President's Message
No two ways about it, the constant barrage of negative news can be disheartening. Fortunately, not all the news is bad and, on the preservation front, SOHO has had some very good news as of late.
The San Diego City Council recently approved the Marston House $1 million exterior restoration project. The funding, provided by the State of California, is part of a $68.5 million grant for...Read more
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Urgent Call to Action
Defend Historic Preservation and the Mills Act in San Diego
Your voice is crucial right NOW in preserving the rich history and character of our beloved city. In the upcoming months, the, the City of San Diego is poised to undergo a significant overhaul of its historic preservation program...Read more
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San Diego City and County Historic Designations
At the January 2024 meeting of the City of San Diego Historical Resources Board, members heard public testimony on the proposed Talmadge Park Estates Historic District (1926-1951) before voting 6-2 to approve it in concept. As other groups have done to allow for the process...Read more
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Binational Preservation Events for World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024
Since the San Diego-Tijuana region began the year as 2024’s World Design Capital (WDC), designers, city officials, and organizations are showing the world the power of design in all areas, including architecture. Highlights include the essential role of historic...Read more
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Neighborhood Coalition Calls for Comprehensive Study on City's Ordinance Reform
San Diego is at serious risk of losing the irreplaceable authenticity, architectural evolution, and unique character embodied in our historic homes, neighborhoods, heritage sites, and cultural landscapes. Not only is the City of San Diego starting to overhaul its Heritage Preservation programs, with some officials fallaciously assuming that preservation curtails affordable housing creation, City officials are also acting on these important issues wihtout a clear economic picture to guide them. SOHO and other preservation groups are...Read more
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The Rhetoric Behind San Diego's Historic Preservation Debate
Preservation isn't just a coat of paint or a nostalgic sentiment; it's the very fabric of our city's identity. At SOHO, we know firsthand the immense value historic preservation...Read more
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2024 Mayoral and City Council Candidates Historic Preservation Q&A
SOHO reached out to the 2024 mayoral and city council candidates of San Diego, inviting them to address crucial questions pertaining to the protection, preservation, and sustainable revitalization of our city's rich historical buildings, sites, landscapes, and cultural heritage. We...Read more
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People In Preservation Nominations
Close April 17
Don’t forget to nominate your favorite preservation architect, artisan, volunteer, contractor, or team; outstanding restoration or adaptive reuse project; or maybe you yourself and your restored home for SOHO’s annual People In Preservation Awards. These respected awards honor San Diegans’ exceptional efforts and achievements in preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, documentation...Read more
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Presenting The Golden Era of San Diego’s Architectural Art Tile, 1910-1940
A Self-Guided Tour
SOHO’s digital library of San Diego historic tours keeps growing, a free resource available to you anywhere, anytime via our website. The latest is a brilliantly hued, well researched addition, with nine visually stunning art tile locations you can visit online or in person. Learn how the success of the California tile industry mirrored popular architectural styles, beginning with Balboa Park's Spanish Colonial Revival...Read more
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Rave Reviews for Lecture Series Debut. Register Now for March!
The reviews are in, and SOHO's Penning the Past lecture series kicked off on a hight note with its exploration of San Diego's North Park, featuring Katherine Hon. Katherine's insightful...Read more
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Rediscovering Calle Judeo:
Lecture and Guided Tour
Did you know that Old Town San Diego State Historic Park once contained a cluster of primarily Jewish-owned commercial businesses from 1850 to 1872? Clustered along a long-forgotten dirt alley known as calle Judeo, as well as along the central plaza, they included many dry goods and hardware stores, restaurants, bars, and possibly San Diego's first ice cream...Read more
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A Martes de Carnaval Celebration at Warner-Carrillo Ranch House
Fat Tuesday, or martes de carnaval as it's known in Spanish, is a time of feasting and indulgence before Lent, the period of fasting and solemn reflection that Christians observe leading up to Easter. It’s better known as Mardi Gras among the French and their American descendants in...Read more
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Spotlight on Dean Glass
Dean Glass has studied San Diego history since he was a child. He has been an integral part of Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) since 2004, when he first volunteered as a docent educator at the Whaley House Museum. ...Read more
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SOHO Events and Programs
Save the Dates!
Ready for a year filled with preservation and culturally based programs? Dive into our latest calendar of events and programs celebrating San Diego’s rich cultural heritage.
From historic architecture and history lectures to immersive historical walking tours, engaging storytime sessions for children, garden concerts, virtual online tours, and our esteemed annual People In Preservation...Read more
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The Marstons:
A California Family - Part 11
Muscular Young Men - The Birth of the San Diego YMCA
In 1881, George Marston’s only son, Arthur Hamilton Marston, was born in a city where wholesome activities for youth were sorely lacking. In San Diego, saloons and bawdy houses outnumbered grocery...Read more
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Anna Marston’s Records of a California Family Comes Home
SOHO recently received a special donation from a Gunn family descendant—a 1928 edition of Records of a California Family. Anna Lee Marston edited the book that recounts through family letters the Gold Rush...Read more
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