The people who built, lived in and shaped some of La Mesa’s most distinctive homes will be part of the story when the La Mesa History Center presents its 20th annual Home Tour, “Artists & Officers,” on Nov. 7.
The self-guided tour will feature five properties representing a range of architectural styles and eras, including a 1910 Craftsman retreat built by William B. Gross, a 1927 Tudor Revival, a 1912 Craftsman designed by architect Emmor Brooke Weaver, a 1936 Monterey Colonial designed by Lillian Rice and a 1912 Mission Revival home with extensive gardens.
Historian and author Jim Newland, who researched the properties and the people connected to them, said the stories extend well beyond the houses themselves.
“It just allows me to actually bring a little more depth” to the history, Newland said.
That depth includes the neighborhoods, architects, builders, owners, artists and military figures whose stories intersect with the homes and the development of Grossmont Colony and Mount Helix.
The tour highlights the early 20th-century effort to establish Grossmont Colony as a community that attracted artists and other creative residents. Among those connected to the area were opera singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink, poet and librarian John Vance Chaney, concert violinist Beulah Lewis and painter Valencia Rafferty McCleave.
Newland said his research has uncovered additional details about those residents as well as the people who helped develop Grossmont.
One example is Gross, whose name remains closely associated with the community.
Newland said further research showed that Gross’s activities extended well beyond Grossmont. He was involved in real estate development elsewhere in San Diego County, operated theaters downtown and promoted San Diego while traveling around the country.
The homes also reflect the work of several prominent architects and designers, including Weaver, Mead and Requa, Del Harris and Rice.
Three of the five properties on this year’s tour are designated historic landmarks. The other two have undergone modifications that may affect their eligibility but retain significant architectural character and craftsmanship.
The artistic connections continued beyond the original residents. Artists whose work is represented at some of the properties include James Hubbell, Wayne Chapman, Anne Meek, Lynn Reeves and Mic Mead.
Military history is another thread connecting the homes and their former residents. Several are associated with veterans of the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II, including U.S. Navy Lt. Commander John E. Lewis, U.S. Army Lt. Colonel Edward G. McCleave and Rear Adm. Cyril T. Simard, who commanded at Midway Island during the pivotal Battle of Midway in June 1942.
Newland’s research also turned up details in old newspapers and historical records that helped refine dates, identify previously overlooked connections and add new information to stories he had researched before.
“You keep researching, you find new stuff,” he said.
For visitors, the result is a home tour that offers more than a look inside historic houses. Each property provides a glimpse into the people, architecture and creative and military history that helped shape La Mesa’s Grossmont Colony and Mount Helix communities.
