Whaley House
The Whaley House was built in 1857 as a private residence. It is the oldest brick building in southern California. During its long history, it also served as a general store, county courthouse, theater, and now a museum. The first photo is dated 1865 and the second is from early 1900s.
Hotels
A lot of San Diego’s history lives on in its famous hotels. Here are four of them.
Cosmopolitan
The Cosmopolitan Hotel was built with 10,000 adobe bricks and opened in 1829. In 1869, it was renovated into a stage stop and hotel that lasted until1888 when it was converted to an olive factory. It re-emerged in the 1930s as a hotel. After extensive renovation it reopened in 2010 to its 1870’s grandeur. The first photo is undated and the second is dated 1872.
Del Coronado
Located on Coranado Island just across San Diego Bay is the Del Coronado Hotel aka The Del. It opened in 1888 and is still the second largest wooden structure in the U.S. The Crown Room ceiling is made with pegs and glue, no nails. The second photo is dated 1880s and the fourth is undated.
U.S. Grant Hotel
The U.S. Grant Hotel was built by the son of U.S. Grant and opened in 1910 after five years of construction at a cost of 1.9 million dollars (68 million today). By 1979 it was facing demolition, but was saved and renovated at a cost of 80 million dollars in 1984 (320 million today). The first photo is dated 1910.
Horton Grand Hotel
The Horton Grand was actually two hotels built in 1897 and slated for demolition in the 1970s. They were dismantled brick by brick, numbered, catalogued, and stored. Then, in 1986, they were rebuilt as one at a new location. A guest for seven years at the original Horton was none other than Wyatt Earp. During that time, he leased four bars and frequented another nearby called the Trivoli. It is the oldest bar in San Diego having opened in 1885. The first photo is dated early 1885.
