César Chávez gives his name to the downtown Sacramento park you have reached, built on the Old City Plaza Sutter founded in 1849. This square occupies an entire block between I and J Streets and 9th and 10th Streets, and it stands on Old City Plaza founded in 1849 by John Sutter. For more than a century this downtown square has been a focal point for community activities — the Farmers' Market, music concerts, and community rallies have long animated the grounds.
At one point the California State Capitol Building was proposed for this location, but that idea was abandoned in 1857 after residents voiced concerns. In 1872 developer and land designer John Keating was hired to create a plan for the park; many of his original design elements remain, including the central fountain, the circular pathways, and the cross-axial walkways you see today. Cesar Chavez Plaza was designated as part of the Plaza Park/Central Business District Historic District on the city's Register of Historic and Cultural Resources in 1985, and has been used in efforts to bring more residents and businesses to Sacramento's downtown core.
Many prominent and historic buildings with notable architecture surround the plaza. John Keating's central fountain, circular pathways and cross-axial walkways still shape this block between 9th and 10th Streets, just as he planned them in 1872.