Cosmopolitan Chronicle Compilation
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C C . osmopolitan hronicle True tales from the annals of history, archaeology, construction, and restoration of the Casa de Bandini & Cosmopolitan Hotel. VOL. I, No. 1 San Diego, Alta California, February 18, 2008 Price: Free DISCOVERING THE the adobe-wood-frame building to unexposed roof rafters. Such its use as the Cosmopolitan Hotel, design features certainly existed UNKNOWN: which opened in 1869. in the 19th-century Spanish and The first phase of this project Mexican domestic architecture The Casa de Bandini/ began in April and May of 2007 and California’s missions, but Cosmopolitan Hotel. when Larry Felton, a Senior State are rarely founf in the homes of Parks Archaeologist; Robert 19th-century California’s remote Robinson, the District engineer; frontier. Building the adobe VICTOR A. WALSH. and Nini Monovi, an archaeology required a core group of highly San Diego Coast District Historian. project manager, began removing skilled workmen. sample sections of the building’s “The building was very well exterior stucco to analyze its designed,” says Coons. “It has he Casa de Bandini, construction history in terms of important and intricate Spanish- erected between 1827 materials, features (i.e., doors and Colonial details generally not 1829, is one of the most T windows), and condition. associated with the domestic historicallysignificantbuildingsin With assistance from Bruce architecture of 19th-century California. Used first as a home by Coons of SOHO, the project’s California.” Juan Bandini and his family and historicalconsultant,andSteveVan Samples of historic fabric so later adapted and converted into Wormer,ahistoricalarchaeologist, far uncovered are in surprisingly a hotel, apartment, olive factory, the team is beginning to uncover good condition. This is especially and restaurant. The building a fascinating glimpse into the evident with the exposed sections is a rarity because of its long building’s construction history. In of adobe block on the first story. history, distinctive archetectural 1869, for instance, when Albert “We did not expect to find this,” character, and association with Seeley converted the single-story says Robinson, “because the significant people and events in adobe into a two-story, adobe adobe is covered with a stucco the state’s history. wood-framehotel,hisconstruction exterior (applied during the The concessionaire, Delaware crewspatchedthefirst-flooradobe 1930s), which generally prevents North, Parks and Resorts at San with brick and mud, ised iron-cut adobe from breathing or getting Diego LLC is contributing a nails, and thin mill-sawn rewood rid of moisture. Beneath the stucco minimum of $2 million to restore lap siding. exterior we foud to our surprise a and rehabilitate this historic Inspection of the building also lime plaster primer. We think that landmark. In April 2006, the San reveals that is was unusual in the limep laster possible acted as a Diego Coast District of California terms of its level of architectural barrier to wick the moisture away State Parks was awarded a $1.8 sophistication. The original from the adobe.” million matching grant from the first floor adobe had built-in, California Cultural and Hisotircal adobe-layared cornices and Endowment (CCHE) to restore C C . osmopolitan hronicle True tales from the annals of history, archaeology, construction, and restoration of the Casa de Bandini & Cosmopolitan Hotel. VOL. I, No. 2 San Diego, Alta California, March 4, 2008 Price: Free DISCOVERING THE A discovery, recently different. The trench on the west uncovered, pertains to side contains fist-size cobbles, the building’s cobblestone four layers deep, with that UNKNOWN: foundation on the Calhoun on the opposite side contains The Casa de Bandini/ Street side. Directly below a pebbles and almost no cobbles. partially exposed door frame The foundation on the west side Cosmopolitan Hotel. between the 2nd and 3rd is the original foundation, while windows, Steve Van Wormer, that on the east side is obviously VICTOR A. WALSH. an historical archaeologist, has more recent, probably dating San Diego Coast District Historian. begun to excavate portions back to the god rush in Van of the foundation. Larry Wormer’s opinion. he Casa de Bandini/ Felton, a Senior State Parks What is really interesting Cosmopolitan Hotel is Archaeologist, selected this site and readily apparent is that the T a priceless historical to examine because the exterior original foundation extends out resource. Originally completed adobe wall on the west side of more than a foot and then slopes. in 1829, its history spans 175 the door frame is thicker that This sloped sections served as years. It was the hub of social and the wall of the east side. This a splash guard to deflect water political activities in Old Town suggests that the adobe, as dripping off the roof overhead San Diego during Mexican rule. originally constructed in 1827 in order to control erosion. This It served as the headquarters of 1829, ended here. indicates that the original one- Commodore Robert F. Stockton The foundations on the west story Bandini adobe did not during U.S. military occupation and east sides are noticeably have a veranda on the Calhoun- in 1846. After the Civil War, Street side or most likely on the it became one of Southern Mason-Street side. California’s most important “What interests me most about hotel-stage stops. the build,” says Van Wormer, Over the many years, in “is its extensive history and spite of many alterations, the how little we really know about grand old building retains a its construction. We have the most distinctive architectural (Mariano Guadalupe) Vallejo character. There are few drawing (ca 1830s) that shows historic buildings remaining in the number of rooms and their the state that rival its scale as uses, but we have nothing that representative of a nineteenth- I know of about the building’s century commercial building construction techniques.” that combined Mexican adobe and American wood-framing construction techniques. C C . osmopolitan hronicle True tales from the annals of history, archaeology, construction, and restoration of the Casa de Bandini & Cosmopolitan Hotel. VOL. I, No. 3 San Diego, Alta California, March 14, 2008 Price: Free There were seven rooms, a In May of 1846, he ordered 50 THE CASA & THE DON. zaguán or entrance hall, an inner pieces of glass, all 8x10 inches, and rear patio, outdoor kitchen, to installed paned, wood-framed VICTOR A. WALSH. corral, and shed for rigging and windows in the house. San Diego Coast District Historian. harnessing horses. The rooms The following year, he had thick adobe walls, ceilings replanted the rear garden with ld homes, like old of heavy muslin, and deep-set “beautiful flowers.” He also aquaintances, bear windows with shutters. remodeled the patio, lining it O witness to times gone Alfred Robinson, the with potted plants and replacing by. No place prehaps better shipping agent for Bryant and the rough cobblestone with clay reflects this truism that the Sturgis, described the stately brick. The hand-dug well was Casa de Bandini, which was whitewashed adobe in 1829 as replaced with a deep brick- built between 1827 and 1829 in a “mansion,...when completed, lined well, most likely built by old San Diego by Juan Bandini (will) surpass any other in this a Mormon mason. Bandini also (1800-1859). country.” The home was the built a small wooden bathhouse Married to Dolores Estudillo pride of this frontier outpost, a for the comfort and privacy of and, after her death, Refugio symbol of Bandini’s elite status his daughters when they visited. Argüello, the daughters of two and love of fine things. An accomplished musician influential Spanish Californio The casa’s appearance was and dancer, Bandini often hosted families, Bandini carved out an important to the Don for parties on the veranda-enclosed illustrious career as a politician, another very important reason: patio. He hired guitarists and civic leader, and rancher. His his love of family. “Bandini violinists and on one occasion American sons-in-law included loves his family,” says Cynthia in 1849, a contortionist–a young Colonel Cave Couts, a prominent Hernandez, who is translating boy with flexible bones (soltura San Diego rancher, and Abel his lengthy correspondence with de huesos)–to entertain family Stearns, the wealthy Los Angeles son-in-law Stearns. “he really and friends. trader and cattle baron. misses his daughters (arcadia To Bandini, a man driven by According to Mariano and Ysidora_, and wants them an exacting sense of duty, caring Guadalupe Vallejo’s 1829 to visit as often as they can.” for the house meant caring for drawing, the Bandini residence Bandini set about refurbishing the family. It was his testament was originally U-shaped with the home and grounds in the to times gone by. two wings extending along mid-1840s to entice his married present-day Juan and Calhoun daughters to visit him and Streets our form the plaza. Refugio on a more regular basis. C C . osmopolitan hronicle True tales from the annals of history, archaeology, construction, and restoration of the Casa de Bandini & Cosmopolitan Hotel. VOL. I, No. 4 San Diego, Alta California, March 27, 2008 Price: Free Riverside, where he harvested ankle...Her partner,...rattled THE CASA & THE DON. timber, including pine. away with his feet with wonderful The floors in the other rooms dexterity. His arms were thrown VICTOR A. WALSH. were either compact earth or clay carelessly behind his back, and San Diego Coast District Historian. time. In her memoir, Arcadia secured, as they crossed, the Bandini Brennan, a great grand points of his serape,... y the 1840s, Juan niece of Juan Bandini, noted an In this same room, Don Bandini’s casa grande interesting household practice she Bandini laid plans in 1831 (large house) on the plaza had heard from her grandaunt to successfully overthrow B Tia.