Category Archives: Landmarks

Although it had a rather inauspicious beginning, suffered through multiple owners, and narrowly escaped the wrecking ball, the Clermont Hotel has survived and is now once again flourishing.

Yamada Building 1869 and 1913 516 Fifth Avenue Architect: Unknown Architectural Style: Victorian Commercial Like many of the very early buildings in the Gaslamp, the Yamada building lists no architect. Our early citizens and merchants were not interested in creating an architectural icon to advertise their self-importance; they just needed a serviceable venue to promote […]

As one strolls throughout the Gaslamp, the plethora of restored Victorian era buildings is a sight for sore eyes. While they have maintained their beauty and appeal, these buildings also serve a purpose as each one did at the time of its inception.

The imposing, 4-story building was designed by the Quayle Brothers and their new partner, Charles Cressey, but actually constructed by an Oakland firm – Oliver Duval and Company. When the edifice was completed in 1913, it featured an open courtyard facing Broadway, which was later filled in.

Julian Produce Company Warehouse (1912) 679 J Street Contractors: A & H Brownlee Architectural Style: Italianate Revival /Commercial In the 1880s, San Diego experienced an exceptional land boom, which caused the population to expand from 5,000 to 40,000 in only a few years. However, a world-wide recession followed, and by 1890 the population numbered 16,000 […]

The theater, a truly remarkable building, was begun in 1911 and completed in 1912. At the time of its construction, it was the largest reinforced concrete building in California, and one of few truly modern structures in San Diego, both in its use of materials and in the overall design.

(Lewis Brick Block) (1885) 538 Fifth Avenue Architectural Style: Victorian Commercial Architect: Unknown This attractive little building came about through a carefully constructed party wall agreement between its two neighbors, Archibald H. Julian and Max Lowenstein. It came to sit snugly between the Lincoln Hotel and the Lowenstein Building (now known as The Field).  A […]

The Santa Fe Depot has served residents and visitors to San Diego for more than a century!

By 1881, 800 Chinese were living in San Diego, most of them men who had come to work on the railroad at the request of Ah Quin. As they were far from home, marginalized and relatively poor, they needed resources by which they could have their basic needs met and also find individuals for friendship […]

It is important to include some of the historic sites that serve as a reminder of the important contributions in commerce, culture and architecture made by the Chinese, Japanese, Filipino and Hawaiian communities.