Pier Mural - Oceanside, CA, USA

This mural, depicting the Oceanside Pier, was painted by artist Mark McBee in 1998.

Located on the north exterior wall of 604 North Coast Highway (formerly North Hill Street), currently the location of Veneto's Italian Restaurant.

Happy Mothers Day Mural - Escondido, CA, USA

This mural in honor of Mothers Day 2013 is signed by artist Zane.  Photographed on May 3, 2013, it was located on the west exterior wall of Rosemary Duff Florist.

Located at 101 West 2nd Avenue, next to the parking lot.

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.

Happy Valentines Mural - Escondido, CA, USA

This mural in honor of Valentine's Day 2013 is signed by artist Zane.  Photographed on February 10, 2013, it was located on the west exterior wall of Rosemary Duff Florist.

Located at 101 West 2nd Avenue, next to the parking lot.

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).

Beach Scene Mural - Carlsbad, CA, USA

This mural of a beach scene was painted by artist Shawn David Baker in 2012 and is located on the south exterior wall of Royal Palms Spirits, aka "Pig Liquor."

Located at 305 Carlsbad Village Drive.

Surfing Pig Mural - Carlsbad, CA, USA

This mural of a surfing pig wearing a crown was painted by Aaron Kimball in 2013.  It is located on the north exterior wall of Royal Palms Spirits, called  "Pig Liquor" by locals because of a pig statue that used to be at the door and a neon pig sign in the window.

Located at 305 Carlsbad Village Drive.

Carlsbad Pipelines Mural - Carlsbad, CA, USA

The Carlsbad Pipelines mural is located on the south exterior wall of the surf shop of the same name.

Located at 2975 Carlsbad Boulevard.

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.

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.

The Old Julian Garage Building - Julian, CA, USA

Originally the Julian Garage, The Old Julian Garage Building was built in 1917.  It is presently the home of Julian Collectibles & Gifts.

Located in the historic downtown area at 2126 Main Street.

Holroyd Confectionary - Oceanside, CA, USA

Built circa 1922 this house was the residence of John H. and Grace S. (Maberry) Holroyd.  They lived here during the mid-to-late 1920s and Mrs. Holroyd operated a confectionary and later a lunch room at the home.  John H. Holroyd had a background working in refrigeration and was a Chief Engineer with the Union Ice Company.  Prior to their marriage, Grace had been a public school teacher in her home state of Illinois.  They married in the early 1920s and in early 1924 Grace was operating a confectionary at their home in Pacific Beach, California.  They moved to this location in Oceanside where, according to County Directories, Grace was operating a confectionary in 1927 and a lunch room in 1929.

Located at 123 South Horne Street, on the northwest corner of Topeka Street and Horne Street, across the street from Oceanside High School.

Seascape Mural - Oceanside, CA, USA

This seascape mural is located on the north exterior wall of the former Vaughan's Market.  Vaughan's Market was a family-owned market that was in business at this location for over 50 years.

The mural is signed "Painted By Skull 08' 09'."

Located at 308 South Coast Highway (formerly South Hill Street), on the southeast corner of South Coast Highway and Michigan Avenue.  The mural faces Michigan Avenue.

The Champion Building - Temecula, CA, USA

This Mission Revival style building was built in 1928 by Allen Champion.  It is constructed of clay bricks from the area of Alberhill, near Elsinore.  The building has housed a variety of businesses and was the home of The Rite Spot Cafe for many years.  From 1974 until 1980 it was the location of the Temecula Post Office.  The building underwent remodeling in 1980.

"The Champion Building
Built in 1928 By Allen Champion

Businesses located here, at various times, included a barber shop, Daley's Variety Store, restaurants including 'The Rite Spot Cafe,' a bank, and for many years, The Temecula Post Office.  Building since remodeled.

Temecula Valley Historical Society
Plaque 11
Installed 2004"

Located in Old Town Temecula at 28636 Front Street.

The Commercial Hotel - Escondido, CA, USA

Built in 1909 this brick building originally housed The Commercial Hotel in downtown Escondido.  The hotel rooms were located on the second floor.  Occupying most of the ground floor were the hotel lobby and dining room.  The left front portion of the ground floor was occupied by Cassous' Pioneer Meat Market.  The building is currently the site of the Bellisima Day Spa.

Located at 122 East Grand Avenue.

Circuit City - Vista, CA, USA

Circuit City was an electronics retailer with a chain of hundreds of superstores across the United States.  They began closing "under performing" stores in late 2008.  On November 10, 2008 they filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection and actively sought a buyer for the company.  Failing to find a buyer they closed all remaining stores in the first quarter of 2009.
This was the Vista, California superstore in August 2006. 

The building remained empty for several years and the property is presently occupied by a car dealership, Mossy BMW of Vista.

Located at 1715 Hacienda Drive.

Brother Benno's Kitchen (Original Location) - Oceanside, CA, USA

In 1983 Harold and Kay Kutler started a non-profit foundation to help the poor.  It was called the Brother Benno Foundation after Brother Benno (born Thomas) Garrity, O.S.B., a Benedictine monk at the St. Charles Priory in Oceanside.  Brother Benno had a reputation for helping the poor with food, furniture and in whatever ways he could.  He baked bread in the kitchen at the Priory and gave much of it to area merchants in exchange for goods he could distribute to those in need.  The Kutlers started a soup kitchen near downtown in this house built in 1923.  It was in operation from 1983 to 1991 at which time services were moved to a larger facility in the San Luis Rey Valley, the Brother Benno Center.  It is estimated that 470,887 meals were served at the original Kitchen, with an average of 84 meals a night the first year growing to 210 meals a night in 1991.  The original structure was rehabilitated and on October 21, 2001, the 18th anniversary of its opening, it was dedicated as an honorary historical site. 

Located at 307 Minnesota Avenue.

Santa Fe Depot - Hemet, CA, USA

This depot, built by the Santa Fe Railroad, once served a Santa Fe spur line that ran from San Bernardino through Perris, then on through Hemet, ending in San Jacinto.  It handled both passengers and freight.  The two-story section was the passenger depot and its construction was completed in 1914, replacing two earlier depots.  The long adjoining section was the freight depot. It was part of the second depot, built in 1898, and was moved to this location.  It is one of the oldest structures in Hemet's downtown area.   Restored by a local group, Save Our Station, the freight depot is now the home of the Hemet Museum.  A coffee and bagel shop occupies the end of the building nearest Florida Avenue.

Located at the intersection of Florida Avenue and State Street.  Entrance and parking lot along State Street.

Canine Companions for Independence - Oceanside, CA, USA

Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) was founded in 1975 and has grown to become the largest non-profit assistance dog organization in the world.  In the mid-1980s a training center serving the southwest United States was built in Oceanside.  The Southwest Regional Training Center opened in 1987 and serves the states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Hawaii, as well as Southern Nevada and Southern California.  In July 2001 a grand opening was held dedicating the facility as the Dean and Gerda Koontz Campus Southwest Regional Training Center.  In 2007 it was rededicated as the Dean, Gerda and Trixie Koontz Campus.

Located at 124 Rancho Del Oro Drive between Mission Avenue and the CA-76 Expressway.