Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Callan Hotel Historic Building Plaque, 480 Island Ave. San Diego, CA 92101









This historic building plaque is one of a series. They obviously are not numbered according to location. This one is numbered 62, while the plaque next door at William Heath Davis House is numbered 1. These plaques are of exceptionally poor quality and are wafer thin brass. Brass requires regular polishing or they degrade as this one has. I tried all the tricks I knew in GIMP to make the plaque legible but the picture above is as close as I got. I will try to make an rubbing next.

So, far the hotel has managed to escape the gentrification occurring all around it. It is a residential hotel. There is one unit with a bedroom all the others are studios. A friend of mine once lived in the bedroom unit. It reminded me a lot of some places in New Orleans. It would be a good place to live if you writing film noire.

The sign from the days of being an actual hotel remains. But it no longer lights up. The residents of the hotel spend some measure of their meager monies on maintaining the feral cats that live in the William Heath Davis House.

The information for the Callan hotel is as follows:


Address: 460 Island Ave
San Diego
CA 92101

Telephone: 619.239.3795
Alt Telephone (619) 846-5562

The information for the William Heath Davis house is as follows:
Address: 410 Island Avenu
San Diego
CA 92101

Phone:(619) 233-4692