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San Diego City and County Historic Designations
By Amie Hayes & Marlena Krcelich
March/April 2022

In January 2022, the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board designated four new resources and forwarded the annual Standardized Report of City Boards and Commission 2021 to the Office of Boards and Commissions. We also learned that two more planners have left the city since November 2021 and Anna McPherson, program manager for the Historical Resources Division, is retiring. Congratulations, Anna!

4831 Hart Drive in Kensington is a Spanish Eclectic style home built in 1926. Designated under Criterion C for architecture, the character defining features include the asymmetrical facade, low-pitched roof with minimal eaves and exposed rafter tails, exterior stucco finish, half-barrel red terra cotta tiles, divided-lite wood casement windows, arch focal window, decorative window grilles, and a pony wall entry patio. Photo courtesy Google street view

10 East Roseland Drive in La Jolla is a c.1947 Contemporary style home. Designated under Criteria C and D, for exemplary design and as the notable work of Master Architect Sim Bruce Richards, this is a unique modern resource that is highly intact. Features include multiple roof forms (flat, gable, and shed) with deep overhangs, exposed rafter tails and structural members, vertical wood siding, large fixed and clerestory windows, divided-light casement windows, angular massing, attached carport, and brick chimney. Moreover, this resource is additionally significant for the 1967-68 addition, also by Richards, which illustrates a separate period of his career and growth as a designer. Photo courtesy Google street view

2354 Pine Street in Mission Hills is designated for illustrating the Custom Ranch style, built in 1952 (Criteria C), and is the notable work of Master Architect Richard George Wheeler (Criteria D). This home embodies distinctive features of the style, including the single-story and horizontal massing, deep front yard setback, hip roof, prominent stone chimney, U-shape plan, clerestory and floor to ceiling windows, and more. Designed by Wheeler early in his career, this is an important resource that reflects the high quality of his work.

1647 Los Altos Road in Pacific Beach is a c.1955 Contemporary style resource significant under Criterion C for architecture. Highlighting a front breezeway that emphasizes the interior and exterior connection, other character defining features include the single-story form and T-shape, horizontal massing, low-pitched gable roof with wide eaves and exposed roof beams, vertical board and batten siding, and multiple window types, such as floor to ceiling, casement, and clerestory. An additional contributing structure is the detached porte-cochere style carport/workshop, surrounded by the driveway, with features similar to the house: the low-pitched gable roof, various window types, and vertical wood siding.

In February, the city’s Historical Resources Board designated two new resources: a home and an important archaeological site. We learned that starting this summer, the city will accept historical designation nominations and Mills Act applications online. In staffing updates, a new senior planner is coming on board in March, and the new historical resources program manager is Elizabeth Shearer-Nguyen, a 20-year veteran with the city. Congratulations!

3761 La Cresta Drive in Point Loma is a 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival style house. Designated under Criterion C for exemplary architecture, the defining features include an asymmetrical front facade, stucco exterior, low pitched roof clad in red clay tiles with shallow overhangs, exposed wood rafter tails and beams, large focal window, arched front entryway, wood entry door, divided-light wood windows, clay tile vents and a decorative stucco screen. Also designated under Criterion D, the house is a notable work of a master builder, the Olmstead Building Company. An established builder who constructed many quality homes throughout San Diego, this Spanish Colonial Revival design demonstrates the company’s distinguished craftsmanship.

Archeological site P-37-012581 in the Torrey Pines Mesa area is designated under Criterion A as a special element of La Jolla and San Diego’s archeological and cultural development. Composed of a significant number of cultural material deposits, with a history of excavations that date back to the 1920s yielding important archaeological data, the site has a high level of importance that contributes to better understanding the settlement, inhabitancy, and prehistoric use of this coastal area.

All photos are from the California Historical Resources Inventory Database (CHRID), except where noted otherwise. The above designations were reviewed and approved by the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board (HRB) or the County of San Diego Historic Site Board (HSB).

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