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El Molino Viejo

Architect
José María de Zalvidea
Year
1816
Style
Spanish Colonial
City
Los Angeles, CA
El Molino Viejo
Photo: The original uploader was Tillman at English Wikipedia., Public domain
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El Molino Viejo, or The Old Mill, was built in 1816 by Father José María de Zalvidea of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, using Tongva Mission Indian laborers, to grind grain for the mission. It is the oldest commercial building in Southern California and was one of the first ten sites in Los Angeles County listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in 1971.

the building

Fortress-thick walls. The mill's lower walls run nearly five feet thick at the base, built of brick and volcanic tuff. Some accounts hold that the fortress-like thickness let the mission padres barricade themselves inside if needed.

the style

Built in the colonial mission tradition, El Molino Viejo carries the rustic, massively-walled masonry construction typical of early California mission-era buildings.

More on Spanish Colonial

the architect

Father José María de Zalvidea was a Franciscan missionary in charge of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel; he designed and supervised construction of the mill using Tongva Mission Indian labor.

significance

One of the first ten Los Angeles County sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1971) and also a California Historical Landmark, El Molino Viejo is considered the oldest commercial building in Southern California.

nearby

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