Gaslamp Quarter Historic District
Also known as: Stingaree
Why it's listed
Sixteen blocks of downtown San Diego, bounded by Broadway, 4th Avenue, Pacific Highway and 6th Avenue, make up the Gaslamp Quarter, formerly called the "Stingaree." Most buildings date from 1880 to 1910. They are typically two and three stories of common brick, built at the property line with tall ground floors, corbelled cornices, deep-set openings, inset entrances and bay windows. Notable examples include the Louis Bank of Commerce, Nesmith-Greely, Hubbell, Marston, Keating and Backesto buildings. Many facades were later stripped, stuccoed or covered with metal fronts, though some blocks remain largely intact. The district was nominated as the only significant remnant of turn-of-the-century commercial San Diego. Alonzo Horton's land purchases and wharf at the foot of Fifth Avenue encouraged investment, and by 1900 Fifth Avenue was the city's commercial hub, with electric streetcars and arc lamps. The nomination argues that the flavor of that first urban period is worth preserving.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district holds the only significant remnants of turn-of-the-century commercial buildings in San Diego. Buildings such as the Nesmith-Greely and Louis Bank of Commerce, both built in 1888, reflect the commercial entrepreneurs who turned San Diego from a frontier town into an urban commercial center between 1889 and 1910. Fifth Avenue was the commercial hub of the city by 1900.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000841, listed May 23, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded by RR tracks, Broadway, 4th, and 6th Sts., San Diego |
|---|---|
| County | San Diego County |
| Listed | May 23, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000841 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1900-1999 |
| Architect / builder | Clement & Stannard (Louis Bank of Commerce); Comstock & Trotsche (Nesmith-Greely Building); Hebbard and Gill (Van Waters & Rogers Building); William Templeton Johnson (Samuel I. Fox Building); George J. Keating, designer, with Reid Brothers as builders (Keating Building) |
| Architectural style | Mainly Victorian-era commercial brick architecture, including Romanesque Revival and Baroque Revival or Second Empire buildings, with some Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Mission/Spanish Revival examples |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition varies by block: many buildings have been altered by stripping and stuccoing or false metal fronts, mostly in the 1950s, while others retain original detailing. Present uses are mixed, including commercial, entertainment and religious uses. |
| Acreage | 38 |
| Coordinates | 32.71195, -117.16012 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000841.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1495203
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.