The Marston House: Not your ordinary Craftsman
I celebrated my third anniversary this past weekend, specifically yesterday. We've been together for 17½ years and would have gotten married many years earlier but for various reasons, we couldn't.
On Saturday we went to the Marston House and Museum:
The Marston House is a Craftsman house, but not just any Craftsman house. That thing is 8,500 square feet. It is on a raised foundation yet still has a basement in addition to its first and second floors. It also has an attic floor, which most of us would call a third floor, especially since there is an attic above the attic floor.
Many San Diegans might not recognize the red stuff on the exterior walls. That's called brick, a precursor to San Diego stucco (lol).
The house was built for George Marston, an early civic leader and founder of the San Diego Historical Society. It was designed by famed architects Irving Gill and William Sterling Hebbard.
Completed in 1905, it sits on five acres of lawn and gardens. Across the street is Balboa Park. When it was built, it was out in the middle of nowhere. Now it is actually hidden behind two condominium towers:
It is difficult to get to, which is why this is the first time I've been to it since I've lived in San Diego, and I've been here since 1988. It's not something that you see as you're driving down the street and decide to stop. You have to plan to go there, even planning how you're going to get there because the no-turns make it impossible if you're coming from the wrong direction.
However, it is definitely worth a visit. The cost for the guided tour is $10 for adults, and the tour is about one hour. I can tell you that the guides absolutely love their jobs; our guide was the most excited person I've met in about 20 years!
♪♫ ♫♪
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Union Square (October 30, 2011)
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Park Villas South (October 28, 2011)
- Out & About San Diego — Spooky and scarey Halloween San Diego
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Park Villas North (October 27, 2011)
- Time to check your fire extinguishers
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Kensington Park Villas (October 26, 2011)
- Final Spooky Sleepover at the San Diego Zoo is October 29-30
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Mission Verde (October 24, 2011)
- San Diego Zoo Wish List
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Mission Heights (October 21, 2011)
- Donate your old vehicle to the San Diego Zoo
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Friars Mission (October 20, 2011)
- Who sees the short URL? And where?
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Friars Pointe (October 19, 2011)
- Out & About San Diego — San Diego Half Marathon debuts March 11, 2012
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Mission Ridge (October 18, 2011)
- You're a basket case
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Mission Plaza (October 17, 2011)
- Out & About San Diego — Things to do in San Diego County, October 21-31, 2011
- San Diego Mission Valley condos for sale — Mission Playmor (October 16, 2011)
Comments (7)Subscribe to CommentsComment