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The Marston House: Not your ordinary Craftsman

By
Real Estate Agent with HomeSmart Realty West CalBRE #01458572

 

Out & About San Diego with Jim Frimmer, your Mission Valley Realtor


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:

Marston House

 

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:

Condominium tower

 

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!

Marston House

♪♫ I play thet piano to relax ♫♪

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Comments (7)

Ann Allen Hoover
RE/MAX Advantage South - Hoover, AL
CDPE SRES ASP e-PRO Realtor - Homes for Sale - AL

What a fabulous house!  Congratulations on your anniversary (can't believe it's been 3 years already) and HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!

Oct 31, 2011 09:08 AM
Anna Dovger
Add Value Home Staging LLC, 281-704-6607 - The Woodlands, TX
Home Staging -The Woodlands, TX

Happy Anniversary, me and my husband met in1994 but got married only in 1998. By that time our son was 3 years old and when we filed marriage application the lady said that she can put 1994 into the certificate. I said now because in1994 he was still married and I didn't want him to be called bigamist LOL

Oct 31, 2011 09:51 AM
Connie Goodrich
Keller Williams Realty - McKinney, TX
CRS ABR (McKinney Realtor)Texas

Congrats on the wonderful celebration and the great commitment you have to one another!  Happy Anniversary!

Oct 31, 2011 01:45 PM
Yolanda Cordova-Gilbert
Richmond, TX
First of all and most important Happy Anniversary wow 17 years that is awesome it does not matter you were not married obviously the commitment and love were there The Marston House looks like something I would love to see.
Oct 31, 2011 01:55 PM
Jack Mossman - The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi
The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi - Lodi, CA
The Nines Team in Lodi

Remarkable Jim ... I lived in San Diego for over 20 years and went to Balboa park hundreds of times ... but I missed it completely!  Thanks for sharing - it will be on my "drive by list" the next time I visit!

Oct 31, 2011 03:25 PM
Tony & Darcy Cannon
Aubrey and Associates Realty - Layton, UT
The C Team

Jim, That is some house!  I love the brick line!  Very funny!  Hope you and Russel had a great Anniversary! 

Nov 01, 2011 01:28 PM
Jim Frimmer
HomeSmart Realty West - San Diego, CA
Realtor & CDPE, Mission Valley specialist

Thanks to everyone for stopping by and commenting.

I’ll read through them when I return to see if any of them need a specific response. If so, I’ll respond below this comment. Otherwise, since I like to return comment for comment, I'll be by your blogs soon to do a little reading and commenting. I find that a better way to acknowledge you stopping by and commenting on my blog.

Anna – I’ve heard of that being done before, but that’s also falsification of public records, which I think is a felony.

Jack – You have to know where it is and then make a specific trip to go see it. Even then it’s difficult to get to.

Nov 10, 2011 03:23 PM