Mission Hills Walking Tour
Mission Hills Heritage's guided walking tour, Heart and Soul, will focus on the original subdivision known as "Mission Hills" mapped out by local businessman and developer George W. Marston and colleagues in 1908. This was one of the first subdivisions in San Diego to feature contoured streets that matched the rolling topography of the land, which better accommodated a streetcar line, and included a hierarchy of street widths from thoroughfares to side streets. Conceived as an upscale new development designed to accommodate homes in a naturally harmonious setting, this core area eventually lent its name to the larger neighborhood we now call Mission Hills. Tour participants will walk past diverse architectural styles from the early 20th century, including Arts & Crafts, Prairie style, Spanish Eclectic and other Revival styles. Homes on this year's route vary in sizes from diminutive bungalows and cottages, to larger four squares and even a mansion. Tour guides will share interesting details about the various local builders and architects who designed the homes and the early residents who lived in them. Vintage photos will help tell the story of a neighborhood important to the architectural legacy of San Diego.