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Pottery Canyon Kiln, La Jolla
The Pottery Canyon kiln is a round, six-foot-tall wood burning adobe structure on a private lot next to Pottery Canyon Natural Park in La Jolla. In 1928, Cornelio Rodriguez arrived from Guadalajara, Mexico and founded the La Jolla Canyon Clay Products Company in this canyon. When the City of San Diego designated the site historic in 1976, it was the oldest surviving pottery works in San Diego and possibly in Southern California. It remained active through the 1980s.
Having apprenticed with famous Mexican potters, Rodriguez brought this ancient craft to La Jolla, where he and his two brothers, Abraham and Ubaldo, primarily produced architectural pottery. They made roof and unglazed floor tiles that were used in local buildings like the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. They also produced adobe bricks and hand-crafted pottery that was distributed nationally by a New York firm. Rodriguez, who is still considered the last local artisan of his kind, dug the clay himself, molded it on a pottery wheel, and kiln-baked the finished products.
Today, only the kiln remains standing out of several original structures. Because the kiln lies outside of Pottery Canyon Natural Park and under private ownership, by law, maintenance is the owner's responsibility. However, this rare, priceless resource has been left to deteriorate for decades now, and in 2019 it was cited by Code Compliance due to unpermitted work. SOHO and the La Jolla Historical Society, as well as other preservationists, are closely watching any activity that could do irreparable harm to the kiln or site. It is critical that the kiln stay high on the City's Code Compliance radar. Along with any enforcement measures resulting from un-permitted work, stewardship duties of this important historic site must be shared by the City of San Diego. To ensure the protection and long-term preservation of this rare resource, that benefits many in and around San Diego, the City and the owner must agree to work together for the common good.
Report any activity near the kiln to San Diego's Code Enforcement staff, either through the Get It Done San Diego application or HERE
You can also email the Historical Resources Division directly (historicalresources@sandiego.gov) as well as Mayor Kevin Faulconer (kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov) and District 1 Councilmember Barbara Bry (barbarabry@sandiego.gov).
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Photos by Sandé Lollis
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