Some people call it the town square and some people refer to it as a traffic circle, but in July of 1871 the center of the City of Orange
was only a stake in the ground and a dream in the minds of Andrew Glassell and Alfred Chapman.

That stake was at the center of an oval,
170 feet by 200 feet, which is now called
Plaza Park, the heart of the Plaza
Historic District.

The Plaza Park today consists of an
oval park with trees and shrubs
and a fountain dating from 1937.

Most of the trees date back over a
hundred years and the park itself was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1978 and is the oldest dedicated parkland in Orange County. There are four memorial plaques on the fountain.

While common in other parts of the country this is one of the few remaining places in California where you can still drive around a park in the middle of a street.

The Plaza Historic District is at the center of the original one square mile area where the City of Orange began.

This area, which was staked out by Capt. William Glassell, Andrew's brother, is known as Old Towne Orange.

This square mile area is bisected by Glassell Street going north and south and Chapman Avenue going east and west.

Glassell & Chapman divide Old Towne Orange into four perfect quarter square mile sections.

To see history first hand all you have to do is take a walk around town.
   
Old Towne Orange is known as "The Antique Capital of California". The square mile around the Old Plaza is somewhat of an antique itself. Many of the commercial buildings and homes in that square mile are on the National Register of Historic Places. At the center of the shopping and dining is an old-fashioned traffic circle with a quaint park full of mature trees and a classic old fashioned water fountain. Among the eateries in Old Towne, you'll find one located in a converted 1800's chapel and one in a hundred year old drug store.

In the late 1800's two men started the town as a commercial venture. They sold ten acre sites surrounding a forty acre town plaza area. Today the plaza features an array of shops from outdoor restaurants and gift shops to antique cars and restoration hardware.

Much of the credit for saving the area and getting it recognized must go to the Old Towne Preservation Association and the Orange Community Historical Society.

Throughout the year, many events take place in the Plaza. On Labor Day it plays host to the Street Fair. The Old Towne Orange Antique Fair comes to town in February. There's an Antique Car Show in April. If you're not afraid of goblins and ghosts you can trick or treat through the streets at Halloween. In December the whole town comes together for the Christmas Tree Lighting.

For more information Please Call the City Office of Community and Library Services at (714) 744-7272