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Spanish Revival Addition Enlivens Annual Craftsman Weekend
Donna Montag of Montag's Mission Oak, photo courtesy the Collector
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William A. Gunn house, 1924-25, on the Requa Walking Tour. Photo by Sandé Lollis
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Unique Moorish influenced court on the Bungalow Court Tour. Photo by Sandé Lollis
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Interior of one of the Craftsman homes on the Historic Home Tour. Photo by Sandé Lollis
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Proving that San Diegans appreciate great architecture and timeless design when offered the chance to experience them, the Craftsman-Spanish Revival Weekend met all expectations and then some! Even as the weekend drew loyal Craftsman fans, the interest shown with the addition of Spanish Revival was very strong. Event registration staff reported that time and time again callers thanked SOHO for expanding the event to include it. In a region rich with lovely examples of Craftsman and Spanish Revival architecture, the time had come to include Spanish Revival in our annual celebration of early 20th century architecture.
The weekend's expansion inspired the addition of several new events to the weekend's line-up, including special architectural tours on Saturday morning. The Requa walking tour of Coronado was as big a hit as anticipated. Tourgoers were delighted by tour guide Parker H. Jackson's wealth of knowledge about and interest in the work of architect Richard Requa. The combination of the walking tour and Mr. Jackson's lecture later in the day created a groundswell of interest in Richard Requa. Attendee Kim Grant, a local architect, commented that if this tour and lecture were repeated the very next day, she would do it again, it was so gratifying for her. Many such sentiments were shared! With the outstanding success of this tour, we are planning another tour this summer.
Equally popular, the newly created bungalow court bus tour delighted attendees. Returning to the Community Concourse at the tour's conclusion, attendees expressed their enjoyment of the morning. This special tour was developed and led by Bonnie Poppe. Complementing the architectural tour was author and designer Paul Duchscherer's afternoon lecture on this most charming of architectural styles. Lecture attendee Kerri Klein said she and husband Mark Wiesner left the Requa lecture and the bungalow court lecture wanting to own a Requa and a court! That sentiment was certainly shared by many. For those who missed a chance to attend this tour, another bungalow court tour is being planned for the summer as well.
And speaking of the lectures, they were well attended with some of the strongest attendance we have seen in past years. The daylong series offered seven lectures, and the positive response was a good indication of what San Diegans want. They want to learn more and will take in as much information as we can give them. Noted!
Each year the Show & Sale simply gets better and larger. With the highest quality of dealers to date and with more antique and art dealers in attendance, this portion of the weekend is beginning to take on a life of its own, even apart from all the other fabulous activities offered over the weekend. The variety and quality of art, furnishings, and decorative items in every price range was just fantastic.
An additional treat for attendees of the Show & Sale was the ephemera exhibition. This was such a hit that many of you have asked us to do it again next year. We thank the collectors for sharing their passion with us. This special display inspired both amazement of the prolific nature of memorabilia and countless questions to our collectors. Three of the collectors, Bruce Coons, Erik Hanson, and Christopher Pro, were on hand much of the weekend to answer questions. Our ephemera docents did a great job as well. Thanks to all of the aforementioned collectors along with David Marshall, David Swarens, and Vykki Mende Gray. We know a lot of time was put forth, and their efforts were appreciated.
Saturday night's historic home tour capped our weekend's new events! The evening home tour was comprised of three homes in Mission Hills, all within a short walk of each other. It was a success by all counts. As tour goers William Doyle and Lawrence Ko commented, "Wow, to see these homes at night is so different. It is just magical!" The immense full moon certainly enhanced that feeling, prompting more than one guest to say that SOHO had provided the ultimate accessory for the evening! This tour was in benefit of the Mission Hills/Ft. Stockton proposed historic district, and SOHO was proud to sponsor this event in support of their efforts.
Sunday's grand finale historic home tour was a very grand finale indeed! Visitors were taken with the variety of homes and with homeowners' individual styles. The home of Rich Bellows and wife Erin Matthews was testimony to the charming results that can be accomplished through a major hands-on restoration. With spectacular canyon views and five floors to stroll through, the English Craftsman-style home on Lyndon Road was a real favorite for many. The wonderful Mission Revival on Ft. Stockton, the Spanish Revival on Altamirano, which featured a cathedral ceiling and original tiled stairway to the balcony over the living room, were much admired. The Japanese-inspired garden and architectural details at the Trias Street bungalow and the magnificence of the architect-designed Spanish Revival mansion on Miller Street provided counterpoints to the range of design and details to be found in San Diego. It was a great tour with both styles of Craftsman and Spanish Revival well represented. We thank all of our homeowners for allowing us to showcase their beautiful homes.
As our members are well aware, it takes many dedicated volunteers to carry off such an event. 130 volunteers! That's what it took to make the weekend the great success it was. How do we say thank you enough? Volunteers, please know that you truly are the reason SOHO can accomplish so much. Thanks also go to our wonderful staff and supportive board of directors.
By adding new events and expanding popular features, the Craftsman-Spanish Revival Weekend appealed to an even larger group of old house enthusiasts who appreciate the need to protect and celebrate these fine examples of San Diego's architectural heritage. Thank you to all that attended. This is our largest fundraiser of the year, and your support aids SOHO in meeting our goal of preservation through education. Thank you!
Note: For those of you who want to get even more involved, the Craftsman-Spanish Revival committee is a sub-committee of our Events & Education committee. This sub-committee needs a few more volunteers who can dedicate the time for monthly meetings and who can also take leadership roles during the weekend itself. If you are interested, let us know.
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Join Us for the James Hubbell Homes Tour
ModCom Update
Letter to the Editor
The Joys of Being a Docent at
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Mission Hills Walking Tour
Free "Arch in the Park" Family Event
A Search for San Diego Courtyards
The Mission Hills Garden Club
Old House Fair 2004
The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows
Strength in Numbers
Lost San Diego
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