REPORT TO HISTORICAL AND LANDMARKS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Consideration of a Historic Resource Property Designation for the Tiburcio V?squez Gravesite Located in Santa Clara Mission Cemetery
Report
BACKGROUND
At its meeting on March 5, 2026, the Historical and Landmarks Commission (HLC) considered the designation of the gravesite of Tiburcio Vasquez, located within the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery, as a local landmark pursuant to the Historic Preservation Ordinance (Chapter 18.130 of the Zoning Ordinance). Following discussion, the Commission voted to move forward with nomination of the gravesite for local landmark designation at a subsequent meeting.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this agenda item is for the Commission to consider the historical significance of the gravesite and take action on the nomination in accordance with Section 18.130.040 of the Zoning Ordinance. Section 18.130.040 establishes the criteria and process for designation of properties to the City's Historic Resource Inventory (HRI), including buildings, structures, objects, and sites. The proposed designation pertains specifically to a gravesite, which is considered a site under the ordinance and represents a distinct resource within the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery property.
Biographical Summary
City Historian Lorie Garcia provided the attached biographical summary (Attachment 1), summarized below.
Tiburcio V?squez (1835-1875) was born in Monterey, California, during the period of Mexican governance in Alta California. He was the son of a Californio family descended from early Spanish/Mexican settlers who participated in the establishment of Mission Santa Clara, the Presidio of San Francisco, and the Pueblo of San Jos?. He was raised in a bilingual (Spanish and English) environment and lived through the transition of California from Mexican to United States control following the Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
As an adult, V?squez became...
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