Friday, June 2, 2017

Sonoma California - Part II "The Colonial Plaza"

Gentle Friends, this second part of the Post about Sonoma is about the Colonial Plaza downtown and some of the historic buildings and monuments we saw... just down the street from the Mission are the remnants of the complex of buildings where Lieutenant Mariano Vallejo house "Casa Grande" once stood.  The Casa Grande was burned down in 1867 leaving the kitchen building and servants wing.....  Vallejo was the Military Commander of the Northern Frontier

 ...to the left is the servant's wing, the two storied building was Toscano Hotel Annex...


... another shot of the servant's wing... 

 ....  this building was the Toscano Hotel's Kitchen




... the is plaque from the Hotel...


... you can step into the Hotel's front door and there is this barred area to keep from going too far in...


... I stuck my camera past the bars and got this shot of the Parlour to the left of the front door...and 


... the saloon area to the right of the door.....
_____________________

Next to the Toscano Hotel is the "Barracks"
 ... the two-story, wide balconied, adobe barracks was built to house the Mexican army troops under the command of Vallejo.  They frist started to arrive in 1834, from then until 1846, Sonoma was the headquarters of the Frontera del Norte - the Mexican provincial frontier of the north.  
Actual construction of the building probably took place in stages but more or less completed by 1840-41.

... how the barracks may have looked when it was an army building...
_______________


... also in the Barracks was this version of the Bear Flag.....

 ... this is the back baconly of the barracks building from the courtyard...
________________

Back on the Plaza is this great sculpture "Raising of the Bear Flag" by John MacQuarrie, 1914


...here's the plaque with more info...

____________________


... I couldn't find much info about the Sonoma City Hall, but it sits in the middle of the plaza and is quite imposing...it was dedicated in 1908 and was originally designed with four identical sides.  The outside of the building is built with rusticated basalt stone from local quarries.
_________________

That wraps up Sonoma.... I have one more Post that will complete our day of travel in the North Bay.  Thanks again for stopping by, have a great couple of days off!!

Take care,
edgar

4 comments:

  1. If these walls could talk! Lots of history Edgar.....thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend. See you Monday.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I found this post so interesting Edgar. Now I will read the post preceding it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very interesting. I love seeing old places like this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow very interesting and so beautiful x

    ReplyDelete

“In every end, there is also a beginning.”

 Gentle Friends, I finished the sampler last night and here's a snaperooo... Village Square Sampler from Samplers Remembered   1/8 - 3/2...