California Historical Landmarks

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California has designated over one thousand official state landmarks. These are in Santa Cruz County. The location refers to the plaque, and the description is not what is on the plaque, but how the state of California describes the site..

Location: Plaza Park, NE corner of Emmet and Mission Sts, Santa Cruz	NO. 342 SITE OF MISSION SANTA CRUZ - Mision la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz, the 12th Franciscan Mission, was consecrated by Father Fermín Lasuén in August 1791. In 1793 the adobe church was built where the Holy Cross Catholic Church is now located. The mission was damaged by several earthquakes and finally collapsed in 1857. Plaza Park is located at the center of the mission complex which contained 32 buildings at the time of its secularization in 1834, the last building remains on School Street.
Location: 4171 Glenwood Dr, 0.4 mi N of Glenwood cutoff rd (Martin Rd), NE of Scotts Valley	NO. 449 GLENWOOD - This historic town was founded by Charles C. Martin, who came around the Horn in 1847, and his wife, Hannah Carver Martin, who crossed the Isthmus. Martin first homesteaded the area in 1851 and operated a tollgate and station for stagecoaches crossing the mountains. Later he developed a lumber mill, winery, store, and the Glenwood Resort Hotel.
Location: SW corner of Water and Branciforte, Santa Cruz	NO. 469 SITE OF CENTER OF VILLA DE BRANCIFORTE - These school grounds were the center of Villa de Branciforte, founded in 1797 by Governor Diego de Borica of California on orders from Spain through Viceroy Branciforte in Mexico. The settlement existed as a separate township until 1905, when it was annexed to the city of Santa Cruz.
Location: Covered Bridge Rd and Graham Hill Rd, Felton	NO. 583 FELTON COVERED BRIDGE - Built in 1892-93 and believed to be the tallest covered bridge in the country, it stood as the only entry to Felton for 45 years. In 1937 it was retired from active service to become a pedestrian bridge and figured prominently in many films of that period. After suffering damage in the winter storms of 1982, it was restored to its original elegance in 1987 using native materials and local talent.
Location: Slippery Rock Memorial, Big Basin Redwoods State Park, State Hwy 236 (P.M. 8.7), Big Basin	NO. 827 BIG BASIN REDWOODS STATE PARK - A group of conservationists led by Andrew P. Hill camped at the base of Slippery Rock on May 15, 1900 and formed the Sempervirens Club to preserve the redwoods of Big Basin. Their efforts resulted in deeding 3,500 acres of primeval forest to the State on September 20, 1902 to mark the beginning of the California State Park System.
Location: 201 Monterey Ave, Capitola	NO. 860 SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE - This building is Capitola's oldest commercial structure. It served as head quarters for F. A. Hihn's operations from approximately 1883 to 1919, when he owned and developed what was then known as 'Camp Capitola' into the first seaside resort in the state.
Location: 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz	NO. 983 SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK - A local landmark since 1907, this boardwalk was one of the first amusement parks in California. It is now the only oceanside amusement park operating on the West Coast. The boardwalk is the site of two rare attractions, the 1911 carousel and the 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster. Both were manufactured by members of the Looff family, some of the nation's earliest and most prominent makers of amusement rides.
Location: 184 Old Adobe Rd, Watsonville	NO. 998 RANCHO SAN ANDRÉS CASTRO ADOBE - The Castro Adobe is an outstanding example of Monterey Colonial architectural styling. The adobe functioned as a regional social center due to the importance of its location as the governing seat of the Castro family rural empire, which reached across seven land grants to include over a quarter of a million acres. (This site has no plaque.)