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SOHO Begins Marston Gardens Landscape Survey
By Marlena Krcelich
March/April 2021

Spring has sprung in San Diego and so has work on a comprehensive survey of the historic Marston House grounds. SOHO's survey will document the hundreds of plants that make up the lush gardens and any physical features, including garden walls, outbuildings, and water features. Once fully assembled, the survey will offer a snapshot in time of the gardens' and grounds' current conditions and appearance.

(Left) Historic Marston House grounds, 1927. Courtesy SOHO. (Right) Same view of present-day grounds. Photo by Marlena Krcelich

This survey is one piece of a larger project to create a full master plan for the Marston House Gardens. As an essential component of the master plan, it allows us to compare past and present using historic photographs, drawings, and plant inventories. This work will also help us determine which plants are indeed historic to the property, the time frame when they were planted, and how this significant landscape has changed over time.

The master plan for the Marston House Gardens is no small undertaking, but the results will be incredibly rewarding. It will culminate in an extensive plan that SOHO will use to restore the grounds to their historic appearance and function. George Marston, his daughter Mary Marston, and prominent landscape architects and planners invested hundreds of hours crafting these grounds. This restoration will honor their legacy and provide visitors with an accurate and meaningful glimpse into the past.

Stay tuned for future updates about the progress of this important preservation project.

This project will take significant funds to undertake and complete, if you would like to make a donation directly to the Marston House it will help us achieve this important work. Please make your donation HERE.

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