6 Outstanding Houses to See in Old Town San Diego

Delia Tugui | May 30, 2016

2. Altamirano-Pedrorena House

You can’t simply miss this beautiful house guarded by tall, proud palm trees swaying graciously in the wind. While the shingled roof and wooden, mill-sawn front porch are a perfect reflection of the American influence, its plain white, mud-plastered, thick adobe walls reveal the typical Mexican building practices.

Housing nowadays a jewelry, gem and rock shop, the building that stuns with its cozy simplicity is one of the five 19<sup>th</sup> century historic adobes in the Old Town of San Diego.

It all began in 1842, when Spaniard Miguel de Pedrorena (a ship’s agent originating from Madrid) arrived in San Diego and married one of the daughters of the Estudillo family. The man claimed the lot neighboring Casa de Estudillo, but died before building a house on it. Years have passed by and in 1869, his son (Miguel Jr.) has finally built a family home on the sunny site.

In 1871, Miguel’s sister (Ysabel Pedrorena de Altamirano) became the house’s owner. The building continued being a family residence for many following years. Now, the Altamirano-Pedrorena home is a park concession and one of the main tourist attractions in the Old Town.

Bernard Gagnon / Own Work

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