Located in the heart of the Los Rios District, the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society has been restoring and preserving historical structures. It is adjacent to the Capistrano Depot that actively takes you on the train throughout SoCal.

The National Trust for Preservation established the week long tradition of recognizing preservation practices during the Nixon administration. They now show how #ThisPlaceMatters with a toolkit for grassroots organization. We celebrate all the month of May. The trust created a list of 31 actions, one for each day, for you to get active in this movement. Visit https://savingplac.es/2VYOlr6 via @savingplaces.

The National Park Service stated that the Los Rios District “illustrates the growth of an 18th-century California village. The small vernacular residential buildings of the district date from the late 18th century to the early 20th century. The development of Los Rios Street is closely tied to the establishment of nearby Mission San Juan Capistrano. In 1794, 40 adobe structures were constructed at the present site of Los Rios Street to house the Indians who labored at the mission. As the village evolved it was incorporated into the plans for the secular pueblo of San Juan Capistrano, created in 1841. Los Rios Street was originally called Calle Occidental, or ‘West Street,’ indicating its orientation to the western edge of the mission grounds. Several adobes from the 18th century remain to represent this earliest phase of development.