Landmarks

From Banks to Burgers

Blochman Bank Building     (1905) 635 Fifth Avenue             [...]

28
Apr
Remnants of the Past

National City and Otay Railroad Depot 1896 5th, 6th & L Streets Architect: William Sterling [...]

01
Apr
The Same , but Different…

The Brown Building (1886) SE Corner of 5th and Market St Architect: Unknown Architectural Style: [...]

04
Mar
The Influence of African American Ladies in Early San Diego

Determined, intelligent and resourceful, these ladies were a vital part of rapidly developing early San [...]

03
Feb
Happy New Year of the Tiger!

The Chinese, the earliest permanent Asian culture to occupy New Town San Diego, brought with [...]

30
Dec
From Corpses to Cafes!

When strolling in the Gaslamp, many are awestruck by the architecture and beauty of some [...]

09
Dec
What a Party!

The Lowenstein Building 1887 544 5th Avenue Architectural Style: Early Commercial Architect: Unknown Although Alonzo [...]

01
Dec
So Many Books, So Little Time!

His large inventory, no doubt, needed a more spacious venue, so what is now known [...]

20
Oct
Victorian Halloween Traditions – Now That’s Scary!

Nineteenth century Victorians had some very strange, to our eyes, norms. They included unusual occupations,  [...]

02
Oct
Puttin’ on the Fritz!

The owner of the structure was Louis Fritz, a German immigrant who was, additionally, one [...]

29
Sep
Housing Who’s Who in SD

Although the Dunham Building, a very utilitarian edifice , has a somewhat uninspiring facade, it [...]

28
Aug
Trucks, Antiques and Lobsters – Oh My!

One of the very few lots in the Gaslamp not originally owned by Alonzo Horton [...]

03
Aug
If One Is Good, Two Is Better!

In the late 1880s, the glittering St. James Hotel was the city’s first skyscraper; it [...]

25
Jun
Like the Energizer Bunny …..

“No rest for the weary” might well describe the Hubbell building, as since even before [...]

02
Jun
Variety is the Spice of Life – Meat Market to Peep Shows and More

Like many of the buildings along Fifth Avenue, the Pierce-Field building was built during the [...]

24
Apr
Two Buildings, Two Notable Men, One Site

Like most sites in the Gaslamp , the Schmitt/Sensenbrenner Building lot had its origin in [...]

30
Mar
Built to Last!

The Steele Building (1908) Southwest Corner of 6th and Market St. Architect: Edmond Blachmann Architectural [...]

03
Mar
Heavenly Architecture and Flights of Fancy

The stately Victorian building still standing on the corner of 5th and E has housed [...]

04
Feb
From Corpses to Cantina

The Sun Café 421 Market Street  1873-1883 The early history of Lot A/Block 082/95, where [...]

21
Jan
Reuben the Guide and his Historic Haunts

Douglas Hotel, Clermont/Coast Hotel, Ideal Hotel & the Crossroads, 1887-1985 As lead tour guide and [...]

21
Jan
From Hotel to Hospital to Hotel

The Grand Pacific Hotel 1887 SW Corner of 5th and J Street Architects : Clemments [...]

21
Jan
The Many Homes of Alonzo Horton

When Alonzo Horton arrived in San Diego in 1867, he did what any newcomer would [...]

21
Jan
From Crackers to Cakes and More…..

Royal Pie Bakery 554 Fourth Avenue 1911  Architecture: Contemporary  Architect: Unknown In late 1869, Alonzo [...]

21
Jan
The Golden West, 1913

720 Fourth Avenue, northwest corner of G Street Architect :   John Lloyd Wright Prairie Style [...]

21
Jan
Everybody Loves a Lover……

Keating Building, 1890 Architects:  Reid Brothers Architectual Style: Romanesque Revival Everybody loves a good love [...]

21
Jan
The Old Spaghetti Factory

On April 3, 1871, Alonzo Horton sold the southeast corner lot at Fifth Avenue and [...]

21
Jan
From Silver Screen to Sundaes: Casino Theater

Prior to 1904 , the property between 643 and 651 Fifth Avenue was nothing more [...]

20
Jan
Casa de Tomás-es

Casa De Tomás, 1930                       [...]

20
Jan
Two Buildings, Same Time, Different Stories

Although they were built only a year apart, the Nanking Cafe and the Manilla Cafe [...]

20
Jan
The McGurck Block Building

The McGurck Block Building, popularly known as the Ferris and Ferris Drugstore Building, was built [...]

20
Jan
Many Things for Many People – Tin to Tacos

In 1869, Begole constructed a one-story brick building for his stove, hardware, plumbing and tin [...]

29
Dec
Somewhere Over the Rainbow…

For a look at what turn of the century elegant shopping involved, one can still [...]

01
Dec
Liquor, Lockers and Lively Music

The Onyx Hotel Building 1910   852 Fifth Avenue Architect: Unknown Architectural Style: Modern Commercial [...]

05
Nov
What Goes Around, Comes Around.

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

26
Sep
Many Forms of Labor by Many Hands

Many wonder just exactly what a Labor Temple is. It is defined as an organization [...]

02
Sep
A Place to Lay Your Weary Head……..

What do all of these buildings have in common? They are all still hotels, but [...]

31
Jul
A Rose by Any Other Name…….

Choate-Gerichten-Peterson Block a.k.a. Ingersoll Tutton Mercantile Building 1894 818-836 5th Avenue Architect – Joseph Falkenham [...]

26
Jun
The Lion Roars Again!

Ingle Building/Golden Lion 1906 NE Corner of Fourth and F St. Architect – Joseph Falkenham [...]

03
Jun
Not Exactly the Favorite Son!

Although the architect is unknown, the architecture is unique in the Gaslamp, as it is [...]

29
Apr
What’s in a Name

The Timken Building 1894 Southwest Corner of 5th and Market Streets Architect: Joseph Falkenham Architectural [...]

02
Apr
No More Wine-ing!

The Daneri Block/Lincoln Hotel    1913     536 Fifth Avenue Architectural Style: Victorian with Elements of Art [...]

15
Feb
Curtain Going Up!

Balboa Theatre 1924 648 4th Avenue,  Southwest Corner of Fourth and E Architectural Style: Spanish [...]

25
Jan
Reaching for the Stars

The Watts-Robinson Building 1913 Northeast Corner of 5th and E Street Architects: Leonard T. Bristow [...]

02
Jan
The U.S. Grant Hotel

The U.S. Grant Hotel | 326 Broadway   Architect: Harrison Albright Style: Classic Revival When Alonzo [...]

05
Dec
The History of a Historian

Bancroft Building/ Aztec Theatre             1886 665 Fifth Avenue Architectural Style: Modern  Architect: Clinton Day Some [...]

30
Nov
Pick Your Poison!

Brunswig Drug Company 363 5th Avenue Architectural Style – Spanish Revival Architect: William Quayle – [...]

01
Nov
From Hardware to Hard Core to Haute Cuisine

Commercial Bank Addition / Bijou Theater (1875658 Fifth Avenue Architectural Style – Florentine Revival William [...]

03
Oct
From Junk to Java

The Frey Block (1911) 435 Fourth Ave.; SW Corner of 4th and Market Architect: S.G. [...]

29
Aug
No Nods from Lady Luck!

The Broker’s Building1889 404 Market Street Architects: G.T. Burkett and R.E. Osgood (1873)Barnett McDougal (1889) [...]

26
Jul
San Diego’s Grand Old Lady

Old City Hall    1874 and 1888 5th and G Street, SW Corner   Architectural Style: [...]

28
Jun
A Victorian 4th of July!

Forty one percent of Americans polled did not know why we celebrate the Fourth of [...]

28
May
Cole Block Building

1892 702 Fifth Avenue Architect: John Stannard Architectural Style: Mixed The site of the current [...]

01
May
Business Was Booming!

Like most properties sold by Alonzo Horton in the late 1860s, the lot on the [...]

30
Mar
From Jessop’s, to Dime Store, to Hardware Emporium

San Diego Hardware Building 1910 840-50 5th Avenue Architectural Style – Modern T.W. Coates, Builder [...]

19
Feb
Louis Bank of commerce GQHF
A Sight for Sore Eyes: The Louis Bank Of Commerce

1888 835-837 5th Avenue Architectural Style : Baroque Revival Architects: Clemment and Stannard   In [...]

29
Jan
Davis-Horton House -168 Years and Still Standing!

The Davis-Horton House  1850 410 Island Avenue  Architecture: Two-Story Wooden New England Saltbox  Mortice and [...]

04
Jan
The Ghost of Christmas Past – A Victorian Christmas

No era has influenced the way we celebrate Christmas as much as the Victorian era. [...]

30
Nov
The Pacifica Hotel

All the World’s a Stage….. and More The Pacifica Hotel 551 Fourth Avenue  Circa 1910 [...]

02
Nov
The I.O.O.F. Building

            Very Fancy And Not Odd At All I.O.O.F. Building [...]

26
Sep
The Granger Building

1904 964 5th Avenue                                                      Architectural Style: Romanesque Architect: William Quayle            [...]

30
Aug
The Callan Hotel

 San Diego’s First “Zoo” 1878 Three Story Brick Structure 502 Fifth Avenue Architects: Stannard & [...]

23
Aug
Backesto Building

Back-esto in Time  The Backesto Building 1873 &1887 Architects: Burgett and Osgood  Architectural Style: Classical [...]

23
Aug
Dead Center in the Old Red-light District

The Marin Hotel 1888 552 Fifth Avenue Architectural Style: Victorian Architect: Unknown John Nelson Young [...]

04
Aug
Nesmith-Greely Building’s Long San Diego History

Nesmith-Greely Building 1888 825 Fifth Avenue Romanesque Revival Architects: Comstock and Notsche On March 27, [...]

03
Jun
The Carriage House

The Carriage House Building 401 G Street Architect Unknown On December 23,1869, John D. Backesto [...]

03
May
The Tale of the Fox and the Lion

Samuel I. Fox Building, 1929 Architect: William Templeton Johnson Architectural Style: Mission Revival  & Mediterranean Location: [...]

03
Apr
The Hotel Lester

The Hotel Lester (1906 and 1914)   Architects: William Quayle and Quayle Brothers Style: Romanesque To [...]

02
Mar
Hats Off to the Yuma Building

1882 – 188 631 Fifth Avenue Architects : Armitage and Wilson Victorian Italianate Revival When [...]

04
Jan
Early Shopping Emporiums of San Diego: “Shop ‘till you drop” 1880’s style

Marston Building, 1881 548 C Street Architects: Stewart Brothers Style – Italianate Victorian Whitney Department [...]

01
Dec
Horton Grand Hotel: Then and Now

The beautiful Horton Grand Hotel, a Gaslamp landmark, was originally two Victorian hotels: the Grand [...]

01
Aug