Presidio de San Diego (San Diego, California)

 ruins, prison, fortification, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, 1760s construction, U.S. National Historic Landmark

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The Presidio, now just an empty stretch of rolling hillside, was an historical fort first established on May 14, 1769 by Commandant Pedro Fages, under authority of the King of Spain.

The Presidio was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast. It was also the base of operations for the Spanish colonization of California, achieved through the development of missions, presidios, and pueblos. The Presidio served as the base for exploration throughout California's interior and it remained the seat of military power in California through the Mexican period.

Nearby, just up the hill from the Presidio site is the Serra Museum, which is maintained by the San Diego Historical Society.

Presidio Park is a National Historic Landmark.

www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/68july/landmarks.htm