Save Our Heritage Organisation
Historic Districts
Mission Hills Historic District-Fort Stockton Line
Boundaries of the Fort Stockton Line
The Fort Stockton Line Historical District follows the final extension of Streetcar Line No. 3 through Mission Hills in 1913. The District lies within three subdivisions: (1) the original Mission Hills Subdivision, Map No. 1115, also known as Mission Hills No. 1, recorded in 1908, (2) Mission Hills No. 3, recorded in 1911, and (3) Fort Stockton Heights, recorded in 1912. The boundaries of the District are: The properties along the north and south sides of West Lewis Street between Stephens and Hermosa Way; the properties along the north and south sides of Fort Stockton Drive from Hermosa Way to Trias Street; and the southwest side of Pine Street from Witherby Street to Trias Street.
The Significance of the Fort Stockton Line Historical District
The district is composed of 107 houses and 2 commercial buildings. The Fort Stockton Line Historical District is historically significant as a historical district for its development and layout as an early twentieth-century "streetcar suburb" using Progressive-Era planning philosophies, and for its architectural styles, which include Craftsman and Prairie-style, and Spanish and Mission Revival styles.
The Fort Stockton Line Historical District is a remarkably intact example of an early twentieth-century "streetcar suburb" whose development was brought about by the final extension of a streetcar line through and adjacent to three subdivisions tracts in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego. While the three subdivision maps were recorded several years apart, the construction of the final extension of the streetcar line was the unifying catalyst for a wave of development that built the majority of homes, commercial buildings and other resources adjacent to and near the streetcar right-of-way.Efforts to Form the "Fort Stockton Line" Historical District.
San Diego Electric Railway Company No. 3 Trolley Line. 2200 block of Fort Stockton Drive, view from Trias street, dated 1923. Photo courtesy Southwest Railway Library of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association San Diego Electric Railway Company No. 3 Trolley Line, Carl Lueders Commercial Building, 1920 Fort Stockton Drive, dated 1923. Photo courtesy Southwest Railway Library of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association
The effort to gain historical designation for the Fort Stockton Line progressed in tandem with that of the neighboring Mission Hills Historic District. A committee was formed from neighborhood representatives who served as block-captains. The Fort Stockton Line committee canvassed the area and received signed petitions of district support from a majority of property owners in the proposed district. In 2003, an informational flyer was circulated to every home and business in the proposed district. A half-block of Witherby Street was closed for a block party held for the newly-forming district. As the district report was getting underway in 2004, everyone in the proposed district was invited to two "first-Friday" parties that were hosted by the district committee so that input could be received and information could be shared. The Fort Stockton Line committee and committees for neighboring proposed districts hosted a public meeting in the neighborhood geared toward education of what a historical district would mean for property owners and facilitated a panel discussion of experts and city planning staff regarding proposed strict design guidelines.
Members of the committee have included the following individuals:
Richard Bates
Barry Hager
Nicole Hough
Karen Lawrence
Bill Maginn
Tom Roetker
Scott Sandel
Valerie Seyfert
Bruce & Grace WilsonThe District Report and Review by the City's Historical Resources Board
Historical background research was undertaken by committee volunteers in order to prepare a district report. Neighbors volunteered information that they knew about their properties by returning questionnaires. Then intensive architectural site evaluations were done for each property within the District. Dates for construction were researched by using City of San Diego water and sewer permit records. Ownership information from 1910 on was gathered from the records of the County Assessor. This information is compiled in historical resources inventory forms. The forms detail addresses, legal descriptions, construction history and other information. Architectural descriptions follow McAlester's A Field Guide to American Houses. These forms and other information about the proposed district are included in a comprehensive district report, which was filed with the City's Historical Resources Board (HRB) on January 25, 2007.
The HRB began processing the district reports for the Fort Stockton Line and neighboring Mission Hills District in early 2007. The HRB hosted an informational "community meeting" for both proposed Mission Hills districts in April 2007. The HRB then held two formal hearings and unanimously voted to approve the district during a special board meeting on July 16, 2007. The approval was not appealed and became final ten days later.
The minutes of the July 16, 2007 HRB meeting lists the properties which were determined to be contributing and non-contributing resources. Click on the following link to view the meeting minutes. HRB Minutes 7-16-07
For more information contact Barry Hager:
SOHOsandiego@aol.com.
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