Día de Muertos is coming up at the start of November. Many in San Diego are getting ready.
Fiesta de Reyes in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park has already set up their many different, very colorful Catrinas. But one in particular is pretty spectacular!
This large Catrina has been erected at the Fiesta de Reyes stage. I saw her today during a walk around Old Town.
She seems to stand in an arbor made of marigolds, with giant red roses on either side…
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At the southeast edge of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park stands a building with a very interesting history. Beginning in 1908 as St. Joseph’s Rectory in downtown San Diego, it was moved to Old Town in 1940 where it became Old Town Convent.
Today, Historic Tours of America (Old Town Trolley Tours) operates a gift shop inside. The building contains one part of their Old Town Market, along with the adjacent Casa De Aguirre and Carriage House. The second floor is home to a Visitor Center operated by the Old Town Chamber of Commerce.
This website explains: Originally built as the Saint Joseph’s rectory at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Beech Street in downtown, the building was moved through the streets to Old Town San Diego in 1940. Once in Old Town San Diego, the building was a seminary, convent, community center, and, during World War II, it was a USO. The building was restored in 2003 by Historic Tours of America and is registered as San Diego Historical Site Number 323.
The photos I’ve included were taken at various times over recent years.
Visitors who walk through the front entrance will discover a display that tells The Story of The Old Town Convent, in the words of Sister Catherine Louise LaCoste in the early 1980s…
…a three-story edifice known today as the Convent of the Community of the Holy Spirit… The Convent soon became the permanent quarters for the first diocesan junior seminary, called St. Francis, when eight young men moved in on November 3, 1941… Plaster soon covered the wooden structure…
…During World War II, in 1942, a group of soldiers was quartered in the basement. They prepared meals for the anti-aircraft and searchlight batteries located in the area…
…the Religious of the Sacred Heart came to San Diego to open a College for Women, now known as the University of San Diego. The sisters were given the building to use as a rent-free convent that they called St. Madeleine Sophie Barat…
In front of the building is a sign that shows a timeline of Old Town’s history. It includes this:
Curious visitors might spy this interesting plaque on one wall, too…
This exhibit exposes the original redwood clapboard siding of the Convent when it was St. Joseph’s Rectory, built in 1908. The Craftsman-style structure also featured wood shingle siding on the upper stories. When the three-story building was moved to this site in 1940 it was surfaced with stucco and painted to match the exterior of the Immaculate Conception Church across the street.
One other plaque I’ve found…
Old Town Convent Preservation
The restoration and preservation of the Old Town Convent was made possible largely due to the efforts of Carmen and Joe Toigo, Old Town residents, who by their tireless actions and advocacy saved this building from destruction.
May 2003 Historic Tours of America, Inc.
The adjacent Casa de Aguirre, with its own unique history, contains a small, little-known museum that might interest you. You can find a blog post I published about it by clicking here.
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Walking around San Diego the past week or so, I’ve seen signs that the city is getting ready for the big America 250 celebration. The 250th anniversary of the United States is coming up on Saturday, July 4th–Independence Day!
I’ve been taking photos of things that concern America’s birthday. Here’s what I’ve found so far, including event information you might find useful…
In Old Town:
In Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, an Old-Fashioned 4th of July will include a flag raising ceremony, live music, art, lawn games, a watermelon eating contest, a quilt raffle, and loads of free family fun. The patriotic event starts at 11 am and continues to 3 pm.
In the Marriott Marina:
At the Coronado Ferry Landing:
At the San Diego County Fair:
In Coronado at the VFW:
At a hotel and restaurant in East Village:
I forget where:
In Balboa Park:
In Balboa Park, the House of USA will present America’s 250th 4th of July Celebration! There will be food, dancing, music and patriotic fervor! It all takes places at the International Cottages from 11 am to 4 pm.
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A special Flag Day Celebration is coming up on June 6, 2026 in Old Town San Diego. What makes it special? This year is the 250th birthday of the United States of America!
The “Legacy of Liberty” ceremony will be held at 5:00 pm at the Mormon Battalion Historic Site at 2510 Juan Street.
I went to the Mormon Battalion’s patriotic Flag Day event last year and it was quite moving. There was stirring music and deserving honorees were recognized. Should you go, you’ll likely see participants in colonial uniforms and attire, much red, white and blue, and plenty of smiles.
Everyone is welcome to attend!
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It looks like I’ll be missing Cinco de Mayo events this year. Too busy with work. So I figured: why not revisit past Cinco de Mayo festivals around San Diego?
Here we go!
Click the upcoming links to enjoy several past blog posts!
Click the following links for many more photographs…
Whenever I walk through Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, I take photographs of the Pedrorena-Altamirano House. For some reason, however, I never get around to posting those photos!
Here we go, finally. These images were captured at various times under different light conditions.
As a sign on the front porch explains, the adobe and wood frame house was built by Miguel de Pedrorena Jr. in 1869 and deeded to his sister Isabel, wife of José Antonio Altamirano, in 1871. Hence its name. In Spanish the house is called Casa de Pedrorena de Altamirano.
In the 1890s it was remodeled as a Victorian bungalow, and in 1932 the house was listed as a California Historical Landmark. California State Parks rehabilitated the structure in 1982.
Today, as you can see, it’s home of Miner’s Gems and Minerals. That explains the mining equipment visitors discover in back.
The next photos were taken behind the house…
As you can see, there’s a plaque…
The plaque provides more interesting history. It reads:
Casa de Pedrorena de Altamirano
Miguel Pedrorena Jr. built this adobe structure in 1869. It was the final adobe built in Old Town. In January 1871 Pedrorena gave the building to his sister Isabel de Altamirano, joining together two pioneer California families. Isabel and her husband Jose Antonio Altamirano raised their large family in this home. Isabel’s father, Miguel Pedrorena, was a prominent merchant in Mexican California, and represented the San Diego area at the California State Constitutional Convention held in 1849. Jose Antonio Altamirano was born in La Paz, Lower California in 1835, but came to San Diego in 1849 to explore the mining possibilities of the area. He also engaged in stock raising ventures on both sides of the border.
HISTORICAL LANDMARK #70
Now let’s circle around the house and return to the front…
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These friendly ladies in old-fashioned attire were working on a quilt!
They showed me how they’re creating a new quilt that honors the women of Old Town.
The square in my next photograph depicts the three daughters of Juan Bandini, one of early San Diego’s most prominent residents.
As this article explains: During the Mexican-American war and during the United States’ “Conquest” of California, Juan Bandini supported the Americans. His three daughters are even credited with making the first American flag that was raised in the Old Town Plaza on July 29, 1846–the day John Charles Fremont arrived in town.
That explains the inclusion of a United States flag.
The ladies of Threads of the Past are also working on their annual quilt to be raffled during the next Fourth of July celebration in Old Town. Kids have contributed art to many small squares. The project raises funds for the Boosters of Old Town San Diego.
If you’re ever walking in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, look for Threads of the Past. If their door is open, step inside!
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You have the opportunity to become part of history in Old Town San Diego!
An initiative is underway to support Old Town. Anybody can purchase a customized, engraved brick for the new Old Town San Diego Heritage Walk, which lines the east side of San Diego Avenue. As you can see in my next photo, some bricks are already installed.
Your special brick can honor loved ones, promote a business, or perhaps share an inspiring message.
To learn more about this opportunity, visit this website.
It’s unlikely you’ve seen these amazing models of buildings and life in Old Town San Diego. That’s because they’re well off the beaten track, inside slowly disintegrating displays on Conde Street, behind Cafe Coyote.
Eight years ago I blogged about the neglected display cases along the sidewalk. They contain faded, crumbling photos and other historical material. You can read my past blog post by clicking here.
I walked by again today, and when I peered through the scratched, dirty glass I discovered several models of early structures in Old Town. They appear to contain more detail than similar models inside Old Town San Diego State Historic Park’s visitor center!
I pressed my camera right up against the glass and sharpened my blurry photos.
Do you know who created these beautiful models? Leave a comment.
The above photograph shows a model of an early Old Town adobe. I’m not sure which adobe. There are no labels.
Next, here’s a model of a Kumeyaay village–presumably Kosa’aay which was located nearby on the San Diego River. The native Kumeyaay long predated the arrival of Spanish missionaries and the establishment of Old Town…
Peering into the display case, I found another great model. This one appears to depict an adobe in decay. I had to crop the photo because a mirror behind it was showing the shirt of yours truly.
Whoever made these detailed models spent much time and care!
If you happen to walk down San Diego Avenue and come to Conde Street, turn the corner. Look for the outdoor display cases across the street from the Old Adobe Chapel.
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The Giving Machine has returned to Old Town San Diego in time for the holiday season. Operate this unique donation vending machine and you’ll generously help those less fortunate than you.
The many different charities that can benefit from your donation are mostly local, but you can help those who live in poverty around the world, too. You choose which charity to help, and they receive one hundred percent of your donation!
This is the second year of San Diego’s Giving Machine. It’s a project of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The people I met in the above photo were super nice, even though my personal beliefs are very different. They want to do good in this world.
I learned that last year, this same machine outperformed every other machine out there, in over a hundred international cities! That’s impressive.
The Giving Machine is located on Twiggs Street again, a bit up the street from last year. It stands on the patio in front of the old Cygnet Theatre building. If you visit Old Town during the holidays, you might see it.
Why not spread a little human kindness?
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