The Avila Adobe, was built in 1818 and has the distinction of being the oldest standing residence in Los Angeles, California
The Avila Adobe, was built in 1818 by Don Francisco Avila, and has the distinction of being the oldest standing residence in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is located in the paseo of famous, historical Olvera Street and is now a part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument, a Los Angeles State Historic Park. The Plaza known today as Olvera Street is the third location of the original Spanish settlement El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles sobre el Rio Porciuncula, the first two having been washed out by flooding from the swollen Porciuncula (Los Angeles) River. The Avila Adobe is one of the first town houses to share street frontage in the new Pueblo de Los Angeles. Don Francisco Avila, indisputably the richest cattle rancher in Los Angeles at the time, was the owner of Rancho La Brea near the site of the present-day La Brea Tar Pits.[1] Avila spent his working time at the ranch where he resided during the week, but on weekends, special feast days or holidays, he came to the Pueblo where he could conduct trade business, entertain friends, families or patrons, or prepare for services at the church across the street. The present Adobe has seven rooms left from what used to be a much larger building. Restoration has worked to create an idea of what the original home was like. The largest room, the family room, was a general area for dining, entertainment and social gatherings. The office room was the main business room for Don Francisco Avila. The sala, or living room, was reserved for special occasions such as a wedding or baptism, maybe even entertaining special guests. There were sleeping quarters for the parent and another for the children, and a kitchen which was really more a food preparation area and doubled as a bathing room. Cooking was relegated to the out-of-doors and sanitation was done elsewhere outside the house. Most of the original furnishings came from other countries with whom Don Avila did trade.
Size: 5128px × 3410px
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Photo credit: © Luciano Leon / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: .., adobe, angeles, avila, casa, destination, destinations, don, francisco, historic, house, los, oldest, olvera, park, residence, street, tourist
