Posts From The Road: Los Rios Historic District

Hidden House Coffee: Hidden House Coffee is in an old house on Los Rios Street in the Los Rios Historic District in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Patrons sit under the large trees during a sunny March afternoon as they enjoy their coffee. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Tracks: The railroad came to San Juan Capistrano in the 1800s changing the lives of the Spanish and Acjachemen Indians, the primary residents of the area during that era. Today, downtown San Juan Capistrano lies to the right of the tracks and the Los Rios Historic District is at the left but not shown in this photo. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos

The Los Rios Historic District is in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The small area is made up of a collection of old homes built in two phases about 100 years apart and is the oldest neighborhood in California.

In the late 1700s, construction of the Great Stone Church began on what is now known as Mission San Juan Capistrano. The construction began at a time when the Spanish and Acjachemen Indians culture and economy were beginning to merge. The original community of Los Rios Historic District was built to house workers for the church construction project and consisted of several adobe structures.

During the 1800s, the railroad came to the area and ran through San Juan Capistrano. The railroad brought lumber and other building materials to the area. During the late 1800s, most of the original adobe structures were gone and were replaced by wood constructed houses. Today, the historic district consists of about 40 homes consisting of the three adobe houses and the remainder all wooden construction.

While most of the houses within the Los Rios Historic District are still private residences, about a half a dozen of the houses have been converted to commercial and one has become a small museum. To stroll Los Rios St. is like a step back in time. Large trees are seen amongst the houses and narrow streets which create a tranquil setting just steps across the railroad tracks from downtown San Juan Capistrano.

San Juan Capistrano sits along the coast about midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif. It can be reached by taking Interstate 5 from either of the larger areas. If traveling the area, San Juan Capistrano is a beautiful stop. The Los Rios Historic District is located by the train depot building in downtown San Juan Capistrano.

Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country and he shares his photographs, which appear in the ‘Posts from the Road’ series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.

Montanez Adobe: The Montanez Adobe house in the Los Rios Historic District is one of three remaining adobe houses built in the late 1700s to house workers on the Great Stone Church project. The Montanez Adobe is believed to be the first of several adobes constructed during the era but only three of the structures exist today. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Lupe Combs House: The Combs House sits just off Los Rios Street near the train tracks in the Los Rios Historic District. This is one of the wood structures built in the late 1800s. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Red, White, and Blue: The United States flag shines in the March sunshine on Los Rios Street. The colorful flag stands in contrast to the greenery and the structure it is mounted on in the Los Rios Historic District. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Old Mr. Tree: Old Mr. Tree is a huge California Pepper tree, which can be seen in the Los Rios Historic District. The small wooden plaque hanging on the tree reads ‘Old Mr. Tree Circa 1800’. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Search
LOS ALAMOS

ladailypost.com website support locally by OviNuppi Systems