When gazing at the Horton Grand Hotel at 311 Island Avenue, one can’t help but be enchanted by its beauty, elegance, and timeless appeal.
Only upon close inspection does one realize the icon is actually a combination of two historic buildings joined together by an artful atrium.
The hotels were originally located at different sites on F St., and were relocated to the current site during the restoration of the downtown Gaslamp district in the 1980s.
Joined together, they form an outstanding representation of opulent Victorian elegance.
The Grand, the more ornate of the two buildings, was built by a German immigrant as a replica of the Innsbruck Hotel in Vienna, Austria.
The three-story structure was built of brick with a wooden facade. True to its Italianate Baroque Revival style , the exterior is replete with lavish wrought iron balconies, stained glass, and fancy wooden ornamentation. The interior was centered by a grand oak staircase lit by an interior lightwell. All the rooms were accessed from this central court.
The guest rooms were furnished with the most elegant furniture of the day, illustrating the 1980s’ economic boom and catering to the influx of tourists flocking to San Diego. The original site of the structure was 337 F Street.
Typical of most hotels and businesses of the 19th century, the street-level rooms were used for commercial purposes.
At the Grand, Peter Myerhofer opened a restaurant and beer parlor in the space in 1888. It was called the “Original Louvre.” Unfortunately for Mr. Myerhofer, the Louvre closed the following year. A series of restaurants followed.
As one faces the structure, the hotel on the right, the original Brooklyn Hotel, is a much less ornate style, commonly referred to as “Cowboy Victorian”: No balconies, no stained glass, but comfortable and more modestly furnished.
The hotel’s lobby floor became the home of the Kahle Saddlery, a prominent saddle and harness shop catering to such Hollywood legends as Roy Rogers and Tom Mix. It remained in operation at the newly named Brooks-Kahle Saddlery until 1960.
An antique papier-mache horse, Sunshine, was a fixture of the saddlery when it was in operation, and it still resides in the hotel lobby. Sunshine’s mane and tail were crafted from the curried manes of the police horses.
Another important resident of this modest hotel: Wyatt Earp. He and his wife, Josie, stayed there during a large part of their time in San Diego. Wyatt and Josie departed for Nome, Alaska in the early 1890s.
Rescued from demolition decades ago
Both hotels were scheduled for demolition in the late 1970s, but were rescued by developer and history buff Dan Pearson.
He had the structures painstakingly dismantled, catalogued, and stored, piece by piece, in various warehouses throughout the city, until he was able to procure their current site on Island Avenue. The total cost for the deconstruction, storage, and reconstruction was $12 million.
San Diego architect and historical preservation specialist Wayne Donaldson was responsible for the reconstruction.
The historic Horton Grand Hotel opened in 1986, a full 100 years old, but better than ever.
The hotel boasts a popular bar with an impressive collection of high-end whiskeys and a restaurant, Salt and Whiskey, which features American fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
It is, additionally, a favorite wedding and reception venue.
Last but definitely not least — for those interested in things that go bump in the night — it is reputed to be haunted, but perhaps simply by the whispers of elegant times gone by.
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