Downtown San Jose History Soirée: From Missions to Modernism

Back in the 1840s, the city's layout was designed by Thomas Campbell and Chester Lyman, following the classic Spanish street grid pattern. This pattern's still goin' strong, folks! As American commerce expanded, it crept into the area, east of the 1797 pueblo site. In the 1870s and 80s, downtown action moved to Santa Clara and First Streets, but it eventually swapped spots with those two, becoming the hottest place to be. The style game back then?

Italianate and Romanesque Revival. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, things got a bit swankier with Edwardian and Neoclassical architecture poppin' up everywhere. Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival also made an appearance, providing us with a fresh new look. This historic district, roughly the size of one square block, is located between S. First Street, E. San Fernando Street, S. Third Street, and E. Santa Clara Street, but also includes the south side of E.

Santa Clara Street between Third and Fourth Streets. It's a prime example of historic California commercial architecture in Santa Clara County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons