Category Archives: Landmarks

The Combination Store
1880
621-625 5th Avenue
Architect – Unknown
Architectural Style – Victorian Commercial Storefront

Many wonder just exactly what a Labor Temple is. It is defined as an organization created for the purpose of improving conditions for those who work, including agricultural, educational, instructive and also, unions. The building is their “temple,” or meeting place. Throughout its long tenure, the Gaslamp’s Labor Temple Building has housed many of these, including unions for bartenders, cigar makers, theatrical employees , hod carriers and the Women Union Labor Leagues.

What do all of these buildings have in common? They are all still hotels, but now they provide low-cost homes for San Diegans on fixed incomes. They may be forgotten, and not the original tourist attractions they once were, but they are still providing people a much needed commodity in our town – affordable housing.

Choate-Gerichten-Peterson Block a.k.a. Ingersoll Tutton Mercantile Building 1894 818-836 5th Avenue Architect – Joseph Falkenham Architectural Style – Romanesque Revival Even after the boom building years of the 1880s, several of the structures along 5th Avenue were still relatively unadorned wooden buildings. After 5th Avenue was paved in 1888, many investors then turned their attention […]

Ingle Building/Golden Lion 1906 NE Corner of Fourth and F St. Architect – Joseph Falkenham Architectural Style -Modern with Victorian Elements After Alonzo Horton made his propitious buy of the land that was to become modern day San Diego, he immediately returned to San Francisco to drum up interest in his new venture. In order […]

Although the architect is unknown, the architecture is unique in the Gaslamp, as it is the only building sporting French Provincial characteristics.

The Timken Building 1894 Southwest Corner of 5th and Market Streets Architect: Joseph Falkenham Architectural Style: Romanesque/Modern   Realtors will tell you that “location, location, location,” is everything, but this prime piece of commercial real estate had a rather inauspicious beginning. Alonzo Horton called it “Lot L” when he sold it to David L. Phillips […]

The Daneri Block/Lincoln Hotel    1913     536 Fifth Avenue Architectural Style: Victorian with Elements of Art Nouveau Architect: Perley B. Hale Although the lot on the north half of Horton’s Lot I, Block 95 is very small, its subsequent properties have been very busy and have many tales to tell. As early as 1868, a tin […]

Balboa Theatre 1924 648 4th Avenue,  Southwest Corner of Fourth and E Architectural Style: Spanish Renaissance Revival Architect: William Wheeler “Curtain going up!”  With pomp and circumstance, the magnificent Balboa theatre opened on Friday, March 28, 1924. All of San Diego was excited to welcome screen stars Corrinne Griffith, Conway Tearle, Adele Rowland and “the   […]

The Watts-Robinson Building 1913 Northeast Corner of 5th and E Street Architects: Leonard T. Bristow & John B. Lyman, Jr. Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival Some buildings naturally take your breath away, but the interiors turn out to be less stellar. Others are largely utilitarian on the outside but are quite lovely on the inside. The […]