Located at Alhambra Avenue and Henrietta Street, Plaza Ignacio Park is a quiet respite in a historic setting. The park is surrounded by benches with a regal water fountain in the middle, which echoes the soothing sound of cascading water all around. In addition to its beauty, this park has some interesting history.
The park is named after Don Ignacio Nicanor Martinez who was the original grantee of the Rancho El Pinole, a portion of which is now the city of Martinez. Land for this plaza was donated to the citizens of Martinez by members of his family in 1849. This information is also on a plaque in the park. See the Martinez Historical Society site for more information on Don Ignacio Nicanor Martinez.
The Plaza is a bright, open area perfect to walk around in or just sit for awhile. It is also used for civic events, fundraisers, and weddings. Several of the benches are dedicated to friends and family who have passed.
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On one side of the plaza is City Hall and on the other side is the Boys and Girls Club. These buildings were both part of the Martinez Grammar school. The original school was built in 1873. This building was replaced in 1909, and is now the Boys and Girls Club. In 1916 the school annex was built to accommodate a growing population as a result of the Shell Refinery construction. The annex is where City Hall is now. In between the school and the annex was a playground, which is where the plaza is now. According to Harriett Burt, former Martinez school teacher and presently a Planning Commissioner, “The playground was a barren, muddy, weed filled empty lot until the mid ‘70s when then Mayor John Sparacino thought it would make an ideal commemorative city park in honor of the nation’s bicentennial and Martinez's centennial as an incorporated city.” A plaque near Henrietta Street has this inscription, “1876-1976 Plaza Ignacio Martinez.”
The school annex was still operating in 1916 and, “There are still people living who remember going to school in that building and that the school auditorium was where the Council Chambers are presently.” Burt said.
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The City acquired the current city hall in the mid 1950s when the Martinez School District built a new school on Susana Street and moved there. The old school buildings made a perfect location for the city to house all their departments under one roof, with the exception of the fire department. The building that is now the Boys and Girls Club was also remodeled in the late 1950s, but the pillars of the school’s original entrance on Alhambra Avenue were retained and are still visible.
California is so young, as is the history of Martinez - from its buildings to its land. In Martinez, you can find history as close as Plaza Ignacio Park.
Do you spend time in Plaza Ignacio Park? Or have memories of going to Martinez Grammar School when it was there?
