Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO), San Diego’s only countywide historic preservation advocacy group wraps up this year with its 22nd annual Most Endangered List of 12 historic buildings, sites, and landscapes. The pandemic’s stressors of uncertainty, inequity, and loss underscore the unifying power of our shared multicultural heritage and venerated historic places. The pandemic also threatens historic buildings and places that are not now regularly used, visited, or monitored due to restricted activities.
These threatened sites also reflect and define San Diego’s authentic character, and cry out for preservation before it is too late.
This year’s Most Endangered List, ranges from the seriously neglected Presidio Park in Old Town San Diego to Granger Music Hall, an acoustic gem in National City designed by renowned San Diego architect Irving J. Gill to dozens of century-old pepper trees under threat by the City of San Diego along historic Kensington streets.
The 2020 list includes prominent and remote buildings and sites throughout San Diego County carried over from the 2019 list. Two were removed from last year’s list (La Playa Piers are likely saved, the national award-winning San Diego Stadium is being demolished), and six are new entries.
SOHO releases this annual list to raise awareness among the public, property owners, decision makers, students, and developers regarding threatened landmarks and memorable places in historic built and natural environments. These are the sites that stitch together an irreplaceable patchwork quilt of stories, deeds, and achievements. Any or all of these pieces could burn, crumble, topple, or otherwise vanish forever if not vigilant. SOHO is sounding the alarm about these 12 places.
- Chase Bank, Pacific Beach
- Kensington Pepper Trees
- Roberts Cottages, Oceanside
- Marine Corps Recruitment Depot, San Diego
- Merriam House, San Marcos
- Presidio Park, Old Town
- Hillcrest Commercial Core Historic District, Uptown
- Red Rest, Red Roost Bungalows, La Jolla Cove
- Barrett Ranch House, Jamul
- Granger Music Hall, National City
- Big Stone Lodge, Poway
- Pottery Canyon Kiln, La Jolla
Presidio Park in Old Town and the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot are on government property. I hope California and the Federal Government save these areas for future generations. I was sorry to see Qualcomm Stadium (formerly Jack Murphy Stadium) demolished because of poor urban planning related to historical preservation.