Story - The Jesse and Dora Fleming House in North Park, San Diego
Curation by Andy Eakes, Instagram @san_diego_historic_real_estate
The Jesse and Dora Fleming House is perched high above the Balboa Golf Course and is located on the iconic 28th Street in North Park, San Diego. Master Architect Irving Gill influenced the design and construction of the home for the Flemings was completed in 1920. The home is still raved about today for its extraordinary “modern” historical architecture, revolutionary construction tactics, and an impressive multi-year restoration that occurred from 2015 to 2017.
In 1919, Jesse, a salesman in the furniture and car industries, and his wife Dora purchased the lots on 28th Street and hired the services of an architect (possibly built in 1925 by Edward Bryans for W. Mayer and then remodeled in the 1940s) to create a Gill inspired signature Southern California style homes, nicknamed “Prairie Style”. The resulting architecture was derived from California’s Mission Revival and Pueblo vernacular styles. While Spanish in influence, these homes typically were stripped down to the essentials and remained free of the popular ornamentation that you typically see with more traditional Spanish architecture. These styles also show their understanding of the local climate by incorporating terraces, courtyards, and pergolas into the design. Gill often referred to these outdoor spaces as “green rooms”. The interesting thing is that this style was not typically used until the 1930s, a full decade after the construction of this home, making it exceptionally unique.
Aside from being way ahead of his time architecturally speaking, Gill also utilized several revolutionary building tactics on this home including “tilt-up slab concrete” which involves casting the concrete on site and lifting or “tilting” the panels with a crane or similar device to form the walls of the building. Originating in the early 20th century and patented in 1908 by Robert Akin, tilt-up concrete saved both time and money for homeowners without sacrificing quality or design.
The resulting product, much like this featured home, is one of the earliest “modern” styles and is recognized as a true American art form responsible for inspiring many other architectural movements throughout history including many of the modern designs we see today. The resulting “cube” shape of this home accomplishes a clear expression in design focused less on added materials and ornamentation and more on efficiency and overall structural magnificence.
At the time of construction, Gill was already very prominent and established as an architect in the Southern California region. Many of Gill’s projects, including the featured property, are very recognizable to architectural fanatics and remain prominent protected properties in Southern California. Some of his more notable works include The George W. Marston House (1902), The Alice Lee and Katherine Teats Homes (1905-1906), The Old Scripps Building (1908), The Administration Building for the Panama California Exposition (Gill Auditorium) (1912), The Bishops School in La Jolla (1912), and many more.
The Flemings sold the property in 1923, moving to 2925 Cedar Street in South Park San Diego, another historical home (J.W. and Dora Fleming/Hurlburt and Tifal House HRB #1229). Despite their names being featured for both homes, it does not appear that the Flemings were significant community members and are only named because they were the first residents of each home. The home’s most notable resident came in 1941 when Harry Farb and his wife Alice purchased the home. Farb owned a liquor store at the time of his residence, but he went on to live a remarkable life as a real estate developer, banker, philanthropist, finance chairman for the presidential campaigns of Robert F. Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson, and San Diego county campaign manager for California Governor Jerry Brown.
In 2015, a major, multi-year restoration took place with guidance from the San Diego City Historic Resources Department staff including Senior Planner Jodie Brown. The restoration included the reopening of an upper-level balcony that was enclosed revealing the original crenelated solid wall balustrade, a single-story addition to the back of the home, remodeled bathrooms and kitchen, new paint, changing of the elevation in the backyard, and an impressive lineup of interior details. Details include Crown Point oak cabinetry custom to the home, Terra Firma and Batchelder tiles, hardwood floors, dual AC, solar, security throughout the home, and more. In 2019, this home won the SOHO Preservation Award for the exceptional work done by the San Diego’s Historic Resources Department.
Listed by Ron Rooney at Pacific Sotheby’s Intl. Realty