Naval Air Station, San Diego, Historic District
Also known as: Naval Air Station,North Island
Why it's listed
Naval Air Station San Diego Historic District occupies the northeastern corner of North Island, across the bay from downtown San Diego. It contains the surviving core of the Navy's first West Coast air station, built mostly between 1918 and 1919 on a plan by New York architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and the Navy Bureau of Yards and Docks. The plan follows Beaux-Arts ideas of axiality and symmetry, organizing an administration building, barracks, officers' quarters, shops and seaplane hangars. Buildings are stucco-clad with red tile roofs and Spanish-inspired ornament, echoing the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park. The 110-foot Administration Building tower, once used for aerological equipment, is the visual focus. The district includes twenty-three contributing buildings and three contributing structures. The site also relates to earlier naval aviation, including the Navy's 1911-1912 flight training camp. Alterations and newer buildings have affected some parts, but the original design remains readable and the district is still an active Navy facility.
Significance in brief: The district preserves the surviving core of the Navy's first West Coast air station, laid out on a Beaux-Arts plan by Goodhue with Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival buildings. It also reflects early naval aviation on North Island, where the Navy first trained pilots in 1911. Despite alterations, the designer's artistry and the district's character remain evident.
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 91000590, listed May 21, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Naval Air Station, North Island, N. shore, San Diego |
|---|---|
| County | San Diego County |
| Listed | May 21, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000590 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue; Navy Bureau of Yards and Docks |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a U.S. Navy air facility; many buildings now serve as administrative offices, with varying degrees of alteration. |
| Acreage | 44.4 |
| Coordinates | 32.71163, -117.19503 (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 91000590.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1800390
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.