- Mission Hills Heritage

Inspiration
March 2012
Volume 7, Issue 1
Spring Walking Tour
Cradle to Grave Walking Tour of Old Mission Hills
April 21 • 1-4 pm
By Tom Roetker
April 21 - Saturday
1-4 pm
Tours leave every
15 minutes
PURCHASE TICKETS
Day of the Tour Only
$10 for MHH members
$15 for non-members
Ticket office
opens at 12:30 pm
Parking lot in Pioneer Park
1521 Washington Pl
End-of-tour refreshments
will be served
Highlights
Historic Home Tour 1
President’s Porch
1
Legacy of
Martin V. Melhorn
3
Ida Kuhn House
4
Legislative Update 6
Annual Financial
Statements
7
Calendar
8
The Mission Hills Heritage
spring walking tour features
a compelling theme: a
cradle-to-grave walking tour
of old Mission Hills. The tour
will cover the area anchored
by four important and longestablished public fixtures:
the Mission Hills Nursery,
Grant Elementary School,
the Methodist Church on
Fort Stockton and Lark
Street, and Pioneer Park.
The cradle portion is a
tour of the Mission Hills
Nursery which will feature
vintage photos and the
story of its history. Mission
Grant Elementary School in the 1920’s. Courtesy San
Diego History Center
Hills Nursery was the second location for Kate
Sessions, which she established in 1910 after
moving out of Balboa Park. Kate Sessions
was pivotal in promoting Missions Hills and in
convincing city and business leaders to support
its development. So the nursery is both the cradle
of the community’s (Continued on page 5)
President’s Porch
By Debbie Quillin
January
the neighborhood who came together to fight
marked the one-year
developers’ plans for a six-story building
anniversary of my taking the
that would have covered the block you can
reigns as president of Mission
identify by the current location of the Olivetto
Hills Heritage. It has been a real
on Washington Street between Goldfinch and
eye-opener! I now know exactly
Falcon Streets. Thanks
what Mission Hills
to the group’s efforts,
Heritage does behind There is more than
there is not a 65-foot
the scenes and have
enough
work
to
keep
contemporary building
become friends with
with a full square-block
the many talented and many of you busy. Call
footprint. Instead, we
dedicated volunteers
us
and
volunteer.
We
have a building that
who make it work. I
are
worthy
of
your
time!
reflects
its
historic
think our members
environment
and
is
deserve to know these
more
scale-appropriate
to
the
surrounding
things as well.
neighborhood. Results such as these occur
with persistence, patience, and a lot of volunteer
First, a little historical perspective
hours. Where others might see dollar signs
that will help newcomers:
and returns on investments, we see more:
Mission Hills Heritage was
architecture and (Continued on next page)
formed in 2004 by people from
Page 2 of 8
(President’s Porch continued from previous page)
history. The best outcomes happen when preservation
and growth can overlap to everyone’s satisfaction. It is a
constant struggle to achieve a balance, and sometimes
we don’t.
Barry Hager, a founding member, has been a director
and the chairman of the board since our inception.
He has a busy law practice and spends as much time
as possible with his wife and two teenage boys. His
professional expertise makes him invaluable because
he knows and understands the inner workings of city
planning, zoning, land use, and housing. He knows
which people of authority make what decisions, and
he knows whom to go to for assistance and support
in our vast political bureaucracy. Further, he is able
to comprehend legal documents for those of us who
sometimes find them daunting. He regularly attends
city council meetings and speaks on our behalf, taking
time from his workdays to do so. He schedules and
attends meetings with officials to defend our interests
in maintaining the character of Mission Hills. The
City Planning Division sends him all building permit
applications in 92103 that fall under the 45-year historic
review. These are also sent to everyone on the board
for optional commentary that goes back to the City.
Deborah Pettry, PhD, is the vice president of the board.
She travels worldwide for her own business, helping
organizations develop their leadership. When she’s
home, she is an enthusiastic board member for Mission
Hills Heritage as well as Cygnet Theatre in Old Town.
She has worked with Barry on developing and in getting
your input on our recommendations for the Uptown
Community Plan Update. This involves researching and
mapping street by street to recommend new zoning laws
that help to preserve the neighborhood yet still allow for
the continued growth that the City requires. In addition,
her restless sociability keeps our Facebook presence
up-to-date on a regular basis. (“Like” us on Facebook!)
Sue Dean is our priceless treasurer, incredibly detailed,
organized, and accurate. She is doing double-duty as
our temporary secretary while that position is unfilled.
She is the chief financial officer of Joovy, a children’s
equipment company that she co-owns. In her free time,
she is planning her summer wedding.
Our Mission
Tom Roetker is our hardworking event chairman. He
manages somehow to orchestrate three major events
each year: the January lectures, the spring walking
tour, and the fall home tour. He is responsible for
selecting themes and locations for events; researching,
script-writing, and producing advertising materials for
tours; and coordinating his event committee members.
All of this while employed as the vice president of
engineering for Memjet Labels, managing the design of
high-speed printers for industrial use! More often than
not it seems, he answers his phone from Singapore or
emails us from somewhere above the Pacific Ocean.
Kim Adler, another founding member, is our
membership chair and the volunteer coordinator for the
events committee. She also handles all of our printing
needs and oversees distribution of newsletters and
notices to all members. She does all of this while walking
her newborn baby, Lauren, around the neighborhood
and as she prepares to return to full-time work as a
physical education teacher for disabled students at
three schools.
Betty Hauck is a director on the board and brings a long
history of neighborhood activism to our table, beginning
35 years ago when she successfully fought the Allen
Road extension from Highway 8 into Mission Hills. She
is willing to tackle just about any job with energy and
enthusiasm, and there are always dozens of jobs that
need her attentive contribution for overall success.
Ron May, owner of his own historical research company,
Legacy 106, Inc., works as an advisory director on the
board. He brings exceptional knowledge of San Diego
history, its early residents, builders, and architects,
as well as knowledge of preservation issues, historic
designation, and Mills Act expertise and consultation.
He also is a founding member.
These are only the main officers in Mission Hills
Heritage. There are others who volunteer, some for
many years, and some who are new to us. We owe
them a debt of gratitude for the important work they do
on our behalf. There is more than enough work to keep
many of you busy. Call us and volunteer. We are worthy
of your time!
To preserve and protect the character, charm, and historic resources of
Mission Hills, assuring that development projects harmonize with the
established community and provide for community input into these projects.
Page 3 of 8
The Legacy of Martin V. Melhorn in Mission Hills
By Ronald V. May
M artin V. Melhorn is one of the most important early Mission
Hills architectural builders. He is designated as a master builder
by the City of San Diego. Between 1911 and 1925, Melhorn
and his associates built close to 100 houses in the community,
as well as commercial buildings and apartments. His legacy
spans the Craftsman style of the Arts & Crafts Movement,
1920s Modernist Prairie style, Eyebrow Bungalows, and early
Spanish Eclectic-style structures.
Extensive national media coverage that began in 1909 for the
upcoming 1915 Panama-California Exposition drew thousands
of real estate speculators, carpenters, capitalists, and building
contractors from all over the United States, Canada, and
Europe. Marvin V. Melhorn, with his wife, Alberta, and 16-year
old son, William, arrived from Denver, Colorado, in 1911.
Martin V. Melhorn immediately partnered with carpenter John
J. Wahrenberger and realtor John Rice to form the Bay City
Construction Company. They purchased the block of land
bounded by Ingalls Street and Lark Street and Washington
Place and Ft. Stockton Drive. Here they built a neighborhood
of ornate Craftsman-style residences that are distinguished
by cobblestone and brick chimneys, porches, and porch piers,
whose houses are still worthy of a stroll around the block to
enjoy. Most notable today is the Melhorn-King Bungalow,
a City of San Diego historic landmark now operating as a
small bed and breakfast at the corner of Ingalls Street and
Washington Place. They also erected model homes for the
Inspiration Heights development on the south side of Fort
Stockton Drive and other houses in North Florence Heights
on Jackdaw Street.
Bay City Construction Company dissolved in 1916, when
Martin V. Melhorn Investments shifted away from the Arts &
Crafts Movement of building Craftsman-styled homes. This
began an experiment in exterior stucco that resulted in twostory Prairie-style houses, Colonial Revival, Eyebrow, and
Spanish Eclectic-style bungalows. These houses still stand
throughout Mission Hills, Hillcrest, University Heights, North
Park, and South Park.
When William Melhorn joined his father in 1922, the company
became M.V. Melhorn & Son and expanded to the construction
of large commercial buildings, gas stations, and apartment
complexes. William was appointed the administrator of his
father’s estate in 1925 when Martin died unexpectedly. The
company continued the family tradition under the name of
Courtesy Melhorn Family Archive/Melhorn
Construction Company, circa 1910
W. B. Melhorn Company. With only one other
name change in 1956 to Melhorn Construction
Company, the third and fourth generations of
the Melhorn family are celebrating the 100-Year
Anniversary in 2012.
A side note discovered by our January lecturers
during their research: another master builder of
Mission Hills, Nathan Rigdon, moved with his
family from Denver to San Diego at about the
same time as the Melhorn family. It is interesting
to speculate that they knew one another in Denver
and discussed working together on projects
here, but that is not known. We do know they
did collaborate here, and their joint efforts still
dot the Mission Hills’ map. Nathan Rigdon is the
man responsible for the ubiquitous Prairie-style
houses that we call “Mission Hills Boxes.”
Page 4 of 8
The Ida Kuhn House of South Mission Hills
By Ronald V. May
As is often the case with delving into the history of
old houses, no record or plans were found to identify
the architect or designer of the impressive Ida Kuhn
House. The builder, however, was a former railroad
carpenter named Frank I. Wheeler, who built this
house for Ida Kuhn in 1924. The dates of construction
were established by a plumbing permit issued in
August 1924 and a sewer permit issued in November
of the same year. The house is located in the Marine
View neighborhood at 3607 Lark Street. In May 2011,
this house was designated by the City of San Diego as
landmark #998, the Ida Kuhn House.
Ida Lee and Bert Sherman Kuhn came to San Diego in
1919 as retirees. Ida was born in 1870 in Kansas and
had been the proprietress of a rooming house. Bert
had owned a dry goods business. They married in
1910. It was Ida’s money that paid for the new home
in San Diego.
Architectural historians Lee and Virginia MacAlester
would classify the style as Spanish Eclectic.
But this house is a blend of styles: the flat roof,
ornate appliqué, Moresque pilasters, art glass,
and cathedral style windows suggest a mixture of
Italian Renaissance Revival and Spanish Baroque
influences. Some historians point to the design of
buildings by Bertram Goodhue for the Panama-San
Diego Exposition in Balboa Park as the inspiration for
Spanish style in the 1920s. Legacy 106, Inc., notes
that Goodhue had also completed work on Spanish
Baroque-style buildings at the nearby Naval Training
Page 5 of 8
interior aviary windows, and upstairs bedroom
portal entrances. These cathedral-style portals are
also reflected in three arched art glass windows
that illuminate the interior staircase. The style of art
glass windows harkens to earlier turn-of-the-century
church glass and may have been salvaged from an
older building for reuse in this house. The maritime
art glass window at the top of the staircase appears
to be 1920s style artwork.
Center and Marine Corps Recruit Depot in the 1920s,
and these would have had an even stronger influence
on Wheeler’s construction of the Ida Kuhn House.
Notable in the house are the lavish use of arched or
cathedral-style door portals in the living room window,
The current owners have recently completed an
extensive three-year renovation and restoration
project. Helpful in this process were the 1926
photographs of the interior and of the exterior of the
building held by the San Diego History Center. Living
room photos revealed evidence that the original
owners were most likely world travelers and big game
hunters. Many architectural features and design
elements have been recreated using these photos.
(Historic Home Tour continued from front page)
development as well as a source of new growth
literally.
The second anchor of the four corners of the tour is
Grant Elementary School, built in 1914 for the growing
community. Tour visitors will learn about the evolution
of the school and what it was like in its first design.
The third anchor of the tour will be the Methodist
Church on Fort Stockton and Lark Street. The beautiful
church was built in 1913 and retains its original design
and detailing. This church was designed by Nathan
Rigdon, one of the key master builders in Mission
Hills who was also recently featured in our January
lecture series. This will be our ending point of the tour
where we will enjoy refreshments and cookies.
Facing page Photo used to recreate exterior details, circa
1925. This page top Pre-restoration photo of entry hallway;
bottom Living room showing the large Batchelder fireplace
with décor showcasing African safari animal trophies. Photos
courtesy the homeowners
The last anchor of the tour, the grave part of our
cradle-to-grave story, is the oldest development in
Mission Hills: the cemetery that is now Pioneer Park.
Also known as Calvary Cemetery, this cemetery was
first used in 1875. We will learn many interesting
stories about the cemetery and about those who
found their final resting place here.
Page 6 of 8
Legislative Update:
By Barry E. Hager
Interim Height Ordinance Extended for Two Years
Heeding the wishes of the community, the city council
has voted to extend the Uptown Interim Height Ordinance
(IHO) for another two years. The extension will continue
a firm height limit of 50 feet in the commercial core
of Mission Hills and 65 feet in Hillcrest, with certain
exceptions for rooftop equipment. Underlying zoning
ordinances would have allowed buildings up to 150 feet
and 200 feet in these same areas.
The IHO was first enacted in June 2008 as a temporary
measure while the Uptown Community Plan is updated,
so taller projects do not frustrate the update process.
However, the IHO expired on January 23, 2012, and
the plan update is not complete. City staff estimates
that the plan update will take another 18 to 24 months
to complete.
At the City Council meeting on January 24, 2012,
Councilmember Kevin Faulconer made the motion
to extend the prior ordinance for two years while the
City works to complete the plan update. The motion
required that city staff would report on the status of the
plan update to the city council’s Land Use & Housing
Committee every 160 days. The motion was seconded
by Councilmember Todd Gloria and approved 7-0, with
Councilmember Marti Emerald absent. Councilmember
Sherri Lightner also pushed for the extension.
Due to public noticing requirements pointed out by
the deputy city attorney, the city council took another
vote on February 14 to re-introduce the new ordinance,
which was approved unanimously.
Mission Hills Heritage and other community groups
had hoped that an extension of the IHO would be
coterminous with the completion of the plan update, in
case the plan update is not approved within two years.
However, Councilmember Faulconer was concerned
about the passage of time and the City’s continuing
failure to complete the plan update, a concern shared by
the community. Opponents of the IHO, from developers
outside the area and the Building Industry Association
and related groups, had lobbied to weaken the IHO
by including discretion to build higher instead of firm
height limits, but the city council held to the firm limits.
Over the last several months, various opponents of
the IHO have argued that the height limits have stifled
development in Uptown and even led to economic
The Interim Height Ordinance protects our neighborhood while the community plan is being updated. Photo by Barry Hager
Page 7 of 8
decline in the region. However, the lingering effects
of the Great Recession and unprecedented changes
in the housing market are the most likely reason that
larger development projects have not come forward in
Uptown and most other parts of the city. The IHO has
not prevented several significant projects from moving
forward in Hillcrest and Mission Hills, including the
Mission Hills Vons and the new retail building in the
3900 block of 5th Avenue. As was intended, the IHO
has allowed projects that fit the scale of the community
to move ahead.
workshops held by the City over the last three years
as part of the community plan update process. Now it
is up to the City’s planning staff to take that community
input and design a new community plan that reflects
those wishes.
Penalities for Illegal Demolition Strengthened
The city council recently approved an amendment to
the municipal code to make it easier to assess civil
penalties against owners who illegally demolish or
alter historical resources without obtaining a permit.
Under the prior ordinance, civil penalties were only
available if the property was historically designated.
The amendment allows the City to levy the penalties
if the property is potentially historic but has not been
formally designated. This change should serve as
a deterrent to illegal demolition and modifications of
historic properties without a permit.
The IHO represents the efforts of residents of Mission
Hills, Hillcrest, and other Uptown neighborhoods to
have a say in how their neighborhoods will look in the
future. Most residents believe that future development
should respect the lower scale of the Uptown
community. This became apparent during numerous
2011 Financial Statements
From Susan Dean, Treasurer
Below are the unaudited 2011 financial statements of
Mission Hills Heritage that have been prepared from
our books and records. The Board of Mission Hills
Heritage takes seriously its responsibility for managing
the resources entrusted to it by the Membership.
We annually plan a level of spending that supports
directly anticipated needs of programs and ongoing
operations as well as extraordinary needs that may arise
from threats to our community’s historical resources,
character, and charm. With your help, we will continue to
be a vital and recognized force in promoting, celebrating,
and protecting our heritage for years to come.
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash & cash equivalents
Prepaid legal fees
$51,750.81
$1,410.20
Total Current Assets
53,161.01
TOTAL ASSETS
$53,161.01
LIABILITIES AND FUND BALANCE
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accrued sales taxes
Total Current Liabilities
FUND BALANCE
Unrestrict (retained earnings)
Net Income (Loss)
Total Fund Balance
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND FUND BALANCE
$6.59
6.59
56,163.15
(3,008.73)
Income
Memberships
Event revenue
Contributions & other income
$3,625.00
10,830.00
482.01
Total Income
14,937.01
Expenses
Services
Printing, copying, postage
Contributions
Supplies
Insurance
Storage
Advertising
Other expenses
Telephone & website
6,037.63
4,002.59
2,475.00
2,196.26
1,266.00
1,203.00
456.00
243.26
66.00
53,154.42
Total Expenses
17,945.74
$53,161.01
Net Income
$(3,008.73)
Page 8 of 8
325 W. Washington Street, Suite 2 - Box 221
San Diego, CA 92103 (Mailing address only)
Phone - 619.497.1193
email - [email protected]
Board meetings are held the third Thursday
of each month. Call for the meeting location.
Officers
President - Debbie Quillin
Vice President - Deborah Pettry
Chairman of the Board - Barry E. Hager
Treasurer & Secretary - Susan A. Dean
Board of Directors
Kimberly Adler
Susan A. Dean
Barry E. Hager
Betty Hauck
Jane Ligon
Jill Limber
Deborah Pettry
Jim Reilly
Debbie Quillin
MHH Upcoming Events
April 21 • Saturday • Walking Tour
(Details page 1)
September 22 • Saturday • Annual Historic Home Tour
Presidio Hills area of Mission Hills
(Details to come)
October 20 • Annual Member Meeting
(Details to come)
Advisory Director - Ron May
Newsletter Committee
Barry Hager • Valerie Lemke
Ron May • Debbie Quillin
Event Chair - Tom Roetker
Senior Editor - Julie Kolb
Graphic Design & Layout - Sandé Lollis
Webmaster - Frans van der Lee
Visit us on the web!
www.MissionHillsHeritage.org
MissionHills
Heritage
325 W. Washington Street, Suite 2 - Box 221
San Diego, CA 92103