San Juan Bautista’s history buffs will soon have a catalog
listing the town’s historic properties based on particular themes
surrounding the Mission City’s diverse past thanks to a $25,000
grant from the state.
San Juan Bautista – San Juan Bautista’s history buffs will soon have a catalog listing the town’s historic properties based on particular themes surrounding the Mission City’s diverse past thanks to a $25,000 grant from the state.
The California Office of Historic Preservation awarded San Juan the grant, which the City Council officially accepted last week. It will allow the city’s Historic Resource Board to perform a survey of every property in town that is historically significant, according to board President Rebecca McGovern. This will ultimately lead to a comprehensive guide to the Mission City’s aged structures which will hopefully draw more tourists to the area in the process, she said.
A survey conducted in 1981 listed 115 historic properties, however the list is outdated and doesn’t provide any context to the buildings, said board member Cara Vonk. Vonk hopes to compile a new list based on a number of themes, including transportation, contributions from the city’s multicultural community and the post-World War II era, she said.
Vonk said huge chunks of San Juan’s history have been overlooked in the past, including the multitude of immigrant groups that made their way to the city. The board hopes to expand on these to create walking tours and better develop the city’s tourism aspect.
“Hopefully we can get the community involved to develop these themes,” Vonk said. “We need the community to tell us what’s important.”
At this time, there is no way to tell how many properties will be included in the guide, which will take about a year to complete.
While McGovern was thankful for the state money, she said it’s only a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things for safeguarding San Juan’s history.
“We want to protect historic San Juan,” McGovern said. “That is our goal.”
One historic property recently torn down was built by a family that came to San Juan in the mid-1800s, the Macabee’s, she said. McGovern said if the board can classify all the historic properties they can take care of the buildings and prevent them from being demolished in the future.
The Historic Resource Board was established two years ago by the City Council and is made up five members. One member, Dante Baines, later resigned for personal reasons, according to City Manager Jennifer Coile.
To apply for the vacancy, submit an application and a letter of interest by Monday, Oct. 10 to City Manager Jennifer Coile at City Hall, P.O. Box 1420, San Juan Bautista, Calif., 95045, or online at www.san-juan-bautista.ca.us. Board meetings are held every second Wednesday of the month at City Hall at 7pm.
