List of San Diego Historic Landmarks


This is a List of San Diego Historic Landmarks. In 1967, the City of San Diego established a Historical Resources Board with the authority to designate and protect landmarks from inappropriate alterations. In total, the city has designated more than 1,000 structures or other properties as Historic Landmarks. Many of the properties have also received recognition at the federal level by inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places or by designation as National Historic Landmarks.

Listing of San Diego Historic Landmarks

SDHL #Landmark nameImageAddressDesignation DateDescription
1El Prado AreaBalboa Park
9/7/1967Long, wide promenade running through the center of Balboa Park, lined with Spanish Revival buildings including the San Diego Museum of Man, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Museum of Photographic Arts, the San Diego Art Institute, the Natural History Museum, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, and Timken Museum of Art
2Old Mission Dam & Flume Mission Trails Park, Fr. Serra Trail
2/1/196The first major irrigation project on the Pacific coast, this stone and cement dam was used for a sawmill and irrigation at the Mission San Diego de Alcalá; now part of Mission Trails Regional Park, the largest municipal park in California
3Fort StocktonPresidio Park, Old TownFebruary 15, 1968Site fortified by Carlos Carrillo in 1828; named Fort Stockton and became headquarters for ending the Californio revolt of 1847
4Presidio of San Diego SitePresidio Park
February 29, 1968Fort established by Spanish forces in 1769 was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast; the first of the presidios and base of operations for the Spanish colonization of California
5Calvary Cemetery SitePioneer Park, Mission HillsFebruary 29, 1968Part of Pioneer Park in Mission Hills, it was in use between 1875 and 1919; converted from a cemetery to a public park in the early 1970s
6New San Diego 348 W. "F" St.January 23, 1969
7Pantoja ParkDowntown, Marina DistrictJanuary 23, 1969Built in 1850, it is the oldest park in downtown San Diego; located on G Street at India Street.
8Sherman-Gilbert HouseHeritage Park, Old Town8/7/1969Stick Eastlake house with "widow's walk" and circular window; moved to Heritage Park in Old Town in 1971 through the efforts of Save Our Heritage Organisation
9Davis-Horton House402 Island Ave, Gaslamp Qtr.11/2/1969
10Torrey Pines AreaTorrey Pines State ReserveNovember 21, 1969Coastal park La Jolla, it remains one of the wildest stretches of land on the Southern California coast; consists of a plateau with cliffs that overlook Torrey Pines State Beach, and a lagoon used by migrating seabirds
11Villa Montezuma1925 K St.
2/6/1970Victorian mansion built in 1887 by musician, spiritualist and author Jesse Shepard
12San Pasqual Battlefield SiteSan Pasqual Valley11/6/1970Site where, in 1846, Stephen W. Kearny's US Army column battled the Californios, and their Presidial Lancers, led by General Don Andrés Pico; now the San Pasqual Valley community
13Montgomery MemorialBounded by Palm Ave, Beyer Blvd, and Coronado Ave11/6/1970Park honoring John Joseph Montgomery whose 1883 glider flown at Otay Mesa was the first successful flight of a heavier-than-air craft; monument in the shape of a wing marks the event and symbolizes his continued flights in the region during 1884–1886
14Old Town San Diego State Historic ParkJct. of US 5 and US 80
11/6/1970State historic park preserves and recreates San Diego's old town, from shortly after the Mexican War of Independence during its pueblo Alta California period beginning in 1821, through the Bear Flag Revolt, the American period, and ending in 1872, 22 years after statehood
14ACasa de Estudillo4000 Mason St., Old Town
11/6/1970Adobe house constructed in 1827 by José María Estudillo and his son José Antonio, early settlers of San Diego, was considered one of the finest houses in Mexican California
14BCasa de CotaNW corner of Twiggs and Congress, Old Town11/6/1970
14CCasa de Bandini2660 Calhoun St., Old Town11/6/1970Large U-shaped house built in 1829 by Juan Bandini; later converted to use as a store and, in 1869, the Cosmopolitan Hotel
14DCasa de Pedrorena2616 San Diego Ave., Old Town11/6/1970
14ECasa de Machado-Silvas 2741 San Diego Ave., Old Town11/6/1970
14FCongress Hall Site426 Calhoun St. & 408 Wallace St., Old Town
14GCasa de Machado-Stewart2724 Congress St., Old Town11/6/1970
14HMason Street School3960 Mason St., Old Town11/6/1970
14IThe Exchange Hotel SiteSan Diego Ave, Old Town
15Chapel of the Immaculate Conception3950 Conde Street, Old Town11/6/1970Other than the San Diego Mission, the oldest church in San Diego; built in the 1850s as a home; converted to a church by Don Jose Antonio Aguirre in 1858; the fictional lovers in the novel "Ramona" were married here
16Whaling Station SiteBallast Point Peninsula11/6/1970Shore station where whale blubber was boiled down for the oil in the 1850s and 1860s, halfway out on the inner beach of Ballast Point
17Lighthouse of 1854Cabrillo National Monument11/6/1970Lighthouse built at the mouth of San Diego Bay from 1854–1855; remained in service until 1891; restored and re-lit by the National Park Service in 1984
18Gill House3776 Front St.7/2/1971Single-story house designed in 1907 by noted modern architect Irving Gill for Melville and Amy Salz Klauber
19Fort Rosecrans National CemeteryPoint Loma Peninsula11/6/1970National military cemetery overlooking the bay and the city; remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the Battle of San Pasqual were moved there in 1882
20Ballast PointLa Playa Peninsula11/6/1970
21Casa de Lopez3890 Twiggs, Old Town11/6/1970
22Old La Playa SiteBayside of Pt. Loma11/6/1970
23Fort Rosecrans SitePoint Loma Peninsula11/6/1970Fort established in 1852; designated as a monument after World War II
24Whaley House2482 San Diego Ave., Old Town11/6/1970
25Serra Palm SiteTaylor St., Old Town11/6/1970
26Old Spanish CemeterySan Diego Ave and Arista St., Old Town11/6/1970
27Fort GuijarrosNear base of Ballast Point Peninsula11/6/1970Spanish fort built in 1797 on Ballast Point as the first defensive fortifications for San Diego Bay; name means "Fort Cobblestones"; involved in the Battle of San Diego, a naval battle with an American trading vessel
28Derby Dike SiteFoot of Presidio Hill, Old Town11/6/1970
29Mule Hill SiteFour miles SW of Escondido11/6/1970
30San Diego Barracks SiteKettner Blvd. "G" and Market Street11/6/1970
31Kate O. Sessions Nursery SitePico and Balboa, Pacific Beach11/6/1970
32Derby-Pendleton House2482 San DiegoAve/4017 Harney, Old Town11/6/1970
33Spanish Landing SiteNorth Shore of San Diego Bay near old mouth of S.D. River11/6/1970
34Gatewood House2515 San Diego Ave, Old Town11/6/1970
35Presidio Excavation SitePresidio Park, Old Town11/6/1970Excavation project at the Presidio begun by the San Diego Historical Society in 1965, uncovered chapel foundations, animal bones, sea shells, potsherds and other material
36Emmet House Site3919 Twiggs St, Old Town11/6/1970
37Long-Waterman House2408 1st Ave.
12/4/1970Queen Anne style Victorian mansion built in the late 19th century for John Long, president of the Coronado Fruit Package Company; later owned by Robert Whitney Waterman, 17th governor of California
38Timken House2508 First Ave12/4/1970Queen Anne style Victorian mansion where the art collection in the Timken Museum was originally displayed
39Quartermass Wilde House2404 E. Broadway12/4/1970Built in 1896, a classic revival style castle containing. Built in 1896, it is now used as professional offices
40George W. Marston House3525 7th Ave.
12/4/1970Arts and crafts mansion designed by Irving Gill and completed in 1905; operated as a museum starting in 1987; closed due to lack of funding, February 2009
41Frederick R. Burnham House3563 Seventh Ave.
12/4/1970American Craftsman style bungalow home built in 1907 for Frederick Russell Burnham; also known as the Burnham-Marston House
42Casa de Aguirre2604 San Diego Ave, Old Town12/4/1970
43Gila House Site3940 Harney St., Old Town12/4/1970
44Franciscan Garden SiteTaylor St. Old Town12/4/1970
45San Pasqual Grave SiteTrias bet. Hancock and Moore, Old Town12/4/1970
46Cobblestone Jail SiteHaraszthy Jail, Old Town12/4/1970
47Protestant Cemetery SiteAmpudia Street, OldTown12/4/1970
48Hebrew Cemetery SiteKenyon Street12/4/1970
49Melville-Klauber House3060 Sixth AveJanuary 22, 1971House designed by Irving Gill and built from 1907–08; its smooth walls and clean openings became trademarks of Gill's later works
50Arthur Marston House3575 7th AveJanuary 22, 1971Built in 1907, one of several houses designed by Irving Gill in the 3500 block of 7th Ave.
51Horton Plaza and Broadway FountainBroadway between 3rd and 4th AvenuesMarch 19, 1971
52Britt-Scripps House406 Maple St.10/1/1971Victorian mansion built by E. Britt 1887 and purchased by E.W.Scripps 1897 in the Scripps family for 40 years. Now a private residence.
53Florence Hotel TreeGrape between Third and Fourth12/3/1971
54Brooklyn Hotel 325 Island Ave1/7/1972
55Jennings House1018 Rosecrans1/7/1972Simple frame house built in 1886
56Santa Fe Depot1050 Kettner St.
2/4/1972Train station built in 1915 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to accommodate visitors to the Panama-California Exposition; still an active depot for Amtrak, San Diego Trolley, and San Diego buses
57H.E. Watts House1767 Second Ave.5/4/1972
58Livingston House SiteMarch 3, 1972
59Litgow-Hackett Torrey Pine1534 First AveMarch 3, 1972
60Ford BuildingBalboa Park, Palisades Area
4/7/1972Streamline Moderne structure in Balboa Park designed by Walter Dorwin Teague and sponsored by Ford Motor Company for the California Pacific International Exposition in 1935; stylized after a V8 engine; now home to the San Diego Air & Space Museum
61Horton's Addition Block 252Bounded by First Ave., Grape, Front and Fir Streets5/10/1972
62Lee House No. 23353 Albatross St.5/10/1972
63Lee House No. 43367 Albatross St.5/10/1972
64Teats House No. 23415 Albatross5/10/1972
65Teats House No. 33407 Albatross St.5/10/1972
66Backesto Block614 Fifth Ave.6/2/1972Built in 1873, it was at the heart of New Town's business district; grocery and general merchandise store in the 1870s and 1880s; later San Diego Hardware
67Hubbell Building813 Fifth Ave.6/2/1972
68Marston Building809 Fifth Ave.6/2/1972
69McGurck Block611 Fifth Ave.6/2/1972Italiante Revival commercial building in Gaslamp Quarter was site of the Ferris and Ferris Drug Store from 1903–1984; upper floors were as a hotel; now houses Z Gallerie
70I.O.O.F. Building526 Market St.
6/2/1972Commercial building in the Gaslamp Quarter built in 1882
71Keating Building432 "F" St.6/2/1972Romanesque style commercial structure in Gaslamp Quarter built in 1890; early tenants included the San Diego Savings Bank, the public library and the Humane Society
72Nesmith–Greely Building825–831 Fifth Ave6/2/1972
73Louis Bank of Commerce835-345 Fifth Ave6/2/1972
74Yuma Building631–633 Fifth Ave6/2/1972Structure in Gaslamp Quarter built in 1886 with ornate facade
75Johnson-Taylor Adobe of Rancho de los PeñasquitosRancho Peñasquitos8/4/1972
76Spreckels Theater123 W. Broadway
8/4/1972Theater designed by Harrison Albright for John D. Spreckels; touted as "the first modern commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi" at opening in 1912
77Balboa Theatre868 4th Ave.
8/4/1972Built in 1924 as a grand movie palace; converted to housing for the U.S. Navy during World War II; re-opened in 2005 as a live theater and concert venue
78Weldon Glasson House 3139 Franklin Ave11/3/1972Built in 1880, the oldest house in the Logan Heights area
79La Jolla Women's Club715 Silverado St3/2/1973Clubhouse building designed by Irving Gill and built in 1914
80Adobe FallsPortion Lot 67 Part. Map of Ranch Mission4/6/1973Adobe Falls is a multi-level waterfall on the San Diego River, north of Interstate 8 and San Diego State University. The rocks have been covered with graffiti.
81Piedras PintadosNorthwest corner Rancho Bernardo4/6/1973
82Temple Beth IsraelHeritage Park, Old Town6/1/1973Temple Beth Israel is San Diego's first synagogue. It is located in Heritage Park in San Diego's Old Town area. The first services held here were on September 25, 1889.
83San Diego Steam Laundry1157 Columbia6/1/1973
84Green Dragon Colony Site1258–1274 Prospect St, La Jolla7/6/1973Group of 12 coastal cottages built by German immigrant Anna Held Heinrich; became an artists colony
85Hayward-Patterson House2148 Broadway9/7/1973
86La Jolla Recreational Center615 Prospect Street, La Jolla9/7/1973Built in 1915 by Ellen Browning-Scripps and dedicated that same year to the City of San Diego for the children of La Jolla
87El Cuervo AdobeWest end of Rancho de los Penasquitos10/5/1973
88First National BankFifth Ave & E Street10/5/1973
89PlungeBelmont Park, Mission Beach12/7/1973
90Mission Beach Roller Coaster3000 Mission Blvd.
12/7/1973Wooden roller coaster built in 1925 in Belmont Park on Mission Beach; also known as the Giant Dipper
91Merry-go-roundBelmont Park, Mission Beach12/7/1973
92Spencer Ogden Building750 Fifth Ave3/1/1974
93Llewelyn Building722–728 Fifth Ave4/5/1974
94Judge Torrance House136 Juniper Street4/5/1974
95Grand-Horton Hotel325 Island Ave4/5/1974
96Golden West Hotel720 Fourth Ave9/6/1974
97Mary Cassitt House 3526 Seventh Ave10/4/1974
98Teats House 3560 Seventh Ave10/4/1974
99Alice Lee Residence3578 Seventh Ave10/4/1974
100House Lot D, Block 234 Horton Addition1929 Front Street11/1/1974
101Red Roost and Red Rest1187 and 1179 Coast Blvd., La Jolla
1/3/1975Built in 1894, oldest surviving examples of late-Victorian beach cottage architecture; vacant since 1917 and subject of controversy over "demolition by neglect"
102Tyrolean Terrace Colony1290–1298 Prospect St, La Jolla2/7/1975Demolished for Coast Walk Shopping Center
103Cole Block660 Fifth Ave.5/2/1975Commercial block in Gaslamp Quarter built in 1892 by Albert Cole; early tenants included Theopile Verlaque, who ran a liquor store at the corner and developed San Diego's wine-making industry
104Sherman-Doig House136 W Fir Street7/11/1975
105San Diego Rowing Club525 E Harbor Drive7/11/1975
106Waldo Waterman MonumentCorner of Maple & Albatross Streets 8/1/1975
107Cliff Mansion1203 Sunset Cliffs Blvd12/5/1975Mediterranean style house built from 1926–1928 by John Mills
108Pottery Canyon Park2725 Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla2/6/1976
109Buckner Hotel765 10th Avenue4/2/1976
110Kiessig Corner1401–1419 2nd, 222 Ash7/9/1976
111U.S. Custom and Court House325 West F Street7/9/1976-
112Theosophical Institute3900 Lomaland Drive8/6/1976Commune based on theosophy founded at Point Loma in 1897 by Katherine Tingley; became known as Lomaland, a regional center for the arts; now the site of Point Loma Nazarene University; buildings include Spaulding Home, Greek Theatre, Beaver Home, Lotus Home, and Madam Tingley Home
113Mission San Diego de Alcalá. E of Old Town San Diego on Friars Rd.
8/6/1976Site of the first Christian burial in Alta California; Father Luís Jayme, "California's First Christian Martyr", lies entombed beneath the chancel floor; the current church is the fourth to stand on this location
114McConaughy HouseHeritage Park, Old Town11/5/1976
115Hearne Surgical Hospital 420 Ash Street12/3/1976
116Spruce Street Suspension BridgeSpruce Street between Front & Brant Streets1/7/1977
117El Pueblo Ribera230–248 Gravilla St.2/4/1977
118Charles A. Martin House3147 Front Street3/4/1977
119George H. Scripps Memorial Marine Biological Laboratory8602 La Jolla Shores Dr.
5/6/1977Oldest oceanographic research building in continuous use in the United States built in 1909, as part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the nation's first oceanographic institute founded in 1903
120Tucker House2470 Union Street7/8/1977
121Rynearson House/Mansion2441-43 E Street8/5/1977
122Faulk-Klauber House3000 E Street1/6/1978
123Residence at 1632 Union Street1632 Union Street2/3/1978
124Fulford Bungalow No.142516 San Marcos Ave.6/2/1978
125Fulford Bungalow No. 242518 San Marcos Ave.
6/2/1978
126Fulford Bungalow No. 342520 San Marcos Ave.
6/2/1978
127Gaslamp Quarter Historic District4th & 6th Avenues, Broadway and the Santa Fe R.R. Tracks
6/2/1978Historical neighborhood in Downtown San Diego; development began in 1867, when Alonzo Horton bought the land in hopes of creating a new city center closer to the bay; underwent urban renewal in the 1980s and 1990s
128Heritage Place La Jolla7210 La Jolla Blvd, La JollaJuly 7, 1978
129Sherman Judson House1930 First Avenue9/1/1978
130Greater Golden Hill Historic DistrictRuss Blvd on North, Hwy 94 on South, 25th St on East, and 24th on West10/6/1978
131Western Metal Building215 Seventh Ave11/3/1978This building was rehabilitated and incorporated into Petco Park, including the brick facades, wood windows, vault and heavy timber frame.
132Watts Building520 E St.
12/1/1978
133Galusha B. Grow Cottage7210 La Jolla Blvd, La JollaFebruary 16, 1979
134Chaplain's Residence836 Washington St.
February 2, 1979
135Medico-Dental Building233 A St.
3/2/1979
136Broderick-Kenny House2133 Second Ave5/4/1979
137Royal Pie Bakery560 Fourth Avenue6/1/1979
138Gorham House2040–2042 Kearney Ave.
8/3/1979
139Elk's Hall350 Cedar St.
11/2/1979
140Robert E. Lee Hotel, Lyceum Theater, Commodore Hotel815 3rd Ave. ; 314 F St.
1/11/1980Demolished during construction of Westfield Horton Plaza —portions reproduced
141Hotel Knickerbocker315 E Street1/11/1980
142Neresheimer-Tingley House430 Silvergate Ave.
3/7/1980Victorian home built for Katherine Tingley, head of the Theosophical Institute
143Chicano ParkFrom Crosby to Dewey to Evans St. between Logan, National, and Newton.
3/7/1980Park located beneath the Coronado Bridge in Logan Heights; contains 67 outdoor murals and other works
144Pythian Building211 E St. and 870 3rd Ave.
4/8/1980Demolished during construction of Westfield Horton Plaza
145McClintock Storage Warehouse1202 Kettner Blvd.
7/1/1980Stucco and concrete storage warehouse built in 1925 in the Mission Spanish Revival style; later known as the Bekings Building
146Stough-Beckett Cottage2203 Denver St.
8/5/1980
147Marin Hotel552 Fifth Ave.
11/4/1980
148Hawthorne Inn2121 1st Ave.
11/4/1980
149Garrettson House2366 Front St.
4/7/1981
150Chinese Benevolent Society Building426 3rd Ave.
6/2/1981