The Avila Adobe is the oldest residence in the City of Los Angeles originally built in 1818 and is located on Olvera Street (part of the Los Angeles Plaza Historic District). The plaza is the third location of “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles” which is the original Spanish settlement in the area. I first visited this residence when I was a young child accompanied by my parents. My father, an immigrant from Mexico, explained the similarities in the design of the building and how they are commonplace in rural areas of Mexico today. Everything that my father would speak of was reminiscent of a different time and his family. In a strange way, I have always felt a connection between myself and this building, as well as the subsequent times I have visited, and my Hispanic heritage. In conjunction with these feelings, I have always held significant interest in history and appreciate the building for the fact that the residence that stands as a symbol of a different time in Los Angeles.