Villa Montezuma
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Villa Montezuma | |
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| Location | 1925 K Street, San Diego, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°42′29″N 117°8′46″W / 32.70806°N 117.14611°W |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1887 |
| Architect | Comstock and Trotsche |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Gothic, Exotic Revival |
| Website | www |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000183[1] |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1971 |
Villa Montezuma is a Queen Anne style mansion in the Sherman Heights neighborhood of San Diego, California, that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[1]
The home was built in 1887 by Cheney & Leonard and designed by Comstock & Trotsche[2] for Jesse Shepard, who lived there for about a year before relocating to Paris, then sold it in late 1889.[3] John Mallon's Pacific American Decorative Company made windows for the mansion.[4]
Owners
- 1887–1889: Jesse Shepard
- 1889–1890: David D. Dare
- 1890–1893: H.P. Palmerston
- 1894–1900: Villard Washington Whitney
- 1900–1906: Dr. George Calmus
- 1906–1909: Mr. and Mrs. George W. Montgomery and Mr. Guy C. White
- 1909–1942: Frank and Georgia Lynch
- 1942–1948: James and Flora Craig
- 1948: Edward Campbell
- 1948–1950: I. Hanson and W.C. McPhail
- 1950–1968: Carl and Amelia Yaeger
- 1968–1971: Kay Porter, Nick Fintzelberg, and friends (all historical society members)
- 1971–present: City of San Diego
In 1942 the land was split into two properties: Shepherds Lot/Garden and the main Villa.[2]
Friends of Villa Montezuma
In 1969, five members of what is now known as the San Diego History Center began work to arrange for the city's purchase of the house for use as a museum and cultural center. After opening for such purpose on November 12, 1972, a volunteer organization known as the Friends of Villa Montezuma (FOVM) continued for the next four decades to maintain the property as a house museum. Hundreds of weddings were held at the museum over that time, providing a steady source of revenue for the historical society. An accidental fire in March 1986 went through the second floor and destroyed over half of the roof, though a restored museum opened again in late June 1987 in time for the house's 100th anniversary. Amid an economic downturn and building foundation safety concerns, the museum closed to the public in 2006 and the FOVM centered on raising funds for a much needed restoration, incorporating that year as an independent 501(c)(3) organization.[5]
