The ranch house, c. 1935. Courtesy the San Diego History Center

BY THE EARLY 1920s, the adobe had fallen into disrepair. During Sawday's tenure the ranch house does not appear to have been as well maintained as during the Vail ranch period. Photographs show that by the late 1920s most of the exterior lime plaster had fallen away from the west side of the house and had not been replaced. Large sections of the east wall also remained unplastered, while the wood siding along the south wall was weathered, unpainted, and pulling away from the wooden wall frame. These deteriorating conditions continued to progress through the 1930s so that by the early 1940s the building looked ramshackle and neglected.

1960

All photos by Philipp Rittermann, 1960. Courtesy Historic American Buildings Survey

2009

By 2009, the important site was in danger of total ruin. First three photos courtesy Bruce Coons. Last on the right courtesy Vista Irrigation District (VID)