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Granger Hall Loosely draped in a weathered old tarp, a brief glimpse of the Granger Music Hall from the I-5 freeway is enough to evoke concerns about the fate of this unusual masterpiece by San Diego Master Architect Irving J. Gill. Completed in 1898 at the Paradise Valley estate of Colorado silver magnate Ralph Granger, the small but elegant building was used for private concerts and to house Granger's notable violin collection. Gill's knowledge of acoustics, gained from his earlier work in Chicago, achieved outstanding results when he designed the original 19' x 36' room and two later additions. In 1969, the building was moved to East Fourth Street in National City. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the currently dismal exterior condition betrays nothing of its splendid interior, with its 75-foot ceiling mural featuring Euterpe, the Greek goddess of music, and cherubs painted on linen by New York artist D. Samman. An intricately carved fretwork grille of kiln-dried cedar used to screen a large pipe organ. To allow this esthetically unique historical resource to deteriorate further is unacceptable. For music to be heard once again from within the walls of the acoustically perfect Granger Music Hall, it is imperative that National City stop delaying the plan to relocate the building to a permanent site near Pepper Park, and to commit to its immediate professional rehabilitation.     Courtesy Library of Congress  Courtesy San Diego History Center Current day photos by Sandé Lollis |
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Mailing - PO Box 80788 · San Diego CA 92138 | Offices - 3525 Seventh Avenue · San Diego CA 92103
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