Bike parking outside one of the homes on the 2015 Historical Home Tour
Every year on Mother’s Day, the Coronado Historical Association (CHA) hosts the Historical Home Tour, which gives the community a unique chance to see inside some of Coronado’s diverse and beautiful houses.
This year, Susan Keith and Emily Talbert co-directed the event for the fourth time together. The two women have both been involved in the CHA for several decades. Susan started working for the CHA in 1980, and Emily says, “I’ve been involved virtually all my adult life. My mother signed the incorporation papers!”
“When CHA first started [the Historical Home Tour],” Susan said, “they did a Christmas home tour.” Usually the event was held the first Saturday and Sunday in December. “It was a nighttime event, and there were luminaries on the street, and all the houses were decorated for Christmas. Decorators would come in and do the trees, and they had people singing dressed up in old Christmas costumes, walking the streets. It was lovely!”
Over the years, the annual Historical Home Tour became a daytime event. This year, to focus on the 125th anniversary of Coronado, the tour focused on 125 years of extraordinary architecture in Coronado. “The diversity of architecture in this town is wonderful!” said Emily with genuine enthusiasm, and it was easy to see the passion that inspired this year’s tour.
Choosing just six homes that exemplified Coronado’s multiple architectural styles was a challenge. “Emily and I got together and figured out what are the main styles in town and figured out which are good examples of those styles,” said Susan. None of these homes have been featured on a Historical Homes Tour before.
Susan and Emily also chose five additional homes for “drive-by” observation to demonstrate five additional architectural styles. The homes were spread out around the island, “Sometimes [the CHA] tries to group them by location,” Susan said, “but that is not the case this year. This year you’re going to have to get on your bike!”
Susan and Emily estimated that about 1,000 people come to the Historical Home Tour each year, and this year many locals chose to bike from house to house. Each attendee carried his or her “ticket,” which was an informative 28-page booklet containing information about each of the homes as well as professional photographs taken by Ed Gohlich. Photos of the interiors of the homes were not permitted on the tour.
Many of the attendees brought their mothers to celebrate the day together. “The date of Mother’s Day has been very successful,” Emily noted. “It seems people look forward to it and come back because it is Mother’s Day.”
In each home on the tour, a beautiful painting of each house was prominently displayed. The renderings were painted by Valerie Herbert and were a gift from the CHA to the homeowners. “[Valerie] is a Coronado native,” Emily explained. “She has a business of doing renderings of homes in Coronado. She helps us in our efforts, and it was a nice contribution for appreciation of the homes.”
What does it take to get your home on the Historical Homes Tour? Susan noted that some of the owners “are long-time residents of Coronado, and some of them are fairly new. They have a common theme that they appreciate Coronado and historical architecture.”
On the tour, it was evident that a great deal of tidying and lawn manicuring preceded the home tours. “Some of them have furniture recovered, some of them have painting done. It’s a lot of work!” Susan laughed. Nevertheless, everyone is always eager to participate. All the home owners that Susan and Emily invited to participate this year said yes or else offered their homes for the 2016 Historical Homes Tour.
A Brief Summary of the Six Homes and Architectural Styles
The first house on First Street demonstrated Mid-Century Modern style. The home was originally built in 1957 by Mary Edna Rose. The docent pointed out the spectacular views of the bay and the quiet private pool. “[Mary Edna Rose] wanted everyone to see water, including from every bedroom,” the docent explained. Mary also placed the kitchen at the center of her home, which was unusual in 1957. The house is still family owned, and it is filled with photographs and artwork by various members of the family and from around the world.
Around the corner, a quaint little house on J Avenue demonstrated a very different architectural style. The Minimal Traditional home was built in 1944 as one of 154 “Palmer-Bilt homes” built in Coronado to house workers in war-related industries during WWII. The light-colored walls and fresh white furniture gave the tiny home a breezy, sweet aura. Every square inch of space had been carefully considered. In the backyard, a long and elegant lap pool made perfect use of a spare strip of land.
Down Alameda Avenue, the beautiful Spanish Eclectic home provided another stark contrast to the previous two residences. Built in 1915, the house was originally located on the waterfront and served as a social hub of Coronado in the early part of the 20th century. Over time, the home was divided into three residences, and then in 2011 the current owners bought the home and turned it into the beautiful blend of traditional, modern, and eclectic that it is today. “This is the largest home on the tour,” a docent remarked as attendees marveled at the original Italian marble fireplace and tiger wood flooring in the living room.
The Crown Cottage, a tiny little Spanish Bungalow home on Fifth Street, was built in 1933 and recently renovated by Coronado’s own Flagg Costal Homes. Inside, the open kitchen, living room, and dining room are surprisingly spacious and airy with French country pale blue and white décor. The bathroom features beautiful white wallpaper with black crowns as a nod to the cottage’s name. Outdoors, the driveway has been converted into a seating area and the garage is now a charming study.
On B Avenue, the beautiful Tudor style home is as rambling as the Crown Cottage was petite. Originally built in 1933, the house underwent a major remodel in 2002 to become the two-bedroom home it is today. The home features a white stucco wall and exterior with diamond-paned windows. Inside, the kitchen includes a hidden cupboard behind the counter where the lady of the house can keep all of her appliances hidden — and plugged in! — until needed.
The final house on C Avenue was a feast for the eyes. The current owner is a longtime Coronado resident who loves to decorate her home for every major holiday. For the Historical Homes Tour, the 1912 Craftsman-style home was decked out for the Fourth of July with red, white, and blue banners on the porch, figurines and flags indoors, and a table set in the patio for a celebratory meal. “In the backyard,” said a docent, “you’ll see a trapdoor that looks like the one Dorothy used to escape from the tornado in The Wizard of Oz. Underneath the house is 1500 square feet of storage!”
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Becca Garber
Staff Writer
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