Villa Montezuma
About this property
Villa Montezuma is a Queen Anne style mansion in the Sherman Heights neighborhood of San Diego, California, that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The home was built in 1887 by Cheney & Leonard and designed by Comstock & Trotsche for Jesse Shepard, who lived there for about a year before relocating to Paris, then sold it in late 1889. John Mallon's Pacific American Decorative Company made windows for the mansion. In 1942 the land was split into two properties: Shepherds Lot/Garden and the main Villa. In 1969, five members of what is now known as the San Diego History Center began work to arrange for the city's purchase of the house for use as a museum and cultural center. After opening for such purpose on November 12, 1972, a volunteer organization known as the Friends of Villa Montezuma (FOVM) continued for the next four decades to maintain the property as a house museum. Hundreds of weddings were held at the museum over that time, providing a steady source of revenue for the historical society. An accidental fire in March 1986 went through the second floor and destroyed over half of the roof, though a restored museum opened again in late June 1987 in time for the house's 100th anniversary. Amid an economic downturn and building foundation safety concerns, the museum closed to the public in 2006 and the FOVM centered on raising funds for a much needed restoration, incorporating that year as an independent 501(c)(3) organization. From 2015 through 2020, to satisfy requirements of a federal CDBG grant that was used to restore the foundation, roof, and chimneys, the museum was open four mornings a year for free interior tours, approximately quarterly, with visitor registration via the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. As of October 2021, the museum reopened for regular paid tours. San Diego Citywide LGBTQ Historic Context Statement, pages 15, 99–100, 109 Description by Waldemar Tonner, who lived in the home with Shepard
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Villa Montezuma
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Questions about this property
When was Villa Montezuma listed on the National Register?
Villa Montezuma was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 1971.
What type of historic resource is Villa Montezuma?
Villa Montezuma is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Villa Montezuma?
The period of significance for Villa Montezuma is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Villa Montezuma?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Villa Montezuma will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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