Heritage Park (San Diego) facts for kids
Heritage County Park is a special park in San Diego County, California. It's close to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park and covers almost eight acres. This park was created to save and show off some amazing old houses from San Diego's past. These homes are examples of beautiful Victorian architecture, including styles like Italianate, Stick-Eastlake, Queen Anne, and classic revival. All these historic buildings were carefully moved from their original spots to the park with help from San Diego County and a group called Save Our Heritage Organisation.
Exploring Historic Victorian Homes
Heritage Park is home to several unique Victorian houses, each with its own story. These homes let you step back in time and see how people lived long ago.
Senlis Cottage: A Worker's Home
The Senlis Cottage was built in 1896. It's a simple, old-fashioned house that belonged to Eugene Senlis. He worked for a famous San Diego plant expert named Kate Sessions. Today, this cottage is a historic house museum. It shows what a working-class home looked like in the late 1800s. You can visit it every day.
Sherman-Gilbert House: A Grand Mansion
The Sherman-Gilbert House was built in 1887. John Sherman, who was a cousin of General William Tecumseh Sherman, hired special architects to design this Stick-Eastlake–style home. Many famous performers visited this house for parties. For example, the dancer Anna Pavlova danced in the music room, and the piano player Artur Rubinstein played music here. This house was also the very first one that Save Our Heritage Organisation saved and moved to Heritage Park.
Bushyhead House: Home of a City Leader
The Bushyhead House is an Italianate-style home built in 1887. It belonged to Edward Wilkerson Bushyhead. He was an important person in early San Diego, serving as the sheriff and chief of police. He also owned the San Diego Union newspaper.
Christian House: A Queen Anne Beauty
The Christian House is a lovely Queen Anne–style house. It was built in 1889 by Harfield Christian. He started one of San Diego's first companies that dealt with property records.
McConaughy House: First Transport Service
The McConaughy House is another Stick-Eastlake home, built in 1887. The person who first owned this house started San Diego's first regular passenger and freight service. Imagine, he helped people and goods travel around the city!
Burton House: A Classic Design
The Burton House is a classic revival home. It was built in 1893 and shows off a timeless architectural style.
Temple Beth Israel: A Historic Synagogue
The Temple Beth Israel is a very special building in the park. It was the first place of worship 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 before it was moved to Heritage Park. Inside, you can find two old pump organs in the choir loft, which you can still play. It's open for visitors to see.
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