On April 3, 1871, Alonzo Horton sold the southeast corner lot at Fifth Avenue and K Street to W.A Buttrich and G.A. Flower for $1,000. This was an excellent price for a lot only one block from the bay, especially since in the week prior, Horton had sold an adjoining lot to Thomas L. Nesmith […]
Prior to 1904 , the property between 643 and 651 Fifth Avenue was nothing more than a series of small wooden buildings housing a shoemaker, a jeweler and a cigar and cigarette merchant. In 1904, George J. Chambers , father of famed Olympic swimmer Florence Chambers, purchased the property from L.G. Pratt for the unlikely sum […]
Casa De Tomás, 1930 Architect: D.S. Calland Casa de Tomás Addition, 1930 Style: Spanish/Oriental 500-520 4th Avenue The property located on the NW corner of 4th and Island […]
Although they were built only a year apart, the Nanking Cafe and the Manilla Cafe have very little in common. However, they both displayed the growing ethnic diversity prevalent in the Gaslamp Quarter in the early 20th century, and which continues today. They also both used local materials in their respective construction, illustrating the growing […]
The McGurck Block Building, popularly known as the Ferris and Ferris Drugstore Building, was built on the northeast corner of 5th and Market in 1887. Although the original owner, Col. Edward McGurck, acquired the property in 1876 for $50, he elected not to develop it until several years later. John T. Burkett, architect, designed […]
In 1869, Begole constructed a one-story brick building for his stove, hardware, plumbing and tin business. It is the oldest documented brick structure in the Gaslamp.
For a look at what turn of the century elegant shopping involved, one can still enjoy a glimpse of yesteryear at the Marston Building.
Join us to learn about the remarkable life of a San Diego legend, John D. Spreckels! Dr. Sandra Bonura, author of the newly released Empire Builder: John D. Spreckels and the Making of San Diego, will share with us the untold story of this San Diego pioneer. Come hear another remarkable piece of San Diego […]
The Onyx Hotel Building 1910 852 Fifth Avenue Architect: Unknown Architectural Style: Modern Commercial This property, like all others, was originally owned by Alonzo Horton. In 1868, he sold the lot to another notable early San Diegan – Capt. Samuel S. Dunnells – for $500 in gold coin. Capt. Dunnells is credited to have […]
Travel back in time with us to the days of the California Gold Rush! Located in the small Sierra Nevada town of Columbia, Columbia State Historic Park preserves the historic district of a once bustling gold rush town. Unlike the many other gold rush towns of the region, Columbia was never modernized or destroyed, making […]