People are fascinated by, proud of and curious about the history of San Juan Bautista. Visitors from around the globe come here to view the buildings in the city’s historical district. Each of the many buildings identified as historic on the National Registry of Historic Places has tales to tell!
To help in the accurate telling of these stories, several representatives of local community groups, Rozas House Org., Inc., the San Juan Bautista Historical Society, the San Juan Committee and City of San Juan Bautista Strategic Planning Historic Preservation Subcommittee formed a committee with the purpose of updating the Historic Walking Trail Map and to develop a project, long a dream of many people in San Juan Bautista, to identify historic buildings with plaques. Meeting since February 2017, the committee has worked through many of the details this project presents. There is still much to do, but they are on track to make both the map and plaques a reality in 2018.
The Historic Walking Trail Map is patterned after the map that has been available to visitors for years. What is new is that committee members have been diligently researching each building’s history so that the most accurate information is presented.
While San Juan Bautista has many historic building throughout the city, the initial phase for the placement of Historic Plaques will be limited to 26 buildings located in the San Juan Bautista Third Street Historic District identified as buildings of significance. Plaques will have, as space allows, the name of the building as listed in the Historic Walking Trail Map, a brief history and date it was established, if known. In addition, the committee is taking advantage of 21st technology by placing a QR code on the plaque which will link to a website with a detailed history and photographs, old and new, for each building. The QR code will also be on the Historic Walking Trail Map.
A project like this would not be possible without funding. The committee has been funded in part by a community impact grant from the Community Foundation for San Benito County and grants from the San Juan Bautista City Council, County Supervisor Anthony Botelho, True Leaf Farms and the San Juan Bautista Historical Society. Additional funds to complete the project are needed and fundraising is underway.
Funded in part by a community impact grant from the Community Foundation for San Benito County
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