Olvera Street | Los Angeles, CA

Olvera Street is part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, which includes many of the city’s oldest buildings. This street dates to 1930, when it was established to celebrate the city’s Mexican heritage. Today, Olvera Street is a pedestrian street full of shops and restaurants. There are 27 buildings of various ages, including the Avila Adobe, at 10 Olvera Street.

Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by Spanish settlers on a site southeast of today's Olvera Street near the Los Angeles River. 

The Avila Adobe is the oldest standing structure in the city. Originally built in 1818 by Francisco José Avila. Avila’s family lived in the house until 1868 when it was taken over by the North American army. The building is made of adobe brick, a material consisting of clay, water and other organic materials like straw. Today, the Avila Adobe’s interior depicts the California lifestyle of the 1840s.

The Avila Adobe