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Did You Know?
Many people walk, ride, or drive past Historic Homes without a second thought. These can be identified by their brown-and-cream wooden plaques that are tucked onto the fronts of homes in Northwest Chula Vista, but behind each one is a family, a story, and a piece of this city that shouldn't go unseen. or unnoticed. In this special Historic Homes Newsletter, we would like to introduce you to a little bit of history and some iconic homes that sit in District Two.
Chula Vista’s story began in 1886 when Colonel William Dickinson arrived as "the professional town planner". Dickinson envisioned a community where "hard-working businessmen or retired 'capitalists'" could enjoy their fine homes with enhanced views of their orchard trees. Enforcing this vision came at a cost. Houses were required to be constructed at a minimum cost of $2,000 and finished "within six months of the date the site was purchased". The five acres surrounding each home were typically planted with lemon groves, giving the young city its whimsical character. “Today, most citrus orchards are gone, and only a handful of the original Victorian homes remain as an intriguing reminder of the past”.
“Nearly a century ago, skilled carpenters and craftsmen erected the first magnificent houses in what was designed to be a residential suburb for wealthy fruit ranchers”. “These enchanting homes trace the community’s history and represent an important part of Chula Vista’s history”.
Chula Vista was incorporated as a city in 1911, but the homes that defined it were already decades old.
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