The Courtyard and arches of Junipero Serra Museum, in Presidio Park, painted by RD Riccoboni. One of the most familiar landmarks in San Diego. As a major symbol of the city, often confused by passers by for Mission San Diego, it stands atop the hill recognized as the site where California began. It was here in 1769 that a Spanish Franciscan missionary, Father Junipero Serra, with a group of soldiers led by Gaspar de Portola, established Alta California's first mission and presidio (fort). On July 16, 1769, near the site where the museum now stands, Fr. Serra founded the Mission San Diego de Alcal?. Often confused for the Mission, the Serra Museum was built between 1928-1929 for the purpose of housing and showcasing the collection of the San Diego Historical Society, which was founded in 1928. The structure was designed by architect, William Templeton Johnson, using Spanish Revival architecture, to resemble the early missions that once dominated the landscape of Southern California. Mission San Diego is about 6 miles east of here in Mission Valley.