Heritage Park (San Diego) facts for kids
Heritage County Park is a special park in San Diego County, California. It's almost eight acres big and is located close to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. This park was created to save and show off beautiful old homes from San Diego's past. These homes are examples of Victorian architecture, including styles like Italianate, Stick-Eastlake, Queen Anne, and Classic Revival. All these historic houses were moved from their original spots to the park with help from San Diego County and a group called Save Our Heritage Organisation.
Contents
Exploring Victorian Homes in the Park
Victorian architecture was popular during the time of Queen Victoria, from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. These homes often have fancy details, tall windows, and unique shapes. Heritage Park lets you see several different styles up close.
Senlis Cottage: A Glimpse into the Past
- Senlis Cottage was built in 1896. This charming cottage shows a simple, everyday style from the 19th century. It was built for Eugene Senlis, who worked for a famous San Diego gardener named Kate Sessions. Today, it's a historic house museum. You can visit it daily to see what a working-class home looked like back then.
Sherman-Gilbert House: A Home for Celebrities
- Sherman-Gilbert House was built in 1887. John Sherman, a cousin of General William Tecumseh Sherman, hired architects Nelson Comstock and Carl Trotsche to design this Stick-Eastlake–style home. Many famous performers visited this house for parties. The famous dancer Anna Pavlova even danced in its music room! The well-known pianist Artur Rubinstein also played piano here. This house was the very first one that Save Our Heritage Organisation saved and moved to Heritage Park.
Bushyhead House: Home of a City Leader
- Bushyhead House was built in 1887. Edward Wilkerson Bushyhead, who was an early sheriff and police chief in San Diego, owned this Italianate-style house. He also owned the San Diego Union newspaper.
Christian House: A Queen Anne Beauty
- Christian House is a Queen Anne–style home. It was built in 1889 by Harfield Christian. He started one of San Diego's first companies that dealt with property records.
McConaughy House: A Pioneer's Home
- McConaughy House is another Stick-Eastlake home, built in 1887. The person who first owned this house started the first regular passenger and freight service in San Diego.
Burton House: Classic Style
- Burton House is a classic revival home. It was built in 1893.
Temple Beth Israel: A Historic Place of Worship
- Temple Beth Israel was the first building for the Congregation Beth Israel. It was finished in 1889 in downtown San Diego. This classic revival building was used by many different religious groups over the years before it was moved to Heritage Park. Inside, you can find two old pump organs in the choir loft that still work. You can visit the temple to see its history.
More to Explore
