The story
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As you walk along this block-long, brick-lined market, take a moment to feel the transition from the modern city into the shade of the trees. You are standing in a place that draws over two million people every year, yet it began with a very small group. On September 4, 1781, this pueblo was dedicated by just eleven couples and their children—forty-four people in total.
You might be wondering about the name on the street signs. The city’s history page refers to this path as Vine Street, but other records say that in 1877, the city council changed the name from Wine Street to honor a man named Agustin Olvera. He was a prominent figure in the community, serving as the first elected county judge in Los Angeles. He was also a soldier who fought for Alta California during the Mexican-American War.
As you continue your stroll, look for the Avila Adobe. This structure was built in 1818 by Francisco Jose Avila, who had served as the alcalde, or mayor, of Los Angeles in 1810. Today, it is celebrated as the oldest existing house in Los Angeles. It is a miracle the building is still here; by 1926, the City Health Department had actually condemned it.
The street’s modern life began in the late 1920s because of the persistence of a woman named Christine Sterling. Records say she had a dream to transform this area into a Mexican marketplace. To make it happen, the story goes that she persuaded Harry Chandler, the owner of the L.A. Times, to contribute five thousand dollars to the cause. Because of those efforts, Olvera Street officially opened to the public on Easter Sunday, 1930.
There are layers of history hidden in the walls around you. On the Italian Hall, an artist named David Alfaro Siqueiros completed a mural in 1932 titled America Tropical. It was a powerful work, but within the decade, the entire mural was whitewashed. It remained hidden for a long time. In 1988, the Getty Conservation Institute began a collaboration with the city to save it, and eighty years after its creation, the mural was finally re-unveiled.
Nearby, you will find the Plaza Church. Dedicated in December 1822, it is the oldest church in the city and remains an active parish today. This entire area was eventually recognized for its deep roots, becoming a Historic Monument in 1953 and joining the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1972.
Before you move on to the next stall or café, find a quiet spot near the Avila Adobe. Look closely at the surface of those old walls. It is the oldest house in the city, and as you stand beside it, try to imagine the transition from a tiny pueblo of forty-four people to the vast metropolis that now surrounds this brick path.
That was Olvera Street, Los Angeles. Avsha tells a story like this about wherever you are — any street, in your language.
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