Presidio Park
Encyclopedia
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. It is the site where the San Diego Presidio and the San Diego Mission, the first European settlements in what is now the western United States, were founded in 1769. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
In 1773 the mission moved a few miles upriver while the fort remained on Presidio Hill. The presidio had been established to protect against Indian attacks or foreign invasions. As the need for such protection disappeared, people preferred to live in Old Town
Old Town, San Diego, California
Old Town is a neighborhood of San Diego, California. It contains and is bounded by Interstate 8 on the north, Interstate 5 on the west, Mission Hills on the east and Bankers Hill on the south. It is the oldest settled area in San Diego and is the site of the first European settlement in...
at the foot of the hill, and the fort was gradually abandoned. It was in ruins by 1835.
In 1907, George Marston
George Marston
George White Marston was an American politician, department store owner, and philanthropist. Marston was involved with establishing Balboa Park, the San Diego Public Library System, and the Serra Museum...
, a wealthy department store owner, bought Presidio Hill with an interest to preserve the site. Unable to attract city funding, Marston built a private park and museum in 1925 with the help of architect John Nolen. Marston donated the park to the city in 1929.
The park encompasses about 40 acres (16.2 ha). Visitors to Presidio Park enjoy sweeping views of the city, the San Diego River
San Diego River
The San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river's watershed at . Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs...
valley, and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The grounds are open for picnics and play. The facilities can be used for weddings and other special events. The park also features the Serra Museum run by the San Diego Historical Society.
No historical structures remain in Presidio Park today. The site is occasionally used for archaeological excavations. A fenced-off area encloses the foundations of the chapel, walls, and other historical sites.