The Boathouses in Encinitas are located at 732 3rd Street and are perhaps the most photographed landmark in town. My husband and I used to live next door to these homes and would enjoy sitting on the steps and watching cars come to a halt in front of these landmarks and watching the tourists stare in amazement. Some wonder.....are they boats that someone has retired and made into homes? Well, the answer is "no". They were built as homes and have never seen water except for the rain.
Miles Minor Kellogg was a resident of Encinitas back in the 1920's and he would always be there when a building was being torn down or unused materials were discarded and he would construct a building using the scraps that he would find. When Miles found out the Bathhouse at Moonlight Beach was being demolished in 1925 he was sure to gather the scrap lumber for another project. The Bathhouse was a squatty small wood structure and the wood pieces were quite short so it took a little brainstorming from Mr Kellogg to figure out what he would do with these scraps. The pieces were just not big and plenty enough to build a traditional home.
Mr. Kellogg remembered his days of youth when he used to work on boats with his father on Lake Michigan and decided to build "boat houses" out of the "bath house". Mr. Kellogg and his son would work on these every day until they were finally completed. In 1926, Miles finished his project and the boat houses were seen by all that traveled on Highway 101. They have become part of our history and residence who have lived here for a long time can not ever imagine the city without them.
The Boathouses were rented out as apartments and owned by private owners until 2008 when the Historical Society purchased the homes to preserve them as part of our cities history. The Society hopes to turn one into a museum in the future.
Next time you are in Encinitas, be sure to bring your camera and stop by the SS Encinitas and the SS Moonlight for a closer look!
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