First Christian Church - Lake Elsinore, CA, USA

Built by the Methodists in 1887 after their original building was lost to a windstorm, this brick structure is the oldest church in Lake Elsinore (originally Elsinore).  It was sold to the First Christian congregation in 1923 and has been continuously occupied since then as the First Christian Church.  Prominent features are stained glass windows and the nearly 50-foot tall steeple housing an antique bell.

In February 2013 the Valley of the Mist Chapter of the Colonial Dames XVII Century placed a commemorative plaque in recognition of the building's historical significance.

A photograph at the Lake Elsinore Museum of the Methodist's 1887 dedication ceremony includes a figure believed to be Wyatt Earp - a tall mustached man in a white shirt standing at the top of the steps in front of the door.

Wyatt Earp Believed to be in 1887 Church Photo

Located at 503 West Heald Avenue at the northeast corner of Heald Avenue and Poe Street.

Egyptian Revival Style - Oceanside, CA, USA

This Egyptian Revival style residence in the Plumosa Heights neighborhood was built circa 1928.  There was a resurgence in the Egyptian Revival style following the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922. 
Among the Egyptian elements of this home are the angled walls, tapering in towards the top.  The incised stucco finish was meant to resemble sandstone blocks.  A cornice flares out at the very top, just below the flat roofline.  Above the front window and the garage door are a pair of bas relief Egyptian religious designs which symbolize protection.  A central sun disk flanked by a pair of cobra heads and vulture wings.  The deep covered porch is reminiscent of a courtyard.

In 1930 this house was being rented by Hal and May Hinch, their daughter Mildred and May's mother.  Mr. Hinch was the manager of the Sprouse-Reitz department store in downtown Oceanside, then located at 119 North Hill Street.  Mrs. Hinch also worked there as a saleslady.

Located at 906 West Street.

Seventh-Day Adventist Church - Escondido, CA, USA

Seven churches were originally granted land by the Escondido Land & Trust Company, this being one of those original seven.  Constructed in 1887 this brick church originally served the Southern Methodists.  It was sold in 1900 to the Seventh-day Adventists who occupied it for a number of years.  It has been enlarged several times and today is occupied by Iglesia Monte De Los Olivos, a Christian church.

An extension has been added to the rear of the original church.

Another extension to the side of the original structure along 4th Avenue.

Located at 331 West 4th Avenue, the original church structure is located on the corner of 4th Avenue and Orange Street.

VA Oceanside Clinic - Oceanside, CA, USA

A part of the VA (Veterans Administration) San Diego Healthcare System, the Oceanside Clinic was opened on May 18, 2010.  At 66,465 square feet and two stories this clinic is able to provide outpatient services for up to 88,000 visits per year.

Located at 1300 Rancho Del Oro Drive.

Charles Hatfield House - Valley Center, CA, USA

This house, thought to have been built circa 1920,  is believed to have been occupied for a time by Charles Hatfield.  In 1916 the City of San Diego hired local rainmaker Charles Hatfield to produce rain.  A resident of San Diego County, Mr. Hatfield had been known to experiment in rainmaking by burning chemicals from the tops of towers.  Whether Charles Hatfield actually produced rain or if it was just a coincidence will probably never be known, but the ensuing rainstorm washed out roads, bridges and dams and resulted in multiple deaths not only in San Diego but throughout all of southern California.  The movie, The Rainmaker, starring Burt Lancaster is a fictionalized account of the incident.

No proof exists that Charles Hatfield actually lived in this house, but old stories and local legends seem to indicate that he burned chemicals from a tower on this property and, although he was not the owner, he did live briefly in the house.  According to a recorded  interview he did state that he had lived in Valley Center.

The house has been unoccupied and deteriorating for years and the property has been sold.  A commercial development called Hatfield Corners is planned at the location.  During the week of April 21, 2013 the house was demolished, and on Sunday, April 28, no trace of it remains.  The landowner had offered to let anyone who was willing to pay to have the house moved off the property to have it, but after several months there were no takers.

In the 1960s my step-grandparents lived in Valley Center and we drove out there several times a month.  This house was always a "landmark" for me on those drives.  It was situated up an embankment and that great porch overlooked the main road.  It has only been in the last few years that I heard of the Charles Hatfield connection, and I will miss seeing this house and the memories it brings.

Formerly located on the west side of Valley Center Road at the intersection of Woods Valley Road.

Fire Station #7 - Oceanside, CA, USA

Oceanside's Fire Station #7 opened in July of 2008.  It features a Mission style design complimenting Mission San Luis Rey not far to its east.  This station serves the western San Luis Rey Valley area.

Located at 3350 Mission Avenue, just east of Foussat Street and south of the 76 Expressway.

San Diego Law Library, North County Branch - Vista, CA, USA

Part of the statewide system of County Law Libraries established in 1891, this is one of four located in San Diego County.  Open to the public six days a week.

Located at 325 South Melrose Drive, Suite 300.

El Corral Pottery - Carlsbad, CA, USA

El Corral Pottery has been in business at this location for decades.  They specialize in fountains, pottery and dinnerware and always have a selection of Fiestaware on hand.  I remember going here with my parents in the 1950s and it appears pretty much unchanged since then.

Located at 3040 Carlsbad Boulevard.


Update January 25, 2015:  This business has closed.  Empty and boarded up on January 24, 2015.
http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2014/jan/07/stringers-carlsbad-pottery-store-closing-66-years/#

Center City Golf Course at Goat Hill - Oceanside, CA, USA

Construction on this 18-hole golf course, designed by Ludwig Keehn, began in 1952 and it opened to the public in 1953 making it the oldest golf course in San Diego County.  It also features an 18-hole disc golf course, the second longest in the United States.

Located at 2323 Goat Hill Drive (formerly Saratoga Street).

Donnell Residence - Oceanside, CA, USA

This Spanish Revival style house was built circa 1928.  It was the home of a physician, Dr. James B. Donnell, his wife Lucy and their two children, James K. and Mary Jane.  Dr. Donnell passed away in 1932.  In 1940 Lucy and daughter Mary Jane were still living there, while son James was living in Inglewood employed as a Toolmaker in the aircraft industry.  Mrs. Donnell passed away in 1941.

I remember trick-or-treating at this house once in the late 1950s or very early 1960s and receiving a large-size Hershey Bar from the elderly woman who lived there at that time.

Located at 303 South Clementine Street.

Camp Fire Girls Building - Oceanside, CA, USA

This cinder block building next to the Brooks Street bridge was once the location of before and after-school programs run by the Camp Fire Girls of America, now called Camp Fire U.S.A.  Although the property was owned by the City of Oceanside, they gave use of the property to Camp Fire Girls of America in 1956 provided the site be used for Camp Fire programs only.  In recent years Camp Fire had operated a child care center there, but with operating costs of up to $100,000 per year and little funding coming in they were no longer able to keep it open.  Camp Fire closed the child care center on July 5, 2012 and the property was to be returned to the City.

Located at 402 Brooks Street in the Crown Heights neighborhood.

San Luis Rey Elementary School - Oceanside, CA, USA

San Luis Rey Elementary School was constructed in the mid-1960s.  It is part of the Oceanside Unified School District.  Originally serving Kindergarten through the 6th grade, it now serves students through the 5th grade.

Located in the San Luis Rey Valley at 3535 Hacienda Drive, in the San Luis Rey Estates neighborhood.

Alexander Stewart House - Escondido, CA, USA

This Eastlake Victorian style home was built in 1890 by Alexander Stewart, an Escondido blacksmith who went on to become the director of the Escondido National Savings Bank and later the chairman of the City Board.  The building materials were shipped in pieces from New England and around Cape Horn.  Mr. Stewart lived in the house until his death there in 1940.

The photo below shows the home as it appeared in July 2012.

The house was reported to still be in near perfect and unaltered condition in 1992 when it was recommended it be listed on the National Register of Historic Places (the owner declined), but in April 2007 a court-ordered inspection found 24 code violations, both inside and out.  A large open hole had been cut in the attic facade for "ventilation," neighbors reported pieces falling from the house and it was in danger of being demolished.  Considerable improvements appear to have been made since that time.  This is the only home of this style in Escondido.

The photos below were taken in October 2007.

Located at 439 East 5th Avenue in the Old Escondido Historic District.

O'side Cafe - Oceanside, CA, USA

This Spanish Revival style building, originally a residence, has most recently been the location of the O'side Cafe.  In recent years it has housed a variety of businesses including a Psychic, a handmade paper shop, and several different restaurants.  As the O'side Cafe the exterior was colorfully painted to resemble a sunrise or sunset.
As of this date the mural is gone.  The exterior of the building has been painted a shade of brown and a banner advertises the Grand Opening of a coffee shop.

Located at 624 South Coast Highway.

Rorick Houses - Oceanside, CA, USA

These two neighboring Craftsman style homes were designed by David Rorick, Sr., a former Oceanside City Attorney, in 1906 and 1913.  David Rorick, Sr. and his family lived in the house on the right while his father lived in the house on the left.  They are still owned and occupied by members of the Rorick family today.

Located at 108 and 110 South Pacific Street, overlooking the ocean.

E. G. Garrison Elementary School - Oceanside, CA, USA

E. G. Garrison Elementary School (aka Garrison Elementary School) was constructed in the early 1970s.  It is part of the Oceanside Unified School District.  Originally serving Kindergarten through the 6th grade, it now serves students through the 5th grade.

Located at 333 Garrison Street.

Oceanside Yacht Club - Oceanside, CA, USA

The Oceanside Yacht Club was founded in 1963 after construction of the Oceanside Harbor.  Originally an existing single-story building, a second story was added after its aquisition by the Yacht Club in late 1963.

Located at 1950 Harbor Drive North, between the Jolly Roger Restaurant and the Marina Inn.