La Casa de Estudillo belonged to Captain José Maria Estudillo, a retired San Diego Fort Commander. He began construction of his house in 1827; it was made in traditional adobe style and took on the shape of a "U" upon completion. It has 15 rooms which include a chapel, a priest’s room, a study, a storage room, several bedrooms, living and dining rooms and a workroom. They all surround the inner courtyard which has lovely gardens and fountains, and in the rear, a reconstructed oven which is right outside of the kitchen. We learned that kitchens were never built attached to a house because of fire hazards, thus making this part of the restorative effort inaccurate. The furnishings are not the ones used by the Estudillo family ; pieces representative of 16th to 20th century furniture have been used by the curators of the California State Park System which acquired the house in 1968, and restored it as a museum. Floors are either made of tile or wood planking depending upon the room; the size and arrangement of the items suggests some opulence or extreme ease. After Estudillo’s death, the house was occupied by his son and wife who continued construction. They acquired more land where they were able to promote a successful cattle raising business. In 1887, the house was abandoned till 1906 when it was purchased in ruins by one Nat Titus. From there, it found its way into the state government.
The large living room and dining room support the theory that the Estudillos did large scale entertaining. Captain Estudillo was an explorer of desert areas, and in his study, there are maps and wall charts which he would have used. Additionally, it was not unusual to have extended families living under one roof, and this would account for the numerous bedrooms found in the house. Also, at one time, an adobe wall surrounded the house which is no longer there.
We were fortunate in that we were greeted by Jody Kummer who is the Supervising Sate Park Ranger for the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park; she very graciously accepted to pose for pictures with Chuck. We also included her visitor in the photo. If you wish to call ahead for a visit, here’s the number: (619)688-3365.