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Explore Two Fascinating San Diego Communities with Penning the Past
July/August 2026
SOHO’s Penning the Past lecture series continues this summer with two presentations exploring the people, architecture, and neighborhoods that have contributed to San Diego’s distinctive character.
Now in its third year, the monthly series brings together historians, preservationists, researchers, and authors for engaging discussions centered on the region’s architectural and cultural heritage.
 The July and August programs take attendees from the postwar optimism of Clairemont’s innovative suburban planning to the personal histories of the women connected to Talmadge’s early development.
On July 11, 2026, historian, preservation advocate, and Our Heritage eNews columnist Alex Bevil presents "Clairemont: The Village within a City." Drawing from his extensive research and contributions to SOHO’s acclaimed Clairemont tour and booklet, Bevil explores how developers Lou Burgener and Carlos Tavares transformed a windswept mesa above Mission Bay into one of the nation’s largest planned suburban communities. The lecture examines Clairemont’s groundbreaking “Village within a City” concept, its carefully planned streets and cul-de-sacs, and its remarkable concentration of Mid-Century Modern architecture by notable designers including Sim Bruce Richards, Robert J. Platt, and Lloyd Ruocco. Together, these elements helped establish a new model for suburban living in postwar San Diego.
2025 recipient of SOHO’s Lifetime Legacy Award, Bevil is a retired California State Parks historian whose preservation work has contributed to numerous National Register and local historic designations throughout San Diego County. Bevil writes the "Hiding in Plain Sight" column on San Diego County's California State Landmarks for this newsletter and is the author of several SOHO tour booklets, including Tiki: A Guide to San Diego’s Tiki Architecture and Rediscovering Calle Judeo: The Jewish Men & Women of Enterprise in Old Town San Diego.
 Then on August 8, historian and preservation advocate Laura Henson presents "Down the Rabbit Hole: The Women of Talmadge." Through biography and place-based research, Henson examines the often-overlooked women connected to the early years of the Talmadge neighborhood, revealing how individual experiences can illuminate broader themes of housing, independence, and community identity. The lecture offers a thoughtful look at the people whose contributions are often absent from traditional neighborhood histories.
Henson is the former president of the Talmadge Historical Society and the author of the award-recognized series Down the Rabbit Hole: The Women of Talmadge, upon which her lecture is based.
Together, these two talks on San Diego communities offer fresh perspectives that continue to resonate today, one through innovative suburban planning and architecture, the other through the lives of women whose experiences help deepen our understanding of neighborhood identity and cultural heritage.
Lectures are held on the second Saturday of each month from 11am to noon via Zoom. SOHO members attend free; nonmembers are welcome for $10 per lecture. Advance registration is required.
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