The Pickwick/Sofia Hotel1926 150 W. BroadwayArchitecture: William PeughArchitectural Style: Gothic Revival Most travelers today look for the fastest way to get to their destination. Gone are the days of leisurely travel with occasional stops along the way for rest or local exploration. Although train travel is showing some signs of revival, bus travel is strictly […]
One of the most common questions we get from our guests at the museum is, “Is the House haunted?” At 170 years old, the oldest standing structure in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter the Davis-Horton House does have its share of strange and unusual tales! Throughout its history the house has served as a pre-civil […]
Horton Plaza Mall was once a vibrant shopping plaza and one of the catalysts that helped transform San Diego’s historic downtown into a bustling city center. Known for its unique and colorful architecture, this postmodern icon now sits almost abandoned with only a few stores remaining. Join us on Wednesday, October 16th at 7 PM […]
The Broker’s Building1889 404 Market Street Architects: G.T. Burkett and R.E. Osgood (1873)Barnett McDougal (1889) Style: Commercial It has been said that some people are born lucky and some are not. And – to that end, there is an old saying – “I’d rather be lucky than good.” The original Broker’s Building was neither. On […]
Like most properties sold by Alonzo Horton in the late 1860s, the lot on the southwest corner of 5th and F changed hands early and often. the brick building now known as the Spencer-Ogden Building, one of the oldest buildings in the Gaslamp Quarter. It is also the oldest structure to be continually owned by the same family.
San Diego Hardware Building 1910 840-50 5th Avenue Architectural Style – Modern T.W. Coates, Builder The property located on 840-50 5th has had many owners and many uses, but none, with one exception, has stayed very long. Originally, it was sold by Alonzo Horton to Captain Samuel Dunnells in 1868. Captain Dunnells was an early […]
The Davis-Horton House 1850 410 Island Avenue Architecture: Two-Story Wooden New England Saltbox Mortice and Tenon Construction Through rain and sleet and storms, and even through floods – yes, two of them – the Davis-Horton House, the oldest standing structure in downtown San Diego, has managed to survive. The little yellow house on the […]
Dotted with numerous cultural institutions, distinct architecture, and home to the World-Famous San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park has been dubbed “San Diego’s Cultural Hub, “and “a place with something for everyone!” Located just a few miles away from the Gaslamp Quarter this sprawling urban park can credit its creation to two great expositions- one in […]
September 12, 2018 at 7pm. Lectures are free for Members, $5 non-members. Gazing upon the Gaslamp Quarter from just atop the hill in the Sherman Heights Historic District sits the regal Villa Montezuma; the 1887 Palace of the Arts and home of mysterious, world-traveling Musician and Spiritualist Jesse Shepard. Join us for our next History Talks! […]