One of the most important and well-known monuments in Los Angeles is the oldest residence in the city. The Avila Adobe was constructed in 1818 as the home of Francisco Avila, the mayor of the city. The Avila Adobe was constructed of adobe brick over timbers grown on the banks of the Los Angeles River. The walls are almost three feet thick. The floor is planked, but was originally packed earth. The building was damaged in the earthquakes of 1870, 1857, and 1971 but was restored. Only seven rooms remain of what was once eighteen rooms - the finest house in the city.
Senora Avila abandoned the home during the American occupation of Los Angeles in 1847. Commodore Robert Stockton, administer of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, marched into Los Angeles with his men and found the house unoccupied. He used the building as his center of operations during the Mexican-American War. After his departure Senora Avila returned to her home, where she lived until her death in 1855.
The building was rescued from condemnation and deterioration in the late 1920s through the attempts of Mrs. Christine Sterling and the Avila family. It is now part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles at 10 Olvera Street.
The wide and open Plaza at Olvera Street, daily, fills with entertainment and churro stands to welcome every visitor and casual passerby to its famed community. As you stroll along Olvera’s narrow way it is as if you have been transplanted to a place outside of the modern and bustling city – though you stand in the heart of it - where it began. Every colorful object, building wall, and every coffee bean then becomes a work of art.
Some annual events that happen along the stretch of Olvera Street are:
Los Tres Reyes- Thursday, January 6th, 2000, evening A celebration of the Epiphany with music and a procession of the Three Kings.
Mardi Gras - Tuesday, March 7, 2000 "Fat Tuesday" celebrations with Brazilian singing and dancing, a parade, the crowning of Miss Olvera Street, and a costume contest.
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