De Vargas Street House

Adobe house with the contested title of oldest in the US

A modest single-storey adobe across from San Miguel Chapel, marketed as the oldest house in America. The claim rests on a layer of clay foundation believed to date from before 1646, predating most rivals. The upper structure is much later — possibly the late seventeenth century — and the building has been knocked around and patched ever since.

A small gift shop and a tiny museum room occupy the inside. The visit takes ten minutes. Free entry.

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