Landmarks
Backesto Building
Aug
Back-esto in Time
The Backesto Building
1873 &1887
Architects: Burgett and Osgood
Architectural Style: Classical Revival
On December 23, 1867, Dr. John Pierre Backesto, bought himself a Christmas present – a large portion of Block 88 belonging to Alonzo Horton. The property was located on Fifth Avenue and H Street. (now Market St.), and also bordered parts of Fourth Avenue and G Street. It was subdivided into lots D,E,F,G,H,I, J and K, and comprised an admirable portion of what was to become the heart of San Diego’s growing business district. Dr. Backesto, a physician from San Jose, secured his property for $300, and thus became one of San Diego’s first absentee landlords. He appointed his nephew, George W. Hazzard, as manager of the properties, as it was Hazzard who had introduced his uncle to San Diego. Within two years, Backesto and Hazzard began to parcel out parts of the lots, including lot J, which was sold to Backesto’s brother, David H. Backesto.
Hazzard ultimately became quite influential in Republican party politics and business in the area.
In 1873, Dr. Backesto secured a loan from the Commercial Bank of San Diego and erected his first “fine brick building.” However, in April of 1884, he hired G.T. Burgett ,a San Jose architect, to design a replacement for the remaining wooden structures on the property and to enlarge the original building. The wood from the wooden buildings was later used in the construction of the new Backesto brick building. According to his instructions, it incorporated skylights in the upstairs rooms, “good ventilating apparatus” and seven chimneys for heating.The building featured a series of pedimented window columns with cornices, which were repeated across the great length of the building, and served to give it a majestic appearance. The original structure also incorporated a balustrade along the top story, which was later removed. All foundation walls were of brick. The entire building had a frontage of 100 feet on Market Street, and 224 feet along Fifth.The first estimate for the project was in excess of $20,000, which of course ran over budget. Upon completion, it was said to be the finest mercantile structure in all of San Diego, and some said, in all of California.
The first tenants of this impressive structure included clothiers, milliners, jewelers, a liquor store, general merchandisers, a hardware store, real estate offices, a photographer’s studio, ship chandlers and steamship companies. The upper floors housed 39 sleeping rooms. Klauber and Levi, San Diego’s pioneer grocer and general merchandise firms occupied the building until 1886, and the famous San Diego Hardware opened in this building in 1892. In 1923, San Diego Hardware moved to a building further up Fifth Avenue.
Dr. Backesto died on March 17, 1890. His estate, San Diego Realty, was valued at $715,600. The Backesto/Hazzard family retained control of this extensive property until 1930.
The Backesto Building was one of the first in the Gaslamp to be restored to its original splendor. The upstairs rooms, now offices, retain the original flavor of the 1880s, while the first floor buildings are now largely restaurants.
The newest tenant of the Backesto block is American Junkie, which opened in late March. This bar/restaurant features American bar food, a DJ and a lively atmosphere.
Learn more about the history of the Gaslamp by taking a historical walking tour with the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation every Thursday at 1pm and Saturday at 11am.
Sandee Wilhoit is the historian for the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation. She can be reached at [email protected]
Gaslamp Landmarks is published monthly in the Downtown News, pick up your copy the first Friday of the month to be the first to read the article!
