monterey Custom House, where the American flag was first raised over California. The park is a group of restored historic buildings. The exhibited 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. Today the historic buildings retain their rich heritage, preserving an important part of Californian as well as Spanish, Mexican, and American history. Added to the adobe houses is the park's Interpretive Center and the Pacific House Museum.

Location

Monterey, Monterey County, California
36.59754, -121.89509

Categories

EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTARCHITECTURE
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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Everything a full report reveals about Monterey Old Town Historic District

This page lists Monterey Old Town Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
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

Gosby House Inn
Industrial
0 mi
Stevenson House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Larkin House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Black, Mary C. W., Studio House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Merritt, Josiah, Adobe
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

USS Savannah at Monterey
1846Mexican-American War
0.2 mi
Capture of Monterey California
1846Mexican-American War
0.2 mi
Capture of Monterey, California
1846Mexican-American War
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Monterey Old Town Historic District listed on the National Register?

Monterey Old Town Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Monterey Old Town Historic District?

Monterey Old Town Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Monterey Old Town Historic District a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Monterey Old Town Historic District has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Monterey Old Town Historic District?

The period of significance for Monterey Old Town Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Monterey Old Town Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Monterey Old Town Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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