Changes to Page 3a


Instead of Summer Hours put Hours


The Mission of the Coronado Historical Association is to encourage and promote the appreciation, knowledge and understanding of Coronado’s unique art, architecture, history, and other historical resources. We do this in a myriad of ways. We operate a state-of-the-art historical archive where Coronado’s wonderful history is captured in everything from 1880s newspapers and glass plate negatives to historic garments and artifacts. We take history to the people at every opportunity.


Museum and Visitor Center, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Museum Store, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.


Under Staff change: Instead of Sue Anderson, Office Manager put Wendy Montroy, Office Manager


Board of Directors


Board of Director Officers Bob Balfour, President Courtenay McGowen, Vice President


Penny Duermeyer and Holly Nappen, Secretaries Jim Kaufman, Treasurer


Museum and Visitor Center, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Museum Store: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.


The general number for CHA and the Museum is 619.435.7242. The Visitor Center is 619.437.8788. The toll-free number for the Coronado Visitor Center is 866.599.7242. For more information, visit www.coronadohistory.org or www.coronadovisitorcenter.com.


Gail Bardin Debbie Bell Pat Flynn Russ Haley Susan Keith Phil Monroe Rick Moore Cassie Morton Carol Raiter


Kathleen Turk Suros Mayor Casey Tanaka, City


Staff:


Susan Enowitz, Executive Director director@coronadohistory.org


Katherine Matlack, Visitor Center Manager vcmgr@coronadovisitorcenter.com


Pam Crooks, Special Projects Manager pamcrooks@coronadohistory.org


Varin Acevedo, Director of Exhibits and Graphic Design


exhibits@coronadohistory.org


Mary Gartner, Store Mgr/Buyer store@coronadohistory.org Kathy Crawford/Interim Archivist


Rachel Lieu, Archivist/Registrar archivist@coronadohistory.org


Wendy Montroy, Office Manager OfficeMgr@coronadohistory.org


Board of Directors Officers


Bob Balfour, President


Courtenay McGowen, Vice President Penny Duermeyer and Holly Nappen, Secretaries Jim Kaufman, Treasurer


Gail Bardin Debbie Bell Pat Flynn Russ Haley Susan Keith Phil Monroe Rick Moore Cassie Morton Carol Raiter


Kathleen Turk Suros Mayor Casey Tanaka, City Council Liaison How to Reach Us and


Staff information: Museum and Visitor Center Hours


WHO WE ARE Mission Statement From the Director W


e’ve just discovered something we didn’t know about our own past and the history of CHA’s home on Orange Avenue! What we learned meant that we needed to


correct some incorrect information. This very often happens as we investigate our history. Historians realize that uncovering primary sources, and interpreting and checking facts are an important and ongoing process. This is very time consuming, and one might ask, “Is it really worth it?” Why does it matter if new information is uncovered? Should we trust what we learn because it changes? How does what we learn help our lives or our community? It takes time and know-how to find the details and facts that make up the history of anything – an individual, an invention, an event or a building.


Understanding history involves discovery and sometimes a mystery. Our staff and some independent researchers are preparing to publish a special 1910 newspaper to be sent to all our members, as well as 5,000 other homes in Coronado, as the launch of a year-long membership campaign. Some very surprising information was discovered during


Susan Enowitz, Executive Director of the Coronado Historical Association and the Coronado Museum & Art


the research of our building, the former Bank of Commerce and Trust, at 1100 Orange. The Bank of Commerce and Trust was the first bank in Coronado, and we previously believed it had opened in this building on October 5, 1910. The Quayle Brothers, Edward and Charles, noted San Diego architects, were given credit for the building’s design by authors Katherine Carlin and Ray Brandes, in the 1998 publication of The Enchanted Island.


Our temporary Archivist Kathy Crawford was tasked with writing an article for our 1910 newspaper about the beautiful, new building at 1100 Orange Avenue. Her close examination revealed something that surprised us all. The first permit for construction was dated December 19, 1910. What happened? The October 5, 1910, date was listed in other documents as the opening date of the Bank of Commerce and Trust which it was. As it turns out, the Bank opened originally in a temporary location in Oluf Hammer’s store at the corner of Tenth and Orange Avenues. The planning had begun for the bank building at 1100 Orange Avenue, but no actual construction permits were filed until two months later. The Bank of Commerce and Trust building, at 1100 Orange Avenue, officially opened on June 17, 1911.


Kathy was also able to solve the mystery of the architects. The Quayle Brothers originally submitted a design to G. Aubrey Davidson, the owner of the Bank, for a Spanish-style building. These plans were published in the San Diego Union in 1908. But that project did not materialize for unknown reasons. When the time came to actually build the bank, new architects were chosen. The prominent San Francisco architectural firm of MacDonald and Applegarth was selected. That firm was responsible for designing Adolph Spreckels’ magnificent mansion on Pacific Heights and the Palace of the Legion of Honor. The new team favored a Neoclassical look, so the bank building was designed in the elegant style we so enjoy today.


The Bank offices occupied the Park Place side of the building with the entrance at the apex of the triangle. The Orange Avenue portion served as a large retail space, occupied for several years by Central Drug Store. The Coronado Post Office filled the remaining area. In 1926, a one-story section was added to the original building on the Park Avenue side and the Post Office moved into that space. The second floor was divided into offices, three of which were occupied by City Hall officials. Over my two years here at CHA, I’ve occasionally heard from researchers that there are corrections needed in the Enchanted Island book that most of us refer to when questions arise. I’m now keeping a list of these things and hope that someday an updated version can be published. You are all members of an organization that dedicates itself to the pursuit of learning and educating others about Coronado’s past. We want you to know that we are working hard to ensure Coronado’s wonderful history is preserved, and our community heritage is passed down as accurately as possible to future generations….


(Note: A special word of thanks to Rachel Lieu, who completed the reorganization of the archives before her maternity leave, making it quite easy for Kathy to access the folder containing all the building permits for 1100 Orange Ave.)


www.coronadohistory.org 3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8