{"nrhp_refnum":"01001458","name":"El Cortez Apartment Hotel","other_names":["El Cortez Hotel"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"702 Ash St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Diego","county":"San Diego County","state":"CA","lat":32.72056955700003,"lon":-117.15794445899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-01-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A fifteen-story reinforced concrete apartment hotel at 702 Ash Street on Cortez Hill in downtown San Diego, California, designed in 1926 and built in 1927 by the William Simpson Construction Company to designs by Walker & Eisen.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it embodies the distinctive characteristics of Spanish Colonial Revival (Spanish Renaissance) construction under Criterion C. It is described as the only building of its kind designed in San Diego by the Southern California firm Walker & Eisen. It also served as a social center for the city after opening in 1927.","narrative":"Rising fifteen stories above Cortez Hill, this reinforced concrete building at 702 Ash Street occupies an entire downtown San Diego block. Designed in late 1926 by the architectural firm Walker & Eisen and built in 1927 by the William Simpson Construction Company, it combines Spanish Colonial Revival detailing with a C-shaped plan that takes advantage of views of the downtown and harbor. Ornate parapets, scrollwork, and a carved cast stone entrance bearing the words \"Sea Bienvenida\" mark its design. When it opened in November 1927, tens of thousands of residents toured it, and its octagonal Don Room, with a carved sandalwood ceiling, became a setting for weddings and civic dinners. Later additions from the 1930s to the 1950s altered the building, but a certified rehabilitation starting in 2000 removed many of them and restored original features. Its architecture and its role as the only San Diego work of Walker & Eisen of this type support its recognition.","period_of_significance":"1927","architect_builder":"Walker & Eisen; William Simpson Construction Company","architectural_style":"Late 19th & 20th Century Revivals: Spanish Colonial Revival (Spanish Renaissance / Spanish Eclectic)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Exterior and interior described as in excellent condition after a certified rehabilitation beginning in June 2000; current use is multiple dwelling.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.647222-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/01001458.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01001458/9a088b7fa1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01001458/9a088b7fa1-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Los Angeles","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_Cortez_Apartment_Hotel.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_Cortez_Apartment_Hotel.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860852","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cortez_(San_Diego)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3049820"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-diego-county/el-cortez-apartment-hotel-01001458/"}