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 […]
The Marin Hotel 1888 552 Fifth Avenue Architectural Style: Victorian Architect: Unknown John Nelson Young arrived in San Diego in 1869 aboard the steamship Orizaba from San Francisco. He immediately started a furniture and undertaking business with his brothers in a small wooden building on “H” Street (now Market St.) near Fifth Avenue known as […]
Nesmith-Greely Building 1888 825 Fifth Avenue Romanesque Revival Architects: Comstock and Notsche On March 27, 1871, Alonzo Horton sold Lot D, Block 61 to Miss Henrietta Nesmith for the exorbitant sum of $1900 in US gold coin. This was considered an unusually high amount for such a lot at the time. Horton also sold property […]
The Carriage House Building 401 G Street Architect Unknown On December 23,1869, John D. Backesto purchased lots A -L of Block 95/88 from Alonzo Horton for $300.00. Although Dr. Backesto was from San Jose, California, he was very active in the ever-expanding real estate market in San Diego. He is perhaps best known for the […]
Samuel I. Fox Building, 1929 Architect: William Templeton Johnson Architectural Style: Mission Revival & Mediterranean Location: Southwest Corner, 6th & Broadway America has always been the land of immigrants and opportunity. This was especially true during the 19th century when Horace Greeley’s philosophy that the road to success was paved with hard work and perseverance was […]
The Hotel Lester (1906 and 1914) Architects: William Quayle and Quayle Brothers Style: Romanesque To say that the Hotel Lester building has an ethnically varied and very colorful past would be a major understatement. Like all property in the Gaslamp, the original owner of the lots from 1301-1319 “H” St. (now 401-417 Market St.) was […]
1882 – 188 631 Fifth Avenue Architects : Armitage and Wilson Victorian Italianate Revival When tourists view the stately brick structure with the twin spires that graces Fifth Avenue, their immediate question is, “Why is it called the Yuma Building when it is in San Diego?” The answer is simple – Captain Alfred Henry Wilcox, […]
Marston Building, 1881 548 C Street Architects: Stewart Brothers Style – Italianate Victorian Whitney Department Store Building, 1923 and 1936 914-924 6th Avenue Architect: F.W. Stevenson Modern Linear Design It’s the holiday season! Time for feasting, caroling, and yes, shopping. For our Victorian ancestors buying a gift for a special loved one was also a […]
The beautiful Horton Grand Hotel, a Gaslamp landmark, was originally two Victorian hotels: the Grand Hotel and the Brooklyn Hotel. Both were built in the early 1880s and located on F Street. In 1907, the Grand was renamed the Horton Hotel and the Brooklyn was later renamed the Brooks-Kahle Saddlery, as a popular saddlery was […]