Did you know a large sanitarium once stood in downtown San Diego at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Beech Street?
I had no idea, until I saw the surprising The Agnew Sanitarium 1906 cornerstone on display inside the San Diego Police Museum!
The Agnew Hospital and Sanitarium was founded by David Gochenauer. It began in a private residence in 1900 and was a training school for nurses.
The cornerstone you see in my photograph was laid for a big new building at 464 Beech Street on June 9, 1906. You can see a postcard image of the Agnew Hospital and Sanitarium and more description of its history here.
One more interesting fact. Alonzo Horton, whose historic Horton’s Addition development would help to transform New Town into today’s downtown San Diego, died in 1909 at age 96 . . . at Agnew Sanitarium.
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Should you walk through La Mesa Village, look for informative plaques with old photographs near the front entrances of buildings along La Mesa Boulevard. The plaques are a community project of the La Mesa Historical Society and the Rotary Club of La Mesa.
I found it interesting to learn about the history of the yellow building with stained glass windows that now houses the Por Favor Mexican Restaurant and Cantina.
Bank of Southern California Building, 1927
The local Bank of Southern California constructed this sturdy Mediterranean Revival style building on the site of the La Mesa Opera House (1908-1926). This now landmark building housed Mt. Helix developer Fred J. Hansen’s offices. The La Mesa Garage reminds us of this route’s former days as part of U.S. Highway 80.
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A very important architectural treasure stands in National City.
Granger Hall, built in 1898, was designed by a world-famous architect. The building can be spotted on East 4th Street near the base of the big electronic National City sign that rises next to Interstate 805.
I learned about Granger Hall when I read a Wikipedia article concerning Irving Gill, who is considered a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture. Twelve of his buildings throughout Southern California are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Granger Hall is such an important masterpiece that it has a full Wikipedia page. The hall was built in 1898 as an “acoustically perfect” music auditorium addition to a smaller music room in the Paradise Valley estate of Ralph Granger. Granger made a fortune in the “Last Chance” silver mine in Colorado during the 1890s. The building, moved later, has also been known as Granger Music Hall. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975… The acoustic properties include a design having no parallel walls or surfaces, including having the floor slope slightly forward and the ceiling and walls having “a slight canter”…
Well, I had to go check it out!
During my last walk through National City, I spied old Granger Hall behind a fence, apparently neglected and obviously deteriorating.
With my naked eye it was possible to see how the lines of the uniquely designed building aren’t exactly parallel. I could also see how, in its heyday, the music hall must have been glorious.
The Save Our Heritage Organisation has proposed having the building moved to Pepper Park and renovating it, so music can once again be heard from the acoustically perfect Granger Music Hall. On this SOHO web page you can view an old photograph of the hall’s elegant interior.
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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Sparks were flying today in San Diego’s amazing Balboa Park!
As I walked near the Botanical Building, I noticed a small army of people working to preserve and improve the historic structure.
I spoke briefly to someone working on the project. He explained that the base of the colossal, over one hundred year old steel structure is being replaced. That’s because there’s a lot of weight to support!
I also learned that the steel framework of the Botanical Building was originally assembled using rivets, as was common in the past. The aging upper structure is being reinforced where necessary, including areas where past patchwork repairs were made.
I asked why the steel skeleton couldn’t be entirely replaced. The answer, of course, is that the Botanical Building has special historical status. It was built in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition. It was one of the few exposition structures intended to be permanent.
How long will the structure endure once this restoration is completed? I asked. Well over a century was the answer!
Finally, as I walked about I noticed the removed cupola has been placed in a fenced area at the center of a nearby parking lot.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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To see a list of Irving Gill’s other works in San Diego and Southern California, visit his Wikipedia page here.
The Buel-Town Building, 1898.
With its arched corner entrance, bay window, and corbelled brick cornice, this building reflects the originality of the architects Hebbard and Gill. Gill, the principal designer, had a preference for natural forms, over the highly ornate European styles common of his era. This is evident in this structure, which was one of his earliest works. After serving tenants such as the Western Metal Company and Buel-Town Chemicals, the building was converted for use as The Old Spaghetti Factory Restaurant in 1974.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Enjoy a dozen photographs I took late this afternoon, about an hour before sunset.
I started at Broadway Pier and walked east into the heart of downtown San Diego.
I always enjoy this time of day. Light is reflected from many windows, creating a magical effect.
Tall ship Exy Johnson, docked at the Broadway Pier, is visiting San Diego.The buildings of the Research And Development District (RADD) are under construction where much of the old Navy Broadway Complex used to be.Looking north along the Embarcadero. Those clouds are left over from our most recent storm.Walking east down Broadway. Sunlight shines from the silvery Pacific Gate high-rise.More late sunshine on the tops of downtown skyscrapers.West Downtown San Diego is under construction in . . . west downtown San Diego!I love reflections like these.The late afternoon light is beautiful on the Balboa Theatre.The watery dome of the Broadway Fountain shines with different colors like the scales of a fish.A corridor of waning light downtown.Another fine downtown walk.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Two huge golden grizzly bears have come to life in San Diego, and are ready to stand on a Balboa Park rooftop!
Yesterday the two amazing sculptures were previewed. I took photographs!
The life-size bronze bears–weighing about 400 pounds–will soon be placed atop the roof of the 1935 California State Building, which today is home of the San Diego Automotive Museum. The sculptures will stand on the front corners of the building, as bears once did almost a century ago, back when the building debuted for the 1935-1936 California Pacific International Exposition.
Artists Mike and Kevin Matson of Bellagio Precast have been busy working on these new bear sculptures at their San Diego studio. Perhaps you remember my blog post from late 2021 with photos of one partially cold cast bronze bear.
The two huge bears are now one hundred percent finished and ready for transportation to Balboa Park! Once the roof of the San Diego Automotive Museum is structurally prepared for the heavy sculptures, they will be lifted by crane up to their respective corners. All of this should occur in April. Watch for it!
As I mentioned, the original 1935 bears were only temporary (likely made of plaster-like material) and disappeared long ago. A few old photographs show them atop the California State Building. Here’s one:
In the above enlarged photograph, you might also glimpse a flagpole over the building’s front entrance. Two flagpoles are also returning to the historic California State Building! Brackets for them have already been created:
The new bears and flagpoles are part of an ongoing effort by the Balboa Park Committee of 100 to restore the Palisades area of Balboa Park to something more like its original 1935 appearance. The organization has been working to preserve Balboa Park’s historic architecture, gardens and public spaces since 1967.
The Committee of 100’s initial undertaking in the Palisades was the reproduction of historical murals above the entrance to this same building. Perhaps you’ve seen those beautiful tile murals. If you haven’t, click here.
The California State Building’s new life-size bears have been years in the making. At yesterday’s event we were shown small working models that preceded the finished sculptures. Kevin Matson held them up for examination:
So how exactly were life-size cold cast bronze bears made?
Each of the finished bear sculptures has a Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete skin that is about 3/8″ to 1/2” thick. Two sculpture halves are joined together with a stainless steel frame inside. Each bear’s volume is then filled with a high density urethane foam.
How awesome are these golden grizzlies? Take a look!
The Balboa Park Committee of 100 is engaged in another fantastic project! They are recreating a large historical mural that will be placed above the entrance of the Municipal Gymnasium building. It, too, will be breathtaking!
I’ll be blogging about that shortly!
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I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
When I took a walk through La Mesa a couple weeks ago, I noticed a historical plaque on the above building.
With walls that are partly made of stone, this little old building is located directly adjacent to the larger, more modern Adult Enrichment Center, which is operated by the City of La Mesa.
BUILT BY UNITED STATES WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION 1937
According to an online timeline, two New Deal WPA projects in La Mesa include this 1937 Senior Clubhouse.
I spoke to a city employee inside the Adult Enrichment Center, and she indicated there are plans to move this building, stones and all, to MacArthur Park.
The old clubhouse is beautiful in a rustic way. To me, it appears like a visitor center or ranger station you’d find nestled in the forest of a National Park.
I assume that small stone structure across a walkway was built back in 1937, too.
Anyone who knows more, or has memories to share, please leave a comment!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
In 2021, the Maine Avenue Revitalization Association in Lakeside provided notable buildings with informative plaques. The plaques explain the history of each building, from the time they were built to the present.
During my recent walk down Maine Avenue in Lakeside, I photographed four of these buildings.
Please enjoy the following windows into the past of a rural town in San Diego’s East County…
PARK MARKET/PAYTON’S HARDWARE STORE
This was the site of Ferguson’s Park Store in 1923. It contained a soda fountain, picnic supplies, and a few groceries… …The Depression caused the store to close in 1931… The building burned to the ground in 1997. The store was rebuilt and reopened in 1999.
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LEO’S PHARMACY
Built in 1923 by Lakeside Development Company. This building was home to Otto Marack’s Grocery Store… …in 1960 it became Leo’s Pharmacy…
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BARKER & SONS
…in 1929…Heller started building this large, one story Spanish styled stucco commercial structure and the house behind it (now the Chamber of Commerce) for the store’s family… …it evolved into one of the first Safeway stores in the county…
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9825 MAINE AVENUE
Formally known as the Tumbleweed Cafe in the 1950’s and then later as a bar…As the Tumbleweed Bar, the Rattlesnake Round-up was held…Later it was Payton’s Lawnmower Shop.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Horton Plaza, the colorful old shopping mall that once attracted crowds to downtown San Diego, is now being redeveloped into a brand new mixed-use research campus called Horton.
I walked past the north entrance of the original Horton Plaza this morning. And look what I saw!
That’s very different from how things originally appeared! You can see the change in the next photograph that I took in 2014, while a small demonstration house was being built by Habitat For Humanity in nearby Horton Square…
Next is a photo I took in 2020 while Horton Plaza’s redevelopment was getting underway…
And here comes a photo taken later that year after the north entry’s original façade was entirely removed…
And now, here’s how things appears today!
This morning, after taking photos of Horton’s new north entrance, I proceeded south down First Avenue along the project’s west side, until I reached Horton’s southwest corner at G Street…
The Horton website provides an idea of how the interior of the complex will appear when completed. As you can see, some of the fun architectural elements of old Horton Plaza will be retained.
UPDATE!
In July 2023 I was walking down Fourth Avenue when I noticed the Balboa Theatre, at the northeast corner of old Horton Plaza, has been painted mostly white!
The new paint job will make it fit in with the rest of Horton’s white exterior. But is this an improvement?
Here’s how the Balboa Theatre used to appear…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 