José Antonio Estudillo

José Antonio Estudillo
Portrait of José Antonio Estudillo from about 1830
Born	1805 Monterey, California
Died	July 20, 1852 San Diego, California
Spouse(s)	María Victoria Dominguez

José Antonio Estudillo (November 2, 1803 – July 20, 1852) was a Californio and an early settler of San Diego, California when California was part of New Spain.

José Antonio Estudillo was born in 1805 in Monterey, Alta California to Captain José María Estudillo, who was born in Andalusia, Spain. José Antonio Estudillo probably came to San Diego as a boy in 1820, when his father became commandant of the Presidio of San Diego. His brother José Joaquín was the second alcalde of Yerba Buena, the pueblo that later became San Francisco.

Estudillo joined the Spanish Army at the Presidio and eventually made lieutenant around 1824. He received the Rancho Janal Mexican land grant in 1829 and Rancho San Jacinto Viejo in 1842. He was a member of the assembly from 1833 to 1835. During 1837-38 he was Alcade and Juez de Paz of San Diego Pueblo. At various times he was also treasurer and tax collector for San Diego.

In 1827 Estudillo built a large L-shaped adobe house for his father on land granted by Governor José María de Echeandía . The adobe was later enlarged and became U-shaped. It was considered one of the finest homes in Alta California. The house is still standing, known as Casa de Estudillo, and is one of the oldest surviving buildings in California. It is located in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, on the southeast side of the Old Town San Diego plaza, and is designated a National Historic Landmark in its own right. The Estudillo family lived there until 1887, after which the home became a tourist attraction popularly known as "Ramona's Marriage Place," based on the fictional character in Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona. The house was obtained by the State of California in 1968, was restored to its original condition, and is now a museum open to the public.