Circle of Palms Plaza
 Circle of Palms Plaza with the Fairmont San Jose and Fairmont Plaza | |
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| Area | 2.3-acre (9,000 m²) |
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| Location | San Jose, California |
| History of California |
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The Circle of Palms Plaza is located in downtown San Jose, California. It is composed of a ring of palm trees encircling a California State Seal, and designates the California Historical Marker 461, the site of California's first state capital from 1849-1851.
History
When California became part of the USA in 1850, San Jose was the oldest civilian settlement dating back to its establishment in 1777, and selected the first official state capital of California.[1][2] A two-story adobe hotel built around 1830 became the first state capitol and hosted the first legislative sessions in 1850 and 1851. This site is now the Circle of Palms Plaza,[3] or California Historical Marker 461.
Description
The Circle of Palms Plaza is a ring of palm trees encircling a California State Seal, located between the Fairmont San Jose Hotel, the KQED building (Silicon Valley Financial Center) and the San Jose Museum of Art.[4][5] The concrete around the state seal contains quotes from the 1849 state constitutional convention in Monetery where San Jose was chosen as the capital.
Public activities
Each Winter, the San Jose Downtown Association sets up an outdoor ice rink called "San Jose Downtown Ice" at the Circle of Palms.[6]
Photo gallery
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Circle of Palms Plaza -
The ice rink at the plaza in the Winter -
State seal at center of the Circle of Palms -
Night view of the Circle of Palms Plaza and the San Jose Museum of Art -
San Jose Museum of Art and Circle of Palms -
Circle of Palms Plaza and Fairmont at Night -
Circle of Palms and San Jose Museum of Art
See also
- History of San Jose, California
- List of California Historical Landmarks
- Chinatown, San Jose, California (the "Plaza Street Chinatown" was located where Circle of Palms Plaza sits today)
References
- ^ "Spanish Period". November 5, 2013.
- ^ "California Capitol Museum – California State Capitol History: Part 1".
- ^ Favorite Images, Stories, Trivia - Capital & Capitol History, Tigerleaf.com
- ^ "Santa Clara". California State Parks, Office of Historic Preservation. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
- ^ "First State Capitol Building". HMDB.org, the Historical Marker Database. November 17, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
- ^ "San Jose Downtown Ice". San Jose Downtown Association. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
External links
- Scenes of San Jose: Circle of Palms, photo by Dana Grover
- View of the Plaza from above