Hidden on a small obscure street in San Marino, is Southern California’s oldest commercial building, El Molino Viejo (The Old Mill).

The Old Mill’s early Beginnings

It was used as a working grist mill by its Mexican earliest California visitors. Completed in 1816, its walls are made of oven-baked brick and volcanic tuff. The entire façade and exterior surface of the building is covered with mortar; but mortar that was made from the lime derived from burnt sea shells.

Surrounding the building is a small garden packed with a variety of fruit trees and foliage. The building’s history is palpable from the worn brick entranceway, the framed doorway in disrepair, and the brick peering out from its stucco covering. Here, small pear trees grow in its natural assemblage and create the ambiance of the Old Mill’s long history.

Just behind the door above is a short trail leading back to the front door—whose pomegranate trees prominently overhang and are a reminder of a time passed by. The path is well worn and serves as a respite from San Gabriel’s hot weather.

All of the various plants, fruit trees, foliage, and the grounds are maintained by the Diggers Club—which also provided the historical backdrop of the Old Mill’s picture from above.

Visualize yourself seated on the bench reading, relaxing, and having a picnic under its thick tree

San Marino is a stunning city of history, people, and hidden gems. We have an amazing mixture of sights, sounds, and places in and around Los Angeles, which continually remind us how this city started, emerged, and fused to the present—it’s institutions, people, and how they all played an intertwined role in creating our local eco-system of neighborhoods, families, industry, and culture.