 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| | |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| |
| |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
This area is brought to you courtesy of The Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society The Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society sponsors a wide variety of programs and activities aimed at protecting and preserving the historical heritage of the community. The Society has played a key role in recent historical recognition of Rancho Santa Fe, including the establishment of a State Landmark in 1989, the Historic American Building Survey effort in 1991 and ongoing efforts to place buildings on the National Register. The society maintains a historical library and has produced video tapes highlighting the history of the community in the La Flecha house, in the village.
Originally an Indian rancheria, Rancho Santa Fe passed through several hands before becoming a residential community. In 1831, the Spanish Governor Manuel Victoria provisionally granted the 8,824 acres to Lebrado Silva. Juan Maria Osuna, the alcalde of San Diego helped to overthrow Victoria and took possession of the land grant in 1836. Osuna allowed Silva and his family to continue living on the property in an older adobe. As alcalde, Osuna was an important figure in both the social and political life of San Diego. He also had the power to approve petitions for land, and naturally he approved his own petition for the San Dieguito land. He received a provisional grant in 1840 and 1841, and finally in 1845, Governor Pio Pico gave him full title. While Osuna preferred to reside in San Diego, he built he and his wife an adobe home on the ranch. He left the duties of managing the property to his son, Leandro, to whom he gave one the the existing adobes on the ranch. Although a fine alcalde, Osuna was also a gambling man, and he lost some of the land to pay off bad debts. Upon his father's death in 1851, Leandro took possession of the ranch. A veteran of the Battle of San Pasqual in 1846, Leandro was a man of erratic temperament. His cruel treatment of the Indians led to his demise in 1859. Tired of being treated poorly, the Indians poisoned Leandro and then told him of his impending agony. Rather than face a slow, painful death, Leandro committed suicide. Julio Osuna, Leandro's son then assumed control of the ranch. The Osuna family continued to reside on the ranch for many years, but slowly financial problems forced him to sell a majority of the land grant acreage. By 1906, the Osuna family retained only 200 acres of the once grand rancho. In October of that year, the Santa Fe Land and Improvement Company, a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railroad purchased all of the lands that made up the original 'San Dieguito Land Grant. The Santa Fe Railroad's intent was to use the rancho lands to produce wood for railroad ties. President of the railroad, E.A. Ripley, was asked by a Mr. Fletcher to finance the construction of a dam as an investment that would reap tremendous benefits as the land developed. Fletcher's presentation was so effective and economically sound that Ripley agreed to the project! The completion of the Lake Hodges Dam in 1917 secured the future of the ranch as becoming a residential development. On June 7, 1922 construction began.
Lilian Rice, Architect From the very beginning. planning and respect for the environment governed the design of the community of Ranch Santa Fe. Lilian Rice, architect for the subdivision, sought to preserve and enhance the beauty of the Ranch through the design of the public and residential architecture in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. She carefully and deliberately transformed the Rancho from a eucalyptus forest owned by the Ranch Santa Fe railroad into a community famed for its steady, consistent growth and unified architectural theme-a total design concept. A native of National City, Rice chose to attend the University of California at Berkeley and was one of its first female graduates in architecture. Upon graduation in 1910, she returned to the Southland to pursue a career in her chosen field. She began by teaching and working part-time as a draftswomen. One of her drafting jobs was for Hazel Waterman, a locally prominent designer. Waterman trained with one of San Diego's most prominent architects, Irving J. Gill, and has earned quite a reputation in her own right as a talented and creative designer. Rice worked well with Waterman and gained much useful experience, and knowledge about Southern California, its history, landscape and topography. She eventually left Waterman's office but continued to practice and hone her skills. In 1912, Lilian Rice joined the prestigious firm of Richard S. Requa and Herbert L. Jackson. The firm was well known for its design of several structures in Balboa Park in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style. Requa admired Rice's design style; it reflected her knowledge and respect for Southern California's history and traditions. Upon receiving the commission in 1922 from W.E. Hodges, Santa Fe Railroad's Vice-President, to design an exclusive residential development for Rancho Santa Fe, Requa gave the job to Rice. She worked closely with L.G. Sinnard, project manager and kindred spirit, to produce a landmark community. Sinnard purposely planned a landmark community with winding roads throughout the Rancho to slow down speeding drivers to ensure their enjoyment of the breathtaking vistas around every turn. He also planned large lots and saw to it that deed restriction guaranteed favorable improvements to each one. Rice's designs were, of course, a large part of those "favorable improvements." Rice
immediately began work in her office on the corner of Paseo Delicias and La
Granada. She believed that Paseo Delicias, the Civic Center, should be the
foundation of the development and a resource for subsequent building throughout
the community. Lillian Rice served as supervisory architect for Rancho Santa Fe
from 1922-28. She designed the school, the library, La Morada (now the Inn),
the Civic Center and a number of private residences. Rice also served as the
architectural reviewer, a function of the present date art Jury. Eventually, Rice began to design for other communities, including Pacific Beach, Chula Vista and Escondido. In 1931 she gained membership into the American Institute of Architecture, one of only a few females granted entrance. Lilian Rice was well known in her field. Unfortunately, Rice's career was cut short by her tragic death in 1938. She had fallen ill at her Ranch Santa Fe home three days before Christmas. She died shortly after emergency surgery; the exact cause of her death is unknown. Lilian Rice's legacy lives on in the Spanish village of Rancho Santa Fe. Not only is it an aesthetic treat, it is a testament to good planning, good design, and respect for history and environment. Although over sixty-five years old. Rancho Santa Fe stands as a blueprint for future development.
1. The Civic Center In her plan for Rancho Santa Fe, Lilian Rice designated several blocks on both sides of Paseo Delicias as the Civic Center. The architect envisioned this compact area as a multiple use, commercial/residential district that would provide community necessities such as a store, school, garage, post office and so forth contained within quaint, artistically grouped structures. Her carefully planned arrangement of houses, commercial and public buildings would help create the illusion of a picturesque Spanish village. The Buildings
in the first and second blocks on the right hand side Paseo Delicias, as seen
from The Inn, are known as the Commercial Group and the Garage Quadrangle
respectively. The third block on that side is mainly residential in character
with a commercial complex, originally known as the Christiancy Apartments, on
the corner of La Granada. The first
block on the left side as viewed by the Inn was originally set aside for a
school, playground, and civic auditorium. In the second block, also primarily
residential, Lilian Rice created an interesting group of four townhouses. These
unique dwellings also helped create the illusion of visiting a community in
another time and place. 2. The First School The Civic Center plan, as conceived by Lilian Rice, called for the entire block on the northwest side of Paseo Delicias from Avenida de Acacias to La Granada to be set aside for a schoolhouse. In 1924, Rice designed an impressive complex with classrooms and a two-story civic auditorium and bell-tower, which were never built. In 1924, workmen erected only the first part, a small three-room schoolhouse, at the corner of Paseo Delicias and La Granada for pupils of the Alisa School District so the elementary school age children would not have to travel outside Rancho Santa Fe to attend school. This L-shaped building with red tile roof and adobe walls featured rooted corridors and had a large playground at the rear. The school served the community during the 1920s and 1930s and contained two classrooms, offices, restrooms and a basement. In the 1930s, Corinne Griffith, a silent-movie star, purchased the entire block including the empty school building and converted it to commercial uses. Over the years, the school structure housed many different enterprises including the U.S. Post Office, a childrens' shop at the main front corner, and later "Rosie's," an antique shop known over a wide area. Other businesses included a bookstore, travel agency, liquor store and pantry, and a barbershop in the basement. A dentist built an addition in the rear. Rosie's eventually became the Torrey Pines Bank. 3. Four Townhouses In 1926, Lilian Rice designed four townhouses on Paseo Delicias in a traditional Spanish manner with the exterior facades extended to the sidewalk, thus avoiding the use of either porches or yard. As inSpain, the home featured inner courtyards with gardens and patios secluded at the rear or in the heart of the structures. To avoid
repetition of design, architect Rice varied the rooflines, the entrances and
the ways in which the homes met the street. Wooden or wrought iron grills added
a decorative and protective touch for windows which directly faced the street.
Strategically placed shrubs, light fixtures and textures walls added visual
interest and variety. In this grouping, Lilian Rice based her plans on the Spanish method of enclosing family activity behind protective walls, a necessity in the crowded cities and villages of Spain. Her imaginative interpretation of traditional Spanish design offered a modern solution to the problem of how to include residential construction in an urban setting and still maintain the privacy of a home in the midst of commercial activity. 4. Christiancy Apartments-1928 This two story apartment and office complex, designed by Lilian Rice and completed around 1928 for George A.C. Christiancy, originally contained three shops, a general drafting room and offices for Lilian Rice and staff, and a vault on the ground floor. The second story featured three apartments (two 2-room and one 4-room) with access by a curved exterior stairway which led from a colorful Spanish patio. A catilevered wooden balcony graced the second level. Known as the Christiancy Apartments when first constructed and later as the La Valenciana Apartments, the building served as temporary housing for a time and some years later became the offices of Valenciana Realty Company. The structure received an A.I.A. design award in 1933. Henry Wright, a noted architectural critic, called the building an "example of fine design and modern use of limited space." Altered
somewhat and enlarged, the building used to house Quimby's and other commercial
enterprises. 5. Civic Center Commercial Group and Ashley's-1922-1923 In 1922,
Lilian Rice planned the administration building and commercial group in the
Civic Center. The buildings in the first block along Paseo Delicias still
retain much of their original design. Special features include decorative
ironwork around the windows and roofline accents which enhance the Spanish
design yet retain the simplicity so characteristic of Lilian Rice's
architecture. On the corner, the first building with its embedded towers and flattened domes on top resembles in some ways elements found in San Diego's Spanish Village, Designed by Richard Requa. This section housed the Santa Fe Land Improvement Company Offices from about 1932 to 1945. The next building features a lovely arcade with the arches supported by round pillars. The arcade, which once sheltered a covered walkway, now forms the entrance to Mille Fleurs. This building has contained commercial shops since about 1923. The administration building on the corner Paseo Delicias and Via de Santa Fe served as the home of the Santa Fe Land and Improvement Company from about 1923 to 1932. In 1939, Robert Francisco, who came to Rancho Santa Fe from Escondido a few years previously, bought part of this structure. He brought in Fred Ashley as a partner to run the grocery store. Although the Ashleys left a long time ago, Francisco ran a grocery store named Ashley's Market which was replaced in 1991 by Coldwell Banker Real Estate. The administration building, a bit more formal and elegant in design than other structures in the Civic Center, features an angled entrance with quoins around the opening. A quatrefoil opening with grillwork pierces the facade above the entrance. 6. Garage Quadrangle-1922 In 1922 , Lilian Rice designed the Garage Quadrangle, also known as the Badger Block. The quadrangle contained Badger's Service station on the corner on Via de Santa Fe and Paseo Delicias, Lucile Badger's Fountain Lunch, Badger's Home, and around the corner on La Granada, R.E. Badger's Orchard Development Company. The service station soon became a well-known Rancho Santa Fe Landmark. Two sturdy adobe columns connected by a gabled Spanish tile roof sheltered a single red gasoline pump. Large built-in planters with cascading vines and flowers helped create the illusion of a quaint old village well. In order to hide the automobile repair service yard from the street, architect Rice placed it in the interior of the quadrangle. The Fountain Lunch featured a fountain imported from New York. The lunchroom became a gathering place for the villagers, and Mrs. Badger kept a small case of books, the first library at Rancho Santa Fe. In 1927, Rice planned additions to the garage quadrangle. The original owners of this property held it until about 1980. Lucile Badger owned the front half and R.E. Badger the rear portion. 7. The Inn-1922 Lilian Rice
designed The Inn 1922 as a twelve-room guest house for Rancho Santa Fe
officials, business visitors, and prospective buyers. This simple, one unit,
brown adobe building was the first structure erected at The Ranch, and it
featured broad terraces, open fireplaces, and a charming Spanish and
Mediterranean style. Glen Moore, a landscape designer, planned the grounds with
colorful shrubs and trees. From this strategically placed building, guests
could enjoy the view of the mountains to the north-east and also what would
soon become the Civic Center, an exquisitely planned village. By 1923, many visitors created the need for facilities usually offered by a hotel. The Guest House was renamed "La Morada" (house of many rooms) and opened to the public. In 1924, workmen constructed a residence for Lilian Rice behind La Morada. Mr. Roslington bought La Morada in the 1930s, but before long sold it again. Then George Richardson, an executor of the Marshall Field estate, purchased the building in 1941, renaming it The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. He hired a Pasadena architect to create a master plan for the property and built two guest cottages on the lawns facing the village. The Inn became an important social gathering place, with movie stars such as Errol Flyn, Bette Davis and Jimmy Stewart, visiting there from time to time. After 1946, the owners added another new guest cottage almost every year and in 1954 built the Meeting House. The Inn became known throughout the country due to listings in "Distinguished Hotels Of America" and "Country Inns of America." The Royce family has owned The Inn since about 1958.
Weather Rancho Santa Fe is one of the garden spots of the world. The low-humidity, balmy climate is ideal for the relaxed outdoor life for which the Ranch is known. Maximum/minimum temperatures during an average year range in August, 72/55; November, 74/50; February, 66/48. The incomparable blend of sea and mountain air, free of smog, combine to give Rancho Santa Fe one of the best climates in the world.
Recreation The Rancho Santa Fe area has outstanding sporting facilities and amenities dating back to 1929. Private and Public golf courses, tennis courts and miles of equestrian bridle paths make a haven for great year around activities for both adults and children. These are some of the facilities within minutes of the estate. Rancho Santa Fe Polo Club San Diego, Ca. Rancho Santa Fe Riding Club Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. Rancho
Valencia Tennis Club Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. RSF Community Center Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. Del Mar Race
Track Del Mar, Ca. San Diego
Zoo San Diego, Ca. Wild Animal Kingdom Poway, Ca. Sea World
San Diego, Ca. San Diego
Chargers (Professional Football) San Diego, Ca. San Diego
Padres (Professional Baseball) San Diego, Ca. Golf Club & Course Information Del Mar Country Club Rancho Santa Fe Fairbanks Ranch Country Club Rancho Santa Fe La Costa Resort & Spa San Diego Morgan Run Country Club Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Santa Fe Farms Golf Club Rancho Santa Fe
Rancho Santa Fe Area Schools Public Schools Rancho
Santa Fe Elementary School Rancho Santa Fe Solana
Beach School District Elementary School Solana Beach
Earl Warren Junior High School Solana Beach Torry Pines High School San Diego Palomar College A Junior College http://www.palomar.edu/ Private Schools Fairbanks Country Day Rancho Santa Fe Church of the Nativity School Rancho Santa Fe Horizon Fellowship School Rancho Santa Fe Santa Fe
Christian Schools Solana Beach La Jolla Country Day School La Jolla Santa Fe Christian Schools Solana Beach Torry Pines High School San Diego San Diego State University San Diego University of California, San Diego La Jolla University of San Diego Alcala Park, Linda Vista
Churches and Synagogues Rancho Santa Fe means: 'Ranch of the Holy Faith' Churches (Apostolic) Apostolic
Tabernacle Solana Beach (Catholic) Church of the Nativity Rancho Santa Fe (Christian Science) First Church Of Christ Scientist Church Rancho Santa Fe (Church of the Latter-Day Saints) Church of
Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints Del Mar (Episcopal) St. Peter's
Episcopal Del Mar (Lutheran) Calvary
Lutheran Solana Beach (Non-Denominational) Horizon Christian Fellowship Rancho Santa Fe (Presbyterian) The Village Community Presbyterian Church Rancho Santa Fe Synagogues Congregation
Beth Am San Diego
Community Organizations Rancho Santa Fe Fire Department Rancho Santa Fe Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club Rancho Santa Fe The Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club was founded in 1926. Now, as it was upon its founding, the Club's objective is to encourage interest in gardening and landscaping on the Ranch and to promote civic pride through beautification. RSF Historical Society Rancho Santa
Fe RSF Library Rancho Santa Fe RSF Library Guild Rancho Santa Fe
RSF Newcomers' Club Rancho Santa Fe RSF Polo Club Rancho Santa Fe RSF Rotary Club Rancho Santa Fe RSF Senior Center Rancho Santa Fe The Country Friends Shop Rancho Santa Fe The Country Friends is a non-profit corporation formed in 1954 to support San Diego County charities.
Restaurants There are numerous restaurants within 10 minutes of the estate. These are some of the restaurants within minutes of the estate. Continental Pample
Mousse Grill Solana Beach Rancho
Valencia Resort Rancho Santa Fe Red
Tracton's Restaurant Solana Beach FrenchMille
Fleurs Restaurant Rancho Santa Fe Italian There are several first-class Italian restaurants within 15 minutes of the estate.
Transportation Airports SCIF
Palomar Airport Within minutes of the estate and can accommodate private jets San Diego
Airport Trains Amtrak Solana Beach Freeway Interstate 5 Freeway Exit to estate Proximity
to- Ocean- 5
minutes Downtown
San Diego-25 minutes Los
Angeles- 2 hours
|
