Saturday, December 31, 2011

Postcards from Oceanside - Oceanside, CA, USA

Postcards from Oceanside, a 2002 mural by artists Sue Pruett and Rhonda Ruggieri, features postcard scenes of Oceanside attractions.  It is painted across the rear of the Sunshine Brooks Theatre in downtown Oceanside.



Located in the alley behind 217 North Coast Highway, adjacent to Civic Center Drive.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Santa Fe Depot - Vista, CA, USA

Built by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1913 this building originally was located near the intersection of North Santa Fe Avenue and Washington Street along the freight line between Oceanside and Escondido.  It was used for passenger service until sometime in the early 1940s.  It remained in continuous use for more than 80 years until it was closed in December 1969 due to the reduction of local freight along that line.  It sat empty until 1981 when it was moved to its present location on a hilltop several blocks east, restored, and dedicated for use housing the Vista Chamber of Commerce.






Located on the southeast corner of  Washington Street and Indiana Avenue.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Mountain Monogram "E" - Escondido, CA, USA

"E" for Escondido High School, a short distance to the south.


Located on West Country Club Lane just east of Centre City Parkway.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Charles Libby House - Oceanside, CA, USA

Built circa 1902 by Charles Libby, this two-story Late Victorian/Colonial Revival style house is also known as the Goldie Rush House and the Libby-Rush House.  Goldie Rush, a burlesque star who performed in north San Diego County, was an early occupant of the home.  The house originally stood near the intersection of Fourth Street (now Civic Center Drive) and Summit Street. 
By the mid-1970s it was dilapidated and scheduled for demolition by the Fire Department.  In an attempt to save the old structure it was offered for sale for the sum of $1, provided it was relocated and brought up to code by the new owner.  In 1977 it was sold and moved to its present location on Rockledge Steet.  Because of the narrow streets between the two locations the house was transported on a long circuitous route and nearly slid off the truck on the way up the steep Vine Street hill.  The former front of the house faces the backyard and the rear faces the steet at its new location.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 12, 1978, plaque #N644. 



About 1971 or 1972 I remember going to this house at its original location with my roommate to visit one of her friends who was renting it.  We did not go inside and all stood on the porch to talk.  The house was completely dark and there was probably no electricity at that time.

Located at 636 Rockledge Street.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Cheney Residence - Oceanside, CA, USA

This Spanish Revival style home was built in 1929.



Located at 405 South Horne Street, on the southwest corner of South Horne Street and Missouri Avenue.

First Baptist Church - Fallbrook, CA, USA

The First Baptist Church of Fallbrook has been located on this site since 1888.  High on a hill above the town, the steeple once dominated the skyline.  In 1968 the original building, then the oldest remaining church structure in San Diego County, was torn down to make way for a new building.  Services have been held in the present structure since March of 1970.



Located at 125 West Hawthorne Street on the northeast corner of West Hawthorne Street and North Pico Street.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Pearl Harbor Survivors Association Memorial - Oceanside, CA, USA

Chapter 31, the North County Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, was founded in 1986.  There were 18 original members, but at one time membership rose to more than 130.  The North County Chapter serves the northern portion of San Diego County. 


Inscribed "Remember Pearl Harbor - Keep America Alert," the memorial bears the names of all those who have been members of Chapter 31.




Located at Oceanside Harbor on Harbor Drive North, just south of the Harbor Fishing Pier.

Friday, December 2, 2011

First United Methodist Church - Oceanside, CA, USA

The oldest church building in Oceanside was built by the Congregationalists in 1886.  They sold the building to the Methodists in 1896 and it became the First United Methodist Church.  Methodist services were held there until September 1995 when the First United Methodist Church merged with the South Oceanside United Methodist Church.
Several different churches have occupied the building since that time.  It is presently home to Calvary Chapel Living Hope church.




Located at 625 Seagaze Drive (formerly First Street), at the southwest corner of Seagaze and Ditmar Street.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Magic Kite Ride - Vista, CA, USA

Magic Kite Ride, a sculpture by Robert Maya, was a part of the second exhibit of Vista's public art display, Kites Over Vista.  It was on display in downtown Vista from 2009 to 2010.

Kite of Paradise - Vista, CA, USA

Kite of Paradise, a sculpture by Benjamin Lavender, was a part of the second exhibit of Vista's public art display, Kites Over Vista.  It was on display in downtown Vista from 2009 to 2010.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Inaja Fire Memorial - Santa Ysabel, CA, USA

On the night of November 25, 1956 eleven firefighters lost their lives fighting the Inaja Fire in San Diego County's rugged backcountry. 
The fire had been started the previous afternoon by a 16-yr-old boy on the Inaja Indian Reservation when he tossed a match into some dry grass to see if it would burn.  The fire had already burned 25,000 acres by the following afternoon and was spreading towards populated areas.
The night crew on November 25 consisted of firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service and volunteer inmates from the Viejas Honor Camp.  The men were cutting a line in a deep ravine when the flames suddenly rushed towards them.  The crew boss ordered the men to leave immediately when he saw the flames.  Six men escaped, but eleven were caught in a "flash-over" and perished.
As a result of this tragedy The Ten Standard Firefighting Orders were developed and remain in use today.




The Ten Standard Firefighting Orders
  1. Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
  2. Know what your fire is doing at all times.
  3. Base all actions on current and expected behavior of the fire.
  4. Identify escape routes and safety zones and make them known.
  5. Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
  6. Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.
  7. Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
  8. Give clear instructions and insure they are understood.
  9. Maintain control of your forces at all times.
  10. Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.

Located on Highway 78 just above the town of Santa Ysabel.   There is an adjoining parking lot and picnic grounds with restrooms as well as a hiking trail.
For benchmark hunters, a U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Benchmark is located near the memorial.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Old Jail - Temecula, CA, USA

The small two-story building referred to as the Old Temecula Jail was never actually intended or used for that purpose.  The walls are constructed of one-foot thick scrap granite from the quarries that were once active in the area.  It is believed to have been built by the Weltys and used as a storehouse for their neighboring store and hotel in the Welty Building.  A water tank sat on the top of the structure providing water pressure for the hotel.  Later, when Joe Winkels' saloon occupied the Welty Building, the granite building was probably used as a wine cellar.  It is thought to have been used occasionally as a temporary holding cell for drunken patrons, hence the reference to a jail.


Located just west of Front Street, and south of Main Street in the courtyard behind the Welty Building.  Access from Main Street and from the public parking lot one block south.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Welty Building - Temecula, CA, USA

Built in the 1890s by R.J. Welty and his wife, Mary, the building originally housed a store on the ground floor and rooms for rent on the second floor. 
It was purchased by Joe Winkels in 1902 and operated as a hotel, The Ramona Inn.  A barber shop and saloon replaced the store area and alcohol was illegally sold there during the prohibition era.  Gaming was offered in the form of pool tables, card games and slot machines.  Boxers Jack Dempsey, Jim Jeffries and Jack Sharkey were among those who trained at an upstairs boxing arena.  Buster Keaton, Fatty Arbuckle and other celebrities from Hollywood were known to visit The Ramona Inn.



On Christmas Eve 1907 Temecula's constable, Preston Van Swanguen, and a local businessman, Louis Escallier, were shot to death by Horace Magee while attempting to quell a barroom fight.


In later years the saloon was named The Stallion, and then The Stables.  A sandwich shop, The Corner, was located in the building in the 1970s.
The Welty Building was among the buildings in the historic district that were damaged in 1993 by a 3-foot-high wall of mud that resulted from the flooding of nearby Murrieta Creek.  It remained empty for years afterward.
The Temecula Olive Oil Company, a food and gift shop featuring a tasting bar, has occupied the ground floor since 2002.

Located in the historict district of Old Town Temecula on the southwest corner of Front Street and Main Street.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Bonjour - Fallbrook, CA, USA

Bonjour, a bronze sculpture by artist Celou Bonnet, was placed in October 2000 and is a part of Fallbrook Art in Public Places.  It depicts a little boy wearing a baseball cap, with a band-aid on one knee, holding a bunny.



Located at The Village Square at the southeast corner of Main Avenue and Alvarado Street.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Veterans Honor Roll Wall - Fallbrook, CA, USA

Guardians of Freedom, a 2004 bronze plaque by artist Christopher Pardell, is a part of Fallbrook Art in Public Places.


It is the centerpiece of the Fallbrook Veterans Honor Roll Wall.


Located on the exterior wall of The Village Square on the corner of Main Avenue and Alvarado Street.  (Alvarado, just east of Main.)

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Marina Towers - Oceanside, CA, USA

Overlooking Oceanside Harbor the 67-unit Marina Towers Condominiums were built in 1975.  At 17 stories this is the tallest building in Oceanside.



Located at 1200 Harbor Drive North.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Lost at Sea Memorial - Oceanside, CA, USA

In Memory of Those Lost at Sea.


Dedicated January 9, 1979.


Located in Oceanside Harbor on Harbor Drive North, immediately north of the fishing pier.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Cline Residence - Oceanside, CA, USA

This farmouse, built in 1889, originally had an upper level.  The upper level was lost in a storm in 1916.




Located at 614 South Grant Street.

Friday, November 4, 2011

General Store - Santa Ysabel, CA, USA

The Santa Ysabel General Store was built in 1884 and includes a basement.  One of the county's oldest buildings, it is the only general store built from adobe remaining in San Diego County.


Located on Highway 78 at the intersection of Highway 79.

Addendum, December 14, 2011:
The Santa Ysabel General Store has been purchased by SOHO San Diego and will be preserved as a visitor center.

San Diego Union Tribune article, December 14, 2011:
Santa Ysabel Store to Become Visitor Center

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Jail - Julian, CA, USA

Built in 1914, this 2-cell reinforced concrete structure was the first building in Julian to have indoor plumbing.  It was designed by Quayle Bros. & Cessy Architects.






Located on the corner of C Street and Fourth Street.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

El Nopalito - Oceanside, CA, USA

El Nopalito, a Mexican grocery store, is located in a Mission Revival style building in the Eastside neighborhood.  Hours 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.  Dba El Nopalito Inc.


Located at 410 San Diego Street.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Rock Residence - Oceanside, CA, USA

Built as a private residence circa 1926, this Spanish Eclectic style bungalow presently houses Mission Urgent Care Family Practice.



Located at 616 South Coast Highway (formerly South Hill Street).