George W. Marston House

	George W. Marston House
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	San Diego Historic Landmark No. 40
	San Diego, California
Coordinates	32°44′30″N 117°9′28″W / 32.74167°N 117.15778°W
Area	4.6 acres (1.9 ha)
Built	1904
Architect	Irving John Gill
NRHP reference No.	74000552
SDHL No.	40
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 16, 1974
Designated SDHL	December 4, 1970

The George W. Marston House, or George Marston House and Gardens, also referred to as the George and Anna Marston House or the Marston House, is a museum and historic landmark located in San Diego and maintained by Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO).^[3]

House

The George W. Marston House is located in

Alfred Mitchell, Maurice Braun and Charles Fries. Many of the family's original items are still on display at the museum.^[3]

According to the Marston House general release, "the family lived on two floors plus an attic. On the first floor, redwood-paneled rooms unfold off a wide hallway, which narrows to include a bench built into the staircase. The living room and adjoining oak-paneled dining room open onto the south terrace and overlook the lawn and canyon. Including the second floor’s north wing, the house has six bedrooms, a sleeping porch and four baths."[4]

The Marston House was converted into a museum in 1987 after the Marston family gave the house to the City of San Diego. It is currently maintained by Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO), which runs the museum and the shop located in the carriage house on the property.

Gardens

The Marston house gardens

Kate O. Sessions, as well as local San Diego nurserymen. Some of the plants found in the garden at its prime and still extant today are: Pinus canariensis Canary Island Pines, Eucalyptus, and Quercus agrifolia California Oaks, Ceanothus leucodermis, wild lilacs, Solandra guttata Mexican Cup of Gold vines and Queen Elizabeth roses, daughter Mary Marston's favorite. Many of the original plants survive and Save Our Heritage Organisation is restoring other features of the garden as well. The geranium, a flower considered to represent the legacy of George Marson and the Marston House, also makes an appearance in the garden. (During Marston's two unsuccessful campaigns for mayor of San Diego, the difference between him and his pro-growth opponent was characterized as "smokestacks vs. geraniums".^[6]

)

George Marston

George Marston was a department store owner and a prominent civic leader in San Diego. He was a founder of the San Diego Historical Society (now the San Diego History Center).

San Diego Presidio, the first European settlement in present-day California, which had fallen into ruins. He bought the site in 1907, built a private historical park in 1925, and donated it to the city in 1929. Presidio Park is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[7]

He owned the Marston department store, created after he split the store business with his partner Hamilton; Hamilton taking the grocery side of the firm and Marston taking the dry goods departments. The Marston Company became the only major department store in San Diego, and was located downtown. Its success was due to exclusive business arrangements Marston made with several suppliers. He became quite wealthy and was a generous philanthropist in the city. He later opened a store in Mission Valley called "Marcie's" named after his daughter. The Marston department store, at 5th Avenue and C Street, was owned by the family until they sold it in 1961 to The Broadway Stores. It has since closed.

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
^ "Historical Landmarks Designated by the San Diego Historical Resources Board" (PDF). City of San Diego. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
^ ^a ^b ^c "SOHO Marston House Museum & Gardens". Archived from the original on 2010-05-07. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
^ Save Our Heritage Organisation, Marston House General Release
^ May, Vonn Marie (Summer 1990). "The Marston Garden: The Southwest Interprets English Romantic". The Journal of San Diego History. 36 (2 & 3). Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
^ Ports, Uldis (Summer 1975). "Geraniums vs. Smokestacks: San Diego's mayoralty campaign of 1917". The Journal of San Diego History. 21 (3). Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
^ "San Diego Presidio". National Register of Historic Places. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.

[SDHL-2] "Historical Landmarks Designated by the San Diego Historical Resources Board" (PDF). City of San Diego. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2012-11-18.

[SOHO_Marston_House_Page-3] "SOHO Marston House Museum & Gardens". Archived from the original on 2010-05-07. Retrieved 2023-11-25.

[4] Save Our Heritage Organisation, Marston House General Release

[5] May, Vonn Marie (Summer 1990). "The Marston Garden: The Southwest Interprets English Romantic". The Journal of San Diego History. 36 (2 & 3). Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2021-07-14.

[6] Ports, Uldis (Summer 1975). "Geraniums vs. Smokestacks: San Diego's mayoralty campaign of 1917". The Journal of San Diego History. 21 (3). Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2010-05-19.

[7] "San Diego Presidio". National Register of Historic Places. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

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People	Bertram Goodhue George Marston Ephraim Morse William Templeton Johnson Samuel Parsons Richard Requa Kate Sessions Salvador Torres A.R. Valentien Carleton Winslow
Related	Barnes-Wallace v. Boy Scouts of America Cabrillo Bridge California Pacific International Exposition half dollar California State Route 163 Fatty and Mabel at the San Diego Exposition Municipal Gymnasium Naval Medical Center San Diego San Diego High School Zoro Garden Nudist Colony

House

Gardens

George Marston

See also

References