San Mateo County Landmarks - California Historical Landmarks

San Mateo County Landmarks include villages, camps, stores, outposts, halls, ranches and a railroad station.  The area was active during the 1800 Gold Rush era as a settlement near San Francisco, the  primary port for shipping goods and transporting people to California.  San Mateo County is located south of San Francisco County and shares a history with the bordering county and city.

NO. 19 BRODERICK-TERRY DUELING PLACE - In the early morning of September 13, 1859, U.S. Senator David C. Broderick and Chief Justice David S. Terry of the California Supreme Court fought the famous duel that ended dueling in California in a ravine east of here, near the shore of Lake Merced. Senator Broderick was mortally wounded. The site is marked with a monument and granite shafts where the two men stood.
Location: 1100 Lake Merced Blvd, Daly City
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: MONTARA MTN

NO. 2 PORTOLÁ JOURNEY'S END - In 1769 the Portolá expedition of 63 men and 200 horses and mules camped near El Palo Alto, the tall tree. They had traveled from San Diego in search of Monterey but discovered instead the Bay of San Francisco. Finding the bay too large to go around, and deciding that Monterey had been bypassed, they ended the search and returned to San Diego.
Location: Intersection of E Creek Dr and Alma St, Menlo Park

NO. 21 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped close to the mouth of Pilarcitos Creek on October 28 and 29. Portolá himself was very ill.
Location: Mouth of Pilarcitos Creek, 1/2 mi W of State Hwy 1 (P.M.. 29.0), Half Moon Bay

NO. 22 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped on the south bank of Purisima Creek on October 27. The Indian village on the north bank of the creek was named 'Las Pulgas' by the army engineer with the party because the soldiers who occupied some abandoned Indian huts became covered with fleas.
Location: Mouth of Purisima Creek, 1/2 mi W of State Hwy 1 (P.M. 24.6), 4.1 mi S of Half Moon Bay

NO. 23 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped October 23 near the mouth of Gazos Creek.
Location: State Hwy 1 (P.M. 5.75) at Gazos Creek Rd, 79 mi S of Pescadero Rd

NO. 24 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped near the San Pedro Creek, where there was an Indian village, from October 31 to November 3. To that camp scouting parties brought news of a body of water to the east.
Location: SE corner of Crespi Dr and State Hwy 1, Pacifica

NO. 25 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped October 30 on a stream at the foot of Montara Mountain, which now blocked their way. Needing food badly, here the explorers found a plentiful supply of mussels. They named the camp 'El Rincón de las Almejas.'
Location: On Martini Creek at foot of Montara Mtn, 1/2 mi E of State Hwy 1 (P.M. 37.2), 0.9 mi N of Montara

NO. 26 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - On October 24, the Portolá Expedition camped at an Indian rancheria on San Gregorio Creek, about one-half league from its mouth. Tired and sick, they rested here over the 25th and 26th.
Location: San Gregorio State Beach, State Hwy 1 (P.M. 18.1), 0.1 mi S of State Hwy 84 intersection, 10.8 mi S of Half Moon Bay

NO. 27 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped near a lagoon now covered by San Andreas Lake on November 4. They camped here a second time on November 12, on their return trip.
Location: Take Millbrae Ave interchange I-280, go N to intersection of Skyline Blvd and Hillcrest Blvd, plaque 500 ft W on Hillcrest Blvd, Millbrae

NO. 343 OLD STORE AT LA HONDA - In the winter of 1861-62, John L. Sears settled in the mountains 17 miles from Redwood City. He named the place La Honda and built a store that was sometimes called the 'Bandit-Built Store' because two men that he employed-Jim and Bob Younger, newcomers to the area-were later proved to be members of the James Boys gang.
Location: State Hwy 84 (P.M. 8.91), NW corner of La Honda and Sears Ranch Rds, La Honda

NO. 375 TUNITAS BEACH, INDIAN VILLAGE SITE ON PORTOLÁ ROUTE - The Portolá Expedition of 1769 discovered this Indian village on Tunitas Creek, in the southwest corner of Rancho Cañada de Verde y Arroyo de la Purísima, the rancho was granted to José María Alviso in 1838.
Location: Mouth of Tunitas Creek at Tunitas Beach, 1,000 ft W of State Hwy 1 (P.M. 20.9), 6.8 mi S of Half Moon Bay

NO. 391 SÁNCHEZ ADOBE - This is the home of Francisco Sánchez (1805-1862), alcalde of San Francisco and commandante of militia under the Mexican Republic, grantee of the 8,926-acre Rancho San Pedro, and later a respected American citizen. His house, built 1842-46, afterwards was owned and remodeled by General Edward Kirkpatrick, it was purchased by the County of San Mateo in 1947 to be preserved as a public museum.
Location: Sanchez Adobe County Park, SW corner of Linda Mar Blvd and Seville Dr, Pacifica

NO. 393 THE HOSPICE (OUTPOST OF MISSION DOLORES) - Here stood the Hospice built around 1800 by the Spanish Padres on El Camino Real to break the journey from Santa Clara and serve the Indians of Mission Dolores.
Location: SW corner of Baywood and El Camino Real, San Mateo

NO. 394 SITE OF THE DISCOVERY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY - On October 31,1769, Captain Gaspar de Portolá was camped by the creek at the south of this valley when scouting parties brought news of a body of water to the east. On November 4, the expedition advanced. Turning inland, the party climbed to the summit of Sweeney Ridge and beheld the Bay of San Francisco for the first time.
Location: Sweeney Ridge, from Hwy 1 take Fassler Ave, then trail to site in Pacifica, plaque located SE corner of Crespi Dr and State Hwy 1, Pacifica
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-68000022

NO. 47 ANZA EXPEDITION CAMP - Here on the banks of San Mateo Creek Captain J. B. de Anza camped March 29, 1776, after exploring the peninsula and selecting the sites for the Mission and Presidio of San Francisco. The party of families, soldiers, and priests, on their way to establish San Francisco, also camped here for three days, June 24-27, 1776.
Location: From El Camino Real (State Hwy 82), go W one block on W 3rd Ave, turn N on Arroyo Court, go 1/2 block and turn left, plaque is 300 ft W, San Mateo

NO. 474 SITE OF THE FORMER VILLAGE OF SEARSVILLE - Here stood the lumbermen's village of Searsville whose first settler, John Sears, arrived in 1854. Across the road, west of this monument, stood a hotel. The school, store, blacksmith shop, and dwellings were to the southeast, some on the site of the present lake and others overlooking it. These buildings were removed in 1891, as water rose behind the new dam.
Location: NW corner intersection of Sandhill and Portola Rds, Woodside

NO. 478 SITE OF SAN MATEO COUNTY'S FIRST SAWMILL - About 300 feet south of this monument, on the banks of the Alambique Creek, stood San Mateo County's first sawmill, built by Charles Brown in 1847. About the same time, Dennis Martin was building a second mill, also run by waterpower, on San Francisquito Creek. These mills were similar to the famous Sutter's Mill at Coloma, site of James Marshall's 1848 gold discovery.
Location: On Portola Rd, 0.2 mi S of intersection of Woodside Rd (State Hwy 84) and Portola Rd, Woodside

NO. 48 ANZA EXPEDITION CAMP - The Anza Expedition of 1776, on its way up the peninsula to locate sites for the Presidio and Mission of San Francisco, camped here on March 26 at a dry watercourse a short league beyond Arroyo de San Mateo.
Location: El Camino Real and Ralston, Burlingame

NO. 816 UNION CEMETERY - The name of this cemetery, established before the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, reflects the controversy that brought on the Civil War. On March 16, 1859, the purchase of six acres was consummated but the cemetery association, not being a corporate body, did not take title to the property. Instead it was deeded 'to John B. Weller, Governor of California and his successors in office . . . in trust for the use and benefit of the Union Cemetery Association of San Mateo County.'
Location: 200 block of Woodside Rd (State Hwy 84), NW corner of El Camino Real and Woodside Rd, Redwood City
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: PALO ALTO 15
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-83001237

NO. 825 CASA DE TABLETA - This structure, built by Felix Buelna in the 1850s, served as a gambling retreat and meeting place for Mexican-Californios. It was strategically located on the earliest trail used both by rancheros and American settlers crossing the peninsula to the coast. Acquired by an American in 1868, it has continued to serve under various names as a roadhouse and saloon.
Location: 3915 Alpine Rd at Arastradero Rd, town of Portola Valley
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: HALF MOON BAY 15

NO. 846 BURLINGAME RAILROAD STATION - This first permanent building in the Mission Revival style of architecture opened for service on October 10, 1894. Designed by George H. Howard and J. B. Mathison, it was financed by local residents and the Southern Pacific Railroad. The roof used 18th-century tiles from the Mission San Antonio de Padua at Jolon and the Mission Dolores Asistencia at San Mateo.
Location: 290 California Dr at Burlingame Ave, Burlingame

NO. 856 RALSTON HALL - This redwood structure was completed in 1868 by William Chapman Ralston, San Francisco financier. Incorporating Count Cipriani's earlier villa, this enlarged mansion with its mirrored ballroom became the symbol of the extravagance of California s Silver Age. It anticipated features later incorporated into Ralston's Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
Location: Campus of College of Notre Dame, 1500 Ralston Ave, Belmont

NO. 886 CAROLANDS - Harriet Pullman Carolan, heiress to the Pullman railroad car company fortune, constructed this lavish mini-palace in 1915-16, the focal point of a fully landscaped 500-acre estate. Willis Polk supervised construction of the American Renaissance-design residence, which is an adaptation of Vaux le Vicomte, also prototype for the Palace of Versailles. In the early 1950s, Countess Lillian Remillard Dandini acquired the chateau and the six remaining acres of land.
Location: 565 Remillard Rd, Hillsborough

NO. 905 MOUNT DIABLO - Mount Diablo had been a home with spiritual significance to the Costanoan Indians for at least 500 years when Spanish explorers viewed the mountain in 1772. In 1851 Mount Diablo was selected as the initial point for land surveys of Northern California and Nevada, with the Mount Diablo Base and Meridian Lines originating at its peak. Due to the mountain's variations in wind, rainfall, and temperature, it is also a preserve for a wide variety of plant and animal life.
Location: Mount Diablo State Park, on summit, 4.5 mi E of ranger station, 14 mi E of Danville
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-76000526

NO. 906 STEELE BROTHERS DAIRY RANCHES - Beginning in the 1850s, the Steele brothers pioneered one of the first large-scale commercial cheese and dairy businesses in California. They extended their operations from Point Reyes to Rancho Punta de Año Nuevo in 1862. This 7,000-acre ranch consisted of five dairies extending from Gazos Creek to Point Año Nuevo. For a century the Steele brothers' dairy ranches were of importance in California's agricultural development.
Location: Año Nuevo State Reserve, NW corner of State Hwy 1 (P.M. 0.9) and New Year's Creek Rd, 14 mi S of Pescadero
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: PIGEON POINT

NO. 907 FILOLI - Filoli, built as the home of mining entrepreneur William B. Bourn II, was the last great residential commission of one of California's most important architects, Willis Polk. Built in Georgian Revival style with its formal gardens, Filoli is an outstanding example of the grand estates of the late 1800s.
Location: Filoli Center, Canada Rd (P.M. 2. 7), 5 mi N of Woodside

NO. 909 OUR LADY OF THE WAYSIDE - This country church, built in 1912, was the first design of architect Timothy L. Pflueger to be executed. Pflueger, who had just begun work for James Miller, shows his awareness of the Spanish California missions in the style, which contrasts with the large commercial buildings and art deco theaters for which he later became recognized. Construction of this church was initiated by a non-denominational club, The Family.
Location: 930 Portola Rd, town of Portola Valley
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: HALF MOON BAY 15

NO. 92 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - On November 11, the Portolá Expedition of 1769 traveled two leagues, about 5.26 miles, to a point in the lower Cañada de Reymundo, and made their first camp on their return trip.
Location: Pulgas Water Temple, on Canada Rd (P.M. 3.1), 6 mi N of Woodside

NO. 93 WOODSIDE STORE - Built in 1854 among sawmills and redwood groves by Dr. R. O. Tripp and M. A. Parkhurst, the store was operated by Dr. Tripp (who also served as dentist, librarian, postmaster, and community leader) until his death in 1909. It was purchased by the County of San Mateo in 1940 and opened as a public museum on September 7, 1947.
Location: SW corner of Tripp Rd and Kings Mint Rd, Woodside
USGS Quadrangle Sheet Name: WOODSIDE

NO. 930 PIGEON POINT LIGHTHOUSE - This brick lighthouse was built to incorporate a French first order Fresnel lens. Although no longer used, the lens is still operable in the lantern room. Previously the lens had been installed at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It first flashed over the Pacific in November 1872, and the lighthouse has served continuously without structural modifications since that time.
Location: Pigeon Point Light Station, 0.2 mi W of intersection of State Hwy 1 (P.M. 8.0) and Pigeon Point Rd, I7 mi N of Davenport

NO. 934 TEMPORARY DETENTION CAMPS FOR JAPANESE AMERICANS-TANFORAN ASSEMBLY CENTER - The temporary detention camps (also known as 'assembly centers') represent the first phase of the mass incarceration of 97,785 Californians of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Pursuant to Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, thirteen makeshift detention facilities were constructed at various California racetracks, fairgrounds, and labor camps. These facilities were intended to confine Japanese Americans until more permanent concentration camps, such as those at Manzanar and Tule Lake in California, could be built in isolated areas of the country. Beginning on March 30, 1942, all native-born Americans and long-time legal residents of Japanese ancestry living in California were ordered to surrender themselves for detention.
Location: Tanforan Park Shopping Center, El Camino Real, San Bruno

NO. 939 Twentieth Century Folk Art Environments (Thematic) -CAPIDRO - The late John Guidici, a retired gardener, began landscaping his Menlo Park house in 1932, using mostly cement, local sand, and the shells that were available free at local beaches.
Location: 262 Princeton Rd, Menlo Park

NO. 94 PORTOLÁ EXPEDITION CAMP - The Portolá Expedition of 1769 camped on November 5 at a 'laguna grande' which today is covered by the Upper Crystal Springs Lake.
Location: Crystal Springs Dam, on Skyline Blvd (P.M. 13.7), 0.1 mi S of Crystal Springs Rd, 4 mi W of San Mateo

NO. 949 FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF PESCADERO - Built in May 1867, this is the oldest church building on its original site within the San Mateo-Santa Clara County region. Its Classical Revival style reflects the cultural background of pioneer Yankee settlers of the south San Francisco peninsula coast. The steeple was appended to the bell tower in 1890. During repairs caused by a minor fire in 1940, the social hall was added.
Location: San Gregorio St, Pescadero

NO. 955 MENLO PARK RAILROAD STATION - This building, constructed in 1867 by the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad Company, is the oldest railroad passenger station in California. The Victorian ornamentation was added in the 1890s when the station was remodeled to serve the newly-opened Stanford University. The extension on the northwest was added to accommodate increased traffic generated by the establishment of Camp Fremont nearby during World War I.
Location: 1100 Merrill Ave, Menlo Park