Beth-Sarim: House ofthe Princes 4440 Braeburn Drive San Diego, California 92ll6 Report Prepared By: Kathleen Flanigan August 2001 State of California - The Resources Agency Primary#______________ _ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# _________________________________ PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial NRHP Status Code 3S Other Listings-------------------------- Review Code Reviewer Date August 2001 Page 1 of 5 *Resource Name or#: (Assigned by recorder) Beth-Sarim: House of the Princes P1. Other Identifier: *P2. Location: o Not for Publication 1!!1 Unrestricted * a. County: San Diego and IP2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad La Mesa Date: 1975 T_l.&; R.....fl:L_ '< of Sec; B.M.: c. Address: 4440 Braeburn Road City __2S;tagn__!,!D"'i"-elli2o ________Zip: 92116 d. UTM: {Give more than one for large or linear resources) Zone; Me/ mN e. Other Locational Data (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate): APN # 465-060-07 Kensington Heights No. 2, Lots 110 & 111 *P3a. Description {Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries): The Kensington Heights No. 2 development, undertaken by the Davis-Baker Real Estate Company of Pasadena, commenced in May 1926, and promoted minimum building costs of $5,000 each with a minimum of 1, 500 square feet per dwelling in this area. All the homes constructed during this tim·e period exceeded both requirements, and lot prices ranged from $900 to $4,000. This large 2-story Spanish Eclectic house with 3•d floor round tower and detached 2-car garage, designed and built by the Gernandt Construction Company between October 10, 1929 and January 17, 1930 in this subdivision, exemplified in grand form the style Davis-Baker wanted to accentuate in Kensington. Sited on a 2 and ~ acre parcel, this wood framed stucco house featured red tiled low pitched hipped and shed roofs with plain wood rafters underneath and rested on a concrete foundation. (See Continuation Sheet) *P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and·codes) Single Family Property - HP-2 P4. Resources Present: 121 Building 0 Structure 0 Object 0 Site 0 District D Element of District 0 Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: (View, date, accession #) Southwest facing facade 5-13-01 #23 *P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources: 181 Historic 0 Prehistoric DBoth 1929-1930 oer Notice of Completion filed 1-17-30 *P7. Owner and Address: James and Suzanne Lance 4440 Braeburn Road San Diego, CA 92116 *PS. Recorded by (Name, affiliation, and address): Kathleen Flanigan 1927 Chicago Street, Unit B San Diego, California 92110 L------------------------------------------------------------------ *P9. Date Recorded: August 2001 *P10. Type of Survey: (Describe) N/A *P11. Report Citation (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none". Donaldson & Stiegler, "Historical Greater Mid-Citv San Diego Preservation Strategy Survev," October 1995 ~ 4440 Braeburn Drive considered a historical house and contributor to a proposed historic Kensin ton Talmad e district Attachments: DNONE DLocation Map DSketch Map 1:8JContinuation Sheet 0Building, Structure, and Object Record DArchaeo!ogical Record DDistrict Record DLinear Resource Record DMilllng Station Record DRock Art Record 0Artifact Record 0Photograph Record 0 Other (List): DPR 523A 11/95) *Required Information State of California - The Resources Agency DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION CONTINUATION SHEET Primary#___________________ _ HRI# ___________________ Trinomial _____________________ Page _2_ of_5_ *Resource Name or# (Assigned by recorder) Beth-Sarim: House of the Princes *Recorded by Kathleen Flanigan Date August 2001 181 Continuation D Update *P3a. The tile roofed "watch tower" symbolized tie "Watch Tower" publication, written by early owner and inhabitant, Joseph F. Rutherford, head of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, associated with the Jehovah's Witnesses faith. The interesting fenestration contained an abundance of tri-paned wood sash casement windows on the front facade and in the tower, and plain casement and double hung wood sash windows on the rear and side facades of tie horne. Some windows .featured carved wooden shutters. Entrance to the house was through double carved wood doors with glass lites shaded by a 1940s screen door. A stepped stucco surround with wrought iron light fixtures on either side of the entrance, and 2 decorative vents above this portion of the facade, accentuated the entry. The front facade of the residence exhibited a dominant second floor balcony upheld by a decorative arched stucco support with a single tri-paned wood access door. An arcade in the rear with a stairway above led to a 2nd story balcony accessed by a single tri-paned wood door. Another 2nd floor balcony to the right, featured solid. glass wood sash French doors. A pair of solid glass wood sash French doors on the first floor at the rear opened to the pa~io area. Delicate wrought iron work formed balcony balustrades, plant hangers around the windows, and the weathervane atop the tower. A stucco chimney at the right end of the property and a painted brick chimney affixed to the left side of the house connected to fireplaces which provided warmth to the early owners. A stone retaining wall surrounded the property, and concrete stairs provided access to the front entry. A detached 2-car stucco garage with tile hipped roof is located at the end of the driveway to the left of the front walkway. This house was considered by preservation architects, Milford Wayne Donaldson and I one Stiegler, as an historic structure and contributor to a propo.sed Kensinglon­ Talmadge historic district in 1995. DPR 523L ( 1/95) *Required Information State of California - The Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD Page 3 of s * NRHP Status Code 3S *Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Beth sa rim: House of the Princes 81. Historic Name: Beth Sarim: House of the Princes 82. C~n;mon Name: G. Aubrey Davidson Hause/Dr. Clarence M. Ching House/"Watch Tower" House 83. Ong1nal Use: Single-family residence 84. Present Use single-family residence *B5. Architectural Style: s anish Ec ectic *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations) This ~-story Spanish Eclectic style house built in 1929-1930 has had some tri-paned wood sash case~ent w1ndows replaced with single paned wood sash casement windows c1948. A 1940s screen door was 1nstalled at the main entrance. The garage door is not original. *87. Moved? l8l No o Yes o Unknown *88. Related Features: 2-car detached stucco garage B9a. Architect: (Reputed to be Richard Requa but unable to confirm) B9b. Builder: J. W. Gernandt Construction Company *B10.Significance: Association with international! renowned head of the Jehovah's Witnesses Reli ion Judge Joseph F. Rut erfor . an G. Au rey Dav1 son. " 1rst c1t1zen 0 san 1ego ; Exce ent Examp e of Spanish Eclectic Architecture Area: Kensin ton Pe:iod of_Significanc~ 1929-1957 Property Type Single Family Residence Applicable C~iteria B & C (Drscuss Importance m terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme period, and geographiC scope. Also address integrity.) ' This house is significant under Criterion B for its association with Judge Joseph F: Rutherford, the head and president of the internationally subscribed to Jehovah: s Wltnesses faith which by his death at this horne in 1942 included 2,000,000 members ln 36 countries. It is also important for its connection to G. Aubrey Davidson, San Diego's unofficial "first citizen" who owned the property from 1953 and died in this house in 1957. It is significant under Criterion c because it is an excellent example of Spanish Eclectic architecture during the late 1920s Davis-Baker development of Kensingtonr designed and erected by the Gernandt Construction Company, locally prominent builders. Robert J. Martin, of 117 Adams Street, 3rooklyn, New York affiliated with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and the Jehovah's Witnesses faith, purchased this property from Albert Eckels on October 8, 1929. On October 10, 1929 he entered into a contract with the Gernandt Construction Company for the design and c~nstruction of this large 2- story Spanish Eclectic 10 room mansion with symbolic "watchtower" above. The deed was conveyed on December 24, 1929, to Joseph F. Rutherford, head of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion "for and during his life on earth, 11 and thereafter to the Watch Tower Blble ar:d Tract Society Corporation which maintained its chief operating offices at 124 Colurnbla Heights, Brooklyn, New York. (See Continuation Sheet) *812. References: (See Appendix) N B13. Remarks: 11' * 8 14. Evaluator:~K=a-"t""h"l'-'e'-'e:lnuF~l"a:!lnJ.,lh!.g,ca:;cnlL ________ Date of Evaluation: _ic:A'-Iu!illu!isLJt~~2ccO!LO!L1L.. __________ {This space reserved for official comments.) DPR 5238 11/95) State of California - The Resources. f'.gency DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION CONTINUATION SHEET Primary#_____________________ _ HRI#~---------------------------------­ Trinomial ,--------------------­ Page_4_ of_s_ *Resource Name or# (Assigned by recorder) Beth-Sarim: House of the Princes *Recorded by Kathleen Flanigah Date August 2001 181 Continuation D Update *610 Rutherford, who ascended to the presidency of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion in 1917 after the death of the founder, Charles Taze Russell in 1916, had been imprisoned in 1919