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Preservation in Baja California
Setbacks, Progress, and What’s Next
By Maria Curry
May/June 2025
We have good news and bad news in Baja California. The very bad news is that Ensenada lost one of its oldest wooden houses to an illegal demolition in March 2025. A drugstore will take its place.
Ensenada residents first raised concerns about Casa Ptacnik Montes, a 1920s Craftsman bungalow, in December 2024. They reported the unpermitted removal of parts of the downtown structure at the corner of Avenida Ruiz and Calle 10. Demolition requires authorization from local authorities.
Casa Ptacnik Montes was historically and culturally significant, especially in the city’s urban and architectural development. It is listed as eligible for designation as a Baja California cultural heritage site and identified as a potential federal monument by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.
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Left Demolition of the 1920s Casa Ptacnik Montes, a classic example of Craftsman-style architecture, began in stages in 2024. Concerned community members alerted authorities in an effort to halt the destruction—but in the end, the battle was lost. Courtesy Santos Cota Right The roof was removed from the partly demolished house in early January 2025, just as members of Ensenada’s preservation commission visited the site to assess possibilities for historic reconstruction or adaptive reuse. Miscommunication among government officials–and the owners’ apparent lack of will—ultimately led to the building’s demise in March. Photo by Maria Curry |
 Tijuana Mayor Ismael Brugueno displays an enlarged vintage postcard while launching the city’s downtown facade-painting program, which uses historic color palettes. Photo by Juan Carlos Domínguez |
 Callejón el Travieso, an alley in Tijuana once known for its concentration of Italian-owned businesses, is undergoing rehabilitation with city support. The work includes preserving vintage signage and restoring facades and sidewalks. This shoe repair shop has operated for over 60 years in a building dating to the 1930s. Photo by Maria Curry |
Following the state secretary of culture’s recommendation to halt the demolition, the city ordered all work to stop in January. Ensenada's municipal preservation commission, composed of local residents and public officials, also opposed the demolition and discussed adaptive reuse alternatives that would incorporate surviving architectural elements. Guadalupe Zepeda, president of ICOMOS Mexico (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and an expert in wood architecture, visited the site to assess potential mitigation measures.
The owners proposed relocating the house at their own expense, but their seeming lack of commitment to preserving it ultimately prevailed. Demolition resumed after they obtained a questionable permit from the city, effectively erasing a page of Ensenada’s history.
To compensate for this loss and prevent similar situations in the future, the state preservation council, known as the Consejo de Preservación del Patrimonio Cultural (made up of representatives from seven municipalities, as well as academics and professionals) voted at its April 9 meeting in Ensenada to impose sanctions on those responsible for the house’s destruction. The specific penalties will be determined soon.
Now, for some good news: Tijuana continues to rehabilitate the downtown urban landscape. Local and state officials are encouraging owners of historic commercial buildings to repaint their facades in period-appropriate colors, inspired by old postcards and reflecting styles from the 1920s through the 1960s.
Another city-led project focuses on restoring Callejón del Travieso, an old alley historically associated with Tijuana's Italian immigrant community. According to San Diego-based culinary historian Martin Lindsey, the famous Caesar salad may have been invented at a restaurant in this alley. The project includes upgrading the drainage improvements system, restoring sidewalks and building facades, and adding new, historically themed murals by local artists to formerly blank walls.
Another bit of good news: In November 2025, ICOMOS Mexico will celebrate the global organization’s 60th anniversary with a symposium in Tijuana and Ensenada. The steering committee is planning to include several regional and international preservation partners. Watch my future columns in Our Heritage eNews for details about this important event.
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