Save Our Heritage Organisation facts for kids
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| Founded | San Diego, California (1969) |
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| Type | Non-profit |
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| Services | Preservation and maintenance of historic architecture |
| Fields | Protecting historic landmarks |
| Website | sohosandiego.org |
Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) is a special group that works to save old buildings and important places in and around San Diego, California. It's a non-profit organization, which means it uses all its money to help its cause, not to make a profit for owners.
SOHO started in 1969. Its main goal is to protect and care for historic buildings. One famous building they look after is the George W. Marston House. SOHO also works closely with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a big group that helps save historic places across the country.
SOHO's mission is to teach people about history, speak up for old buildings, and take care of them. They want to keep the important old buildings and cultural spots that make San Diego unique.
Contents
How SOHO Started
SOHO was founded in 1969 in San Diego, California. A person named Robert Miles Parker and 35 other people created the group. They wrote down their rules in April of that year. These rules said that SOHO would buy, move, fix, and take care of old homes, stores, and other buildings. They wanted to show different building styles from the San Diego area. This was all done to teach and help the public.
The very first project SOHO worked on was saving the Sherman-Gilbert House. This was a beautiful old Victorian house that was going to be torn down. SOHO helped move it to the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park area, where it could be safe.
In 1970, SOHO created its Preservation Council. This group's job was to find out if any historic buildings in San Diego were going to be torn down or sold. Around the same time, SOHO worked with other groups, like the Historical Site Board and the American Institute of Architects, to buy and fix up Villa Montezuma.
In 2009, SOHO celebrated its 40th birthday! To mark this special event, a film was made called Four Decades of Historic Preservation in San Diego County. This film won a California Governor's Award for Historic Preservation. Also in 2009, SOHO added the George W. Marston House, a beautiful home built in 1905, to its list of museums.
What SOHO Does: Projects and Buildings Saved
SOHO has worked on many projects to save important buildings. Here are some of them:
- The Sherman-Gilbert House: This Victorian house was saved from being torn down and moved to Heritage Park in Old Town San Diego.
- Santa Fe Depot: A historic train station that SOHO helped save from demolition.
- The Harfield Timberland Christian House: A Queen Anne Victorian house moved to Heritage Park.
- San Diego Rowing Club building: This building was restored.
- Villa Montezuma: This historic house was restored.
- The Burton House: A Classic Revival Victorian house moved to Heritage Park.
- The Bushyhead House: An Italianate Victorian house moved to Heritage Park.
- Granger Music Hall: This building was restored.
- Horton Plaza: This area was restored.
- Senlis Cottage: A 19th-century Victorian house moved to Heritage Park.
- The Preservation Easement Program: SOHO has a special program that helps protect the outside of historic buildings. Many buildings have been helped by this program, including the Cliff House, the Sherman-Judson residence, the Wisteria Cottage, the Senator Hotel, the Callan Hotel, the Brunswig Drug Company, and the Mission Brewery.
- Greg Rogers House: A house in Chula Vista, California that was saved from being torn down and restored.
- Percival Thompson House: This house was restored.
- Green Dragon Colony: This area was restored.
- Julia Liffreing House: This house was restored.
- Balboa Theatre: This famous theater was restored.
- Egyptian Revival Buildings: SOHO helped these buildings get special historic protection.
- Temple Beth Israel: This building was saved from being torn down and is now in Heritage Park.
- Warner Ranch: SOHO helped save this ranch from falling apart.
- San Diego Veterans War Building: This building was saved.
- Canfield-Wright House: This house was saved from demolition.
- Western Metal Supply Building: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- Simon Levi Building: Another building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- Levi Wholesale Grocery Co.: This building was saved.
- Showley Bros Candy Company: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- Schiefer & Sons Aeroplane Co.: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- Station A: A San Diego powerhouse saved by SOHO.
- Carnation Building: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- Rosario Hall: A building in downtown San Diego saved and moved.
- Kidd & Krone Auto Parts Building: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- TR Produce Building: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- Art Deco Fire Station Building: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- Bledsoe Company Furniture Warehouse: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
- Western Wholesale Drug Company Warehouse: A building in downtown San Diego saved by SOHO.
Museums and Other Buildings SOHO Cares For
SOHO takes care of several museums and historic buildings. These include:
- The George and Anna Marston House Museum and Carriage House: This is an Arts & Crafts style building built in 1905.
- The Warner-Carrillo Ranch House: This house was built in 1857 and was California's first regular stop for overland stagecoaches traveling to St. Louis.
Other Ways SOHO Helps
SOHO also does many other things to teach people about history. They often create or support:
- Historic home tours: These tours let people visit old homes and learn about them.
- Lectures and workshops: These are talks and classes where people can learn more about history and preservation.
SOHO also has gift and book stores in two locations. They create an annual "Most Endangered List," which highlights local historic places that are at risk. The group publishes an online newsletter every two months and has a book publishing part called "Our Heritage Press." SOHO often gives advice to smaller groups that are trying to save historic places in their neighborhoods.
