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Inspiration Heights Headed for National Register
By Amie Hayes
November/December 2021
 Arden Way, Inspiration Heights Historic District, San Diego. Courtesy National Register of Historic Places nomination, page 90 |
The State Historical Resources Commission found the Inspiration Heights Historic District in Mission Hills significant for listing on the National Register of Historic Places at their quarterly meeting in October 2021. Thanks to Mission Hills Heritage, whose members persevered over ten years in leading this complex effort, and Architectural Resources Group (ARG), for their preparation of this well-researched and comprehensive nomination! Read the nomination HERE.
The Inspiration Heights Historic District is significant under Criteria A, with a period of significance from 1909 through 1961, for the city planning and urban design principles expressed by the City Beautiful movement, and in landscape architect John Nolen's first master plan for San Diego in 1908. A strong proponent of the City Beautiful Movement, Nolen emphasized nature within the urban and suburban environment, and the Inspiration Heights subdivision illustrates features of his 1908 plan. Arranging the street grid to complement the existing topography, creating streets of varying width to establish a circulation hierarchy, and pillars that identify the entry into a new suburban neighborhood are examples.
This historic community is also significant under Criterion C for architecture as an exceptional and intact early suburban concentration of 81 resources predominantly of the Prairie School, Arts and Crafts, and Period Revival architectural styles of the 20th century. The district's quality architecture and detail retain a high level of integrity. Inspiration Heights includes 19 residences listed on the City of San Diego's Historic Resource Register, the products of Master Architects and Builders such as Joel Brown, Henry Lord Gay, Frank L. Hope, Martin V. Melhorn, Richard Requa, and Nathan Rigdon.
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