Heritage Park Victorian Village
2010.12.26
After leaving the Chula Vista Nature Center, we drove across the bridge to the peninsula town of Coronado. We took a little drive through town, mainly to see the Hotel del Coronado. When it opened in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world and the first with electric lighting.
Then we drove back towards Old Town to find Heritage Park Victorian Village, which we had missed on our previous visit. The park contains a handful of Victorian houses and an early synagogue, all moved to this location to save them from demolition. A couple of the houses are bed and breakfast inns.
The Temple Beth Israel was San Diego’s first synagogue, built in 1889 in the Classical Revival style.
On the left, the Sherman-Gilbert House was built in 1887 in the Stick Eastlake style. From 1892 to 1965 it was home to sisters Bess and Gertrude Gilbert. On the right, the Burton House was built in 1893 in the Classical Revival style for retired Army doctor Henry Guild Burton.
On the left, the Bushyhead House was built in 1887 in the Italianate style. Edward Wilkerson Bushyhead, a childhood survivor of the Cherokee Indian Trail of Tears, joined the California gold rush. After later moving to San Diego he helped found the San Diego Union newspaper and served as sheriff for a few years. On the right, the McConaughy House was built in 1887 in the Stick Eastlake style. John McConaughy owned a passenger and freight wagon service in San Diego County.
The Christian House was built in 1889 in the Queen Anne style. Harfield Timberlake Christian founded an early abstract and title company.
Nature Center