Military Plaza was first established in 1722 as a parade ground and market square for the Spanish soldiers garrisoned there. While this plaza is associated with early Spanish colonialism, due in large part to the preservation of the 1749 Spanish Governor's Palace, it evolved over the years from a community gathering place and marketplace into the city’s seat of government. Main Plaza was the site of the first authorized Texas city when it was established as a market square on March 9, 1731. Soon small block residences were built around the square, with their village church (now San Fernando Cathedral) and the Casas Reales (114 East Main Plaza), their seat of government, as their focal points.