NEWSLETTER OF THE SAN CLEMENTE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
NOVEMBER - JANUARY 2011-12
“Take a Walk on the Tiled Side” D
by Michael Kaupp
id you know that between 1925 and 1928 San Clemente founder Ole Hanson installed approxi-
mately six miles of sidewalks in our burgeoning Spanish Village by the Sea? Did you know that these original side- walks were constructed of red clay tiles? Many of these original founder’s era sidewalks still remain and are the glue that binds our historic community together. If you walk the older parts of town, West of the I-5, you will see street after street where these one- of- a- kind
“The Ole Hanson tile pavers look
beautiful, increase our property values and add so much character to the neighborhood!”
Dr. Barry & Candice Ryan, Avenida Esplanade
sidewalks still set a tone for these proud neighborhoods. At one time all of Avenida Del Mar, from the top of the hill right to the pier had these lovely tile sidewalks. El Camino Real, “The Kings Highway”, from Avenida Pico to the southern end of town, proudly sported these tile sidewalks; they were walkways truly fit for a king. There are several reasons that the
Spanish Village by the Sea is such a strong brand for San Clemente. The red tile roofs, white stucco, the ever present vistas of the sea, bougainvillea and palms that grace our streets and homes are but a few. Decora-
Photo by Michael Cotter
tive tile and cool fountains that adorn homes and public buildings add to
this brand. But let us not forget San Clemente’s old world inspired curving streets that respected the original terrain of this beachside community. And border- ing these graceful curving streets were the sidewalks of red tile that Ole Hanson so thoughtfully installed as a gift to this com- munity that remain today. In 1925 the term “complete streets”
was not yet coined and yet Ole Hanson seemed to be far ahead of the curve. The streets he provided for the City of San Clemente were complete in ways that seem to escape urban planners and traffic
San Clemente History Book
“Images of America:
San Clemente” by: Jennifer Garey
A collaboration between
Garey and the San Clemente His- torical Society, this book tells the story of the town via 190 cap- tioned photographs from the so- ciety’s archives.
www.sanclementehistoricalsociety.org • (949) 498-0116. 22 SANCLEMENTEJOURNAL
engineers today. With his choice to gift our city with tile sidewalks, the walking expe- rience became differentiated from the driving experience, working together but with different goals, a quality that is unique to San Clemente. Beautiful tile sidewalks graced the winding curvilinear streets that in a more European sense respected the to- pography. Separated by landscaped park- ways, the Ole Hanson tile sidewalks were a staple in our community. What a gift that was to future generations. The Ole sidewalks are an important de-
tail that makes San Clemente unique in Cal- ifornia, if not the country. This architectural thread is an element that truly binds our
historic community together. I believe it is another important reason why so many feel San Clemente is the best place to live. Sometimes the very best is right under your feet.
Just a note ... Over the last few years we have all
seen a new version of the Ole pavers being installed in many areas of our town. We have Steve Caulkins, a local Southwest San Clemente resident, to thank for these new replica tiles. A few years ago Mr. Caulkins needed to repair the sidewalk in front of his house. His house is in a neighborhood with many remaining sidewalks of original tile. He worked to develop a new replica tile that the City now has endorsed as a re- placement tile for those who need to re- pair or replace aging sidewalks. The City recently installed these replica tiles in the Pier Bowl area. With this installation of tile sidewalks, San Clemente has taken another important step in the long term effort to restore some of the lost elements that char- acterized the original Spanish Village by the Sea.b
BECOME A MEMBER San Clemente
Historical Society (a non-profit corporation)
Check out our new website:
sanclementehistoricalsociety.org
Your support of the Historical Society will make it possible to continue our efforts to save, promote and create an awareness of San Clemente’s unique history.
Call: (949) 492-9684 P.O. Box 283
San Clemente, CA 92674
For more membership information,
billbluett@cox.net
ities are temporarily in storage. To purchase the Society’s Museum Store line of historical photos, visit our exclusive distributor, the San Clemente Art Supply at 1531 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente.
Research Museum & Store Our research and museum facil-
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