Historical Resources Technical Report for the Property Located at 660 10th Avenue & 659 9th Avenue San Diego CA 92101 Submitted to: Historical Resources Board Staff Development Services Department 1222 First Avenue, 5th Floor San Diego CA 92101 Prepared for: Cisterra Partners LLC 3580 Carmel Mountain Road, #460 San Diego CA 92130 By: Marie Burke Lia, Historical Property Consultant Dolores Mellon, Historian 427 C Street, Suite 416 San Diego, CA 92101 Revised September, 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.1 Report Organization 1 2.2 Project Area 2 2.3 Project Personnel 2 3.0 PROJECT SETTING 2 3.1 Physical Project Setting 2 3.2 Project Area and Vicinity 3 3.3 Historical Overview 3 4.0 METHODS AND RESULTS 6 4.1 Archival Research 6 4.2 Subject Property History 9 4.3 Field Survey 10 4.4 Description of Surveyed Resources 10 5.0 SIGNIFICANCE EVALUATIONS 11 5.1 Historic Context 11 5.2 Application of San Diego Register Criteria 13 5.3 Integrity 20 5.4 Application of California Register Criteria 22 5.5 Application of National Register Criteria 23 5.6 Findings and Conclusions 24 6.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY 24 APPENDICES 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Historical Resources Technical Report for the commercial building located at 660 10th A venue and 659 9th A venue in the East Village neighborhood of San Diego, California ("Property") was prepared at the request of the Plan-Historic Staff of the City of San Diego Development Services Department. The original building of this complex is addressed as 660 10th A venue and its 1946 addition is addressed as 659 9th A venue. The purpose of the Report is to determine the potential historical and architectural significance of this one-story building and its addition, which have been evaluated as an automobile related property, and as possessing the design characteristics of the Art Deco style of architecture. The Property is herein assessed in accordance with San Diego's Historical Resource Guidelines, National Register Criteria and the California Register Criteria as required by the City's Historical Resource Technical Report Guidelines and Requirements, Land Development Manual, Historical Resources Guidelines, Appendix E, Part 1.2, and this Report's form and content are consistent with those Guidelines. The Property is currently owned by 4 Lee Tenth LCC and is used as a commercial fixture retail store and warehouse. The Property is defined in the Legal Description as Assessor's Parcel Number 535-136-01, Lots A, B, C, Kand L of Block 83, of the Horton's Addition in the City of San Diego. The Property was built and used as Southern California/Pacific Telephone and Telegraph garage. From 1971 to 1984, 659 9th A venue was listed in the City Directories as Pacific Telephone Telegraph Co. (Truck Repair). From 1988 to 2002, various tenants occupied this space. From 193 7 to 1984, 660 Tenth Avenue was listed as Southern California Telephone Co. (Garage) and from 1990 to 1994 this portion of the building served as an airport & livery service. From 1997 to present, Farkas Store--New and Used Fixtures-has occupied this address. The building is currently occupied and has retained the design characteristics of the Art Deco style of architecture. The changes to the Property have been documented through examination of historic records and a physical site inspection. 2.0 INTRODUCTION This HistoricaJ Resomce echnical Report was prepared in order to determine the potential historical and/ r architectural ·igni ficance of this commercial building located at 6 0 10th Avenue and 659 9th Avenue and in the East Village Area of the Centre City Community Plan Area in San Diego, California. The large building fronting on G Street was constructed in 1932 and the addition on the 9th A venue frontage was constructed in 1946. 1 Structures that are at least 45 years of age may be considered potential historic resources under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), This Historical Resources Technical Report includes the following: Title Page; Table of Contents; Executive Summary; Introduction (Report Organization, Project Area and Project Personnel); Project Setting (Physical Project Setting, Project Area and Vicinity); Historical Overview of the East Village community); Methods and Results (Archival Research, Field Survey and Description of The Property with photographs); Significance Evaluations; Findings and Conclusions (Impacts Discussion, Location of Research Facilities, Discussion of any consultation with local historical societies, planning agencies, interested individuals, and interviews with knowledgeable individuals); Description of Surveyed Resources (Narrative description, character defining features, architectural style, other important features, contemporary color photographs of all elevations in the 4" x 6" size, historic photographs, any original drawings, and references for historic documentation); Significance Evaluations; Findings and Conclusions (Impacts Discussion, Mitigation Measures and Conclusion); Bibliography and Appendices. The Appendices consist of specific Building Development Information, Ownership and Occupant Information, Maps and Preparer's Qualifications. 2.2 The Property is located in the East Village neighborhood of the Centre City Community Plan Arca addressed at 660 10th Avenue and 659 9th A venue. The Property's Legal Description is as follows: Assessor's Parcel Number 535-136-01, Lots A, B, C, Kand L of Block 83 , Horton's Addition in the City of San Diego 2.3 Proj cl Personnel Project Personnel included Historic Property Consultant Maire Burke Lia, Historian Dolores Mellon and Researcher Amanda Daghaly who conducted the field survey. Dolores Mellon photographed the property and reviewed the historical photographs and other files at the San Diego History Center. Additional review, archival research, and preparation of the final report were undertaken by Kathleen Crawford, Amanda Daghaly and Marie Burke Lia. All chain of title research was conducted by California Lot Book, Inc. Ms. Lia, Ms. Daghaly and Ms. Mellon visited the Property in May of2017 to evaluate the property as well as to inspect the surrounding neighborhood. Photographs were taken of the building. Based upon site inspection and the other cited information, the building was compared to established architectural norms that are currently in use in the United States. Several architectural reference guides were consulted by the authors to fully substantiate the architectural details of the building. 3.0 PROJECT SETTING 3.1 2 The Property is located at 659 9th A venue and 660 10th Avenue in the City of San Diego. The Property is located on a block bounded by G Street on the North, 10th A venue on the East, Market Street on the South and 9th A venue on the West. 3.2 I roject Area and Vicinity The 660 10th Avenue and 659 9th Avenue properties and the immediate vicinity is much­ modified mixed use area in the Centre City neighborhood of San Diego. A review of historic maps, archival materials, and aerial photographs, as well as physical inspection of the surrounding area, indicates that, by 1931, the 660 building was in place and no other buildings were present on this parcel. In 1946, the 659 building, a one story reinforced concrete 5,000 square foot addition was constructed on Lot C of this Block. Currently, a storage building has been added on the rear south faryade, but it is not part of the historic resource. A current aerial photo documents the vicinity today as mixed use of commercial and multi­ family residential units. As documented by the 1921 Sanborn Maps, the area was originally residential, with a few commercial buildings. 3.3 Historical Overview East Village History The following history was prepared by Scott Moomjian for the East Village Combined Historical Property Survey Report in 2005. The history of the Bayside and Centre City East areas are inexorably linked to the development of downtown San Diego and its founder, Alonzo Horton. Horton, who came to San Diego in 1867, purchased 960 acres of land for $265.00 for his "New Town" San Diego development. Horton divided the acres into blocks and lots, a number of which were present in the Bayside and Centre City East areas. Thus, "Horton's Addition" was established. During the 1860s and 1870s, the Bayside area, then known as "South San Diego," relied heavily upon the wharf established at the foot of Fifth Avenue. Prior to the establishment of Horton's wharf, a few warehouse structures were located along the bay, but none remain today. These early businesses transported stored grain, honey and other products. They also received incoming shipments of lumber, iron, ore, and other necessities from other parts of the nation. In 1869, McDonald's store (later known as the San Diego Lumber Company) was erected at Sixth Avenue and L Street. Lumber, floated down the bay from Northern California and Oregon was pulled from the bay by Native Americans and stacked at the lumber company building, which was erected on redwood planks in order to protect the wood from muddy soil. In 1872, Bailey's Foundry (later known as San Diego Foundry) was constructed at the comer of 8th Avenue and M Street (now Imperial). This business provided much of the structural ironwork for businesses and commercial buildings in the Gaslarnp Quarter (Lia/Brandes 1988:1; Lia/Brandes 1989:1; Lia 1999: 1). During the 1880s, New Town San Diego businesses spread north to H Street (currently Market Street), which was at the time considered the main cross road. Commercial growth was centered 3 around Fifth A venue and Market Street. Ultimately, San Diego expanded to D Street ( currently Broadway) and beyond as merchants moved northward. With the coming of the railroad, Horton and other prominent business leaders lobbied for a railroad link, which would facilitate transportation to the area.