{"nrhp_refnum":"75000467","name":"Spreckels Theatre Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"123 W. Broadway","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Diego","county":"San Diego County","state":"CA","lat":32.71524018200006,"lon":-117.16348389299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-05-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Entertainment/Recreation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A six-story combined office and theatre building at 123 W. Broadway in San Diego, California, completed in 1912 for John D. Spreckels to designs by architect Harrison Albright.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building expresses San Diego's \"coming of age\" by following the Chicago school model of an office block enclosing a separate theatre, similar to Chicago's Auditorium Building. Its Baroque decoration predates the Spanish Revival influence that followed the 1915 exposition, and Emil T. Mazy's allegorical paintings are called among the finest in Southern California. It also set a precedent by bringing in top artists and builders from elsewhere, and its acoustics were praised.","narrative":"Rising six stories on West Broadway in San Diego, this combined office and theatre building was commissioned by sugar magnate John D. Spreckels and finished in 1912 at a cost of about $1 million. Architect Harrison Albright followed the Chicago school model, wrapping an office block around a self-contained theatre, much like Chicago's Auditorium Building. The structure uses a steel-reinforced concrete frame and was designed to be fireproof, with heavy concrete walls separating the auditorium from the offices. Inside, the Baroque theatre seats about 1,915 without pillars blocking sightlines, and its acoustics earned praise from architect Irving Gill. Pedrera onyx finishes the lobby and stairways, and oil paintings by Emil T. Mazy of Los Angeles decorate the proscenium and ceiling. The building matters for its architecture, art and theatre history, and for marking an early effort to bring leading artists and builders to San Diego. Some ground-level modernization has occurred, but the building remains largely intact.","period_of_significance":"20th Century; construction completed in 1912","architect_builder":"Harrison Albright, architect; F. E. Engstrum, builder","architectural_style":"Chicago school commercial design with Baroque interior decoration","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as good and basically unaltered, with some changes at ground level; partial restoration in 1964. Occupied, used as a movie theatre and offices at the time of nomination.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.4466-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/75000467.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75000467/be478d9e40-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75000467/be478d9e40-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.0","author":"Allan Ferguson","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spreckels_Theater_Building.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Allan Ferguson</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spreckels_Theater_Building.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860989","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreckels_Theatre","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7580305"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-diego-county/spreckels-theatre-building-75000467/"}