Marine Corps Recruit Depot Historic District
Why it's listed
This San Diego military district covers about 110 acres within the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and holds 37 buildings, 25 of which contribute to its character. Most were built in 1921-1925 or 1939-1940 to a site plan drawn in 1918 by architect Bertram Goodhue. Its centerpiece is the Arcade, a U-shaped group of twelve buildings around the parade ground, linked by a covered arched walkway more than a mile long. Behind it lie secondary buildings with timber balconies, utilitarian industrial structures, and a separate park-like area of officers' quarters and garages. Barracks, L-shaped corner buildings, balcony buildings and residences repeat as types, with stucco over hollow clay tile, clay tile roofs and cast-stone ornament. The district matters because it preserves the original base in a unified Spanish Colonial Revival style and in Goodhue's formal layout. Twelve buildings are excluded because later alterations or construction after the period weakened their integrity. The base remains in military use.
Significance in brief: The district is the original Marine Corps base in San Diego and is unified by Goodhue's formal site plan and consistent Spanish Colonial Revival design. Its Arcade, barracks, secondary buildings and officers' quarters show his large-complex planning. The inventory sheets give architecture as the main theme and military as the second.
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 90001477, listed January 31, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of jct. of Barnett Ave. and Pacific Hwy., San Diego |
|---|---|
| County | San Diego County |
| Listed | January 31, 1991 |
| Reference number | 90001477 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Architect Bertram G. Goodhue (Building 15 designed by Navy architects); builder Lange and Bergstrom of San Diego and S.F. (for Building 10) |
| Architectural style | Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a Marine Corps base; Building 10 serves as an administration building and Building 12 houses legal assistance services. Some buildings have been heavily modified. |
| Acreage | 110 |
| Coordinates | 32.74301, -117.20163 (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 90001477.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q615972
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.