National Register of Historic Places

California Quadrangle

San Diego, San Diego County, California
Listed
May 16, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000548

About this property

The California Quadrangle, California Building, and California Tower are historic structures located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. They were built for the 1915–16 Panama–California Exposition and served as the grand entry to the event. The buildings and courtyard were designed by architect Bertram Goodhue. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 17, 1974. They now house the Museum of Us. The Quadrangle includes the California Building and Tower on the north side, and Evernham Hall and the St. Francis Chapel on the south side. Between them is an open space linked by arcaded passageways and massive arched gateways to form the Plaza de California. The original Balboa Park Administration Building (now the Gill Administration Building) lies just outside the Quadrangle, adjacent to and west of the California Building. Unlike most of the exhibits at the event, the Quadrangle buildings were intended to be permanent. The Plaza de California is the main entryway to Balboa Park, approached over the Cabrillo Bridge. That entry is currently a two-lane road providing vehicle access to the park. The city approved plans to divert vehicle traffic away from the Plaza de California and restore it as a pedestrian-only promenade, hoping to complete the project in time to celebrate the 2015 centennial of the exposition. However, the plan was challenged in court and was overturned by a judge on February 4, 2013, on the grounds that the city had not followed its own Municipal Code requirements in approving it.

Location

San Diego, San Diego County, California
32.73177, -117.15226

Categories

ARTENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONEDUCATIONSCIENCEARCHITECTURERELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

El Prado Complex
Listed
0.1 mi
Balboa Park
Listed
0.2 mi
Ford Building
Industrial
0.4 mi
Park Place Methodist Episcopal Church South
Industrial
0.5 mi
San Diego Veterans' War Memorial Building-Balboa Park
Industrial
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was California Quadrangle listed on the National Register?

California Quadrangle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 16, 1974.

What type of historic resource is California Quadrangle?

California Quadrangle is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for California Quadrangle?

The period of significance for California Quadrangle is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near California Quadrangle?

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