I have been to California a few times but mainly to the areas around San Francisco and, less so, around Los Angeles (plus a business trip to Sacramento). This past summer, though, I got to sample some of the “other” Californias. I got to spend a few days in lovely Santa Barbara. We had a nice list of things to do in Santa Barbara and I have to say that what I got to see there captivated me. It also makes me want to explore other places in California that I have always heard of or read about but have never made the time to visit.
The Old Mission, of which I already wrote, was an incredible sight and site – a must in the list of things to see there. Another one that may have been less imposing, though no less powerful, was the Presidio.
The church
The Presidio was built in the late 18th century as a military facility (not sure if “fort” is too strong a word) by the Spanish colonizers. The original site was a large square but now only half of it remains – while sad, at least half still exists (half glass full type of thought there!).
A street runs through it now… oh, modernity…
The Visitor Center has a model that helps one envision the total original site and it pains me that part of it was lost. The good news is that one of the remaining structures is the second oldest building structure in California. The entire Presidio site is now a California state park so it is protected – and that is a good thing for preservation and future generations. California today can feel very modern and artificial; its roots can be easily forgotten in the glitz of what the media portrays as California. As a lover of history, I certainly treasure a site like El Presidio and think it deserves to be visited.
Looking from the street towards the visitor center
At the Visitor Center, we met a gentleman who works at the site who gave us a quick overview (for free!) of the site before we paid and walked in to explore the site. Of course, a lot of restoration has taken place – it is impossible for the modest structures to survive without it: The decades can’t be kind to a building made in those days and with those materials (and given the frequency of quakes in the area). But as I walked around, it all felt as it must have been so long ago – that tells me the preservation work was well done.
The grounds around the Presidio
The grounds behind the church
Room in the Presidio
The outer walls of the precinct are thick and there were private spaces for the homes of the more senior members of the staff, even with space for small gardens. Along with the typical military spaces (like the military parade grounds), there was also a church located well inside the square. The church is plain but has been nicely restored at some point as you can see in the following pictures.
The church’s altar
The back of the church
Looking towards the front of the church
Detail of the wall and ceiling of the church
Baptismal font with a plaque of ceramic with names of those baptized in the mid 19th century
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I have to say that with all the glitz and glam that California has become synonymous with, and the accompanying Hollywood trash, it is refreshing to experience a different California, one that makes evident how this land was explored and how it was settled by a European power. Yes, I am a history geek! Read more about the Presidio here.
