Betty Willis
Gift to the Street

Left to right Benjamin R. Teeter, Contractor; Betty Willis; Mike Rust, MCR Contracting; Denise Larson, Larson Design; and Charley Willis

BETTY WILLIS RESTORED HER HISTORIC HOUSE in Mission Hills before she knew that Ruth Lindley, an accomplished World War II WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilot), had previously lived there. Betty had already successfully nominated the house for historic designation by the City of San Diego for its exemplary Prairie style architecture constructed by San Diego master builder Nathan Rigdon. But Betty didn’t stop with the designation. Her conscientious, ongoing stewardship has preserved both architectural beauty and community history.

After preservation consultant Kiley Wallace uncovered compelling evidence of the home's association with Lindley, whose WASP jacket and wings are on display in the Smithsonian Institution) Betty returned to the city’s Historical Resources Board. The board voted to recognize the house as Lindley’s prior home, along with its architectural distinction. The house is now known as the Ruth Lindley/Nathan Rigdon House.

Kiley’s research also turned up vintage Lindley family photographs that included views of the original front porch, which was probably altered during the 1940s. Acting on this solid new evidence, Willis was able to accurately reconstruct the Prairie-style porch to its original appearance, thus restoring a defining architectural feature visible to everyone who passes along West Lewis Street.

This restoration project took place over two years during the challenges of the pandemic, and attests to Betty’s remarkable dedication to authenticity and historic preservation standards. The completed porch not only restores this key architectural feature but also enhances one of Mission Hills's most prominent streetscapes, serving as a lasting public benefit.

By investing in what became the total restoration of this significant home, Betty Willis has preserved an important piece of San Diego's architectural heritage while honoring the legacy of one of the nation’s pioneering women military aviators. With the restored front porch, the result is a gift to the neighborhood that also provides an enduring reminder that historic preservation enriches the entire community.

Top and center photos by Sandé Lollis. (left to right, 1-4) 1 - Historic photo showing original porch; 2 - Rebuilt porch from the 1940s. Photo by Dan Soderberg, 2012; 3 - During the restoration. Courtesy Mike Rust; 4 - Ruth Lindley Muller, 1943

Project Team
General Contractor: Benjamin R. Teeter | Contractor: Mike Rust, MCR Contracting | Design: Denise Larson, Larson Design