Sean K.T. Shiraishi, M.A.
The Casa de Pico Motor Hotel,
built and operated in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, exemplifies an important and
significant part of Old Town San Diego�s history. It represents not the actual
history of 19th-century
Completed in 1824 and one of the earliest
and largest adobe homes in Old San Diego, the original �Casa de Pico� was
described as �constructed of wood and adobe, the structure had eight entrances.
White plaster adorned the walls of the long, low, one-story structure�The Pico
house contained two salas, three rooms facing
The Casa de Pico was built as the
home of the mother of the last Mexican governor of
By the 1920s, automobiles had
become a growing part of the everyday lives of
Marston and his plans
George Marston, a local
businessman and philanthropist, was also a strong believer in preserving
Requa and his designs
�In the late 1930s Marston
conceived of a modern up-to-date tourist facility on the Plaza in
Perhaps meeting in 1929 during
the construction of both the Serra Museum and the Sessions Building, Requa�s
first design project in Old Town, Marston and Requa found common cause in
promoting the historic value of Old Town San Diego as a tourist attraction. In
early 1937, Requa presented a plan to the San Diego Planning Commission to
develop an old Mexican style town around the plaza in Old San Diego. The idea
was to include a series of small shops �in which the arts practiced in Old
Mexico would be conducted.� Requa�s proposal also advocated placing
architectural restrictions on building design in the area surrounding the Plaza
and
In 1939, Marston conceived of a
project that had the potential to further connect
In the
rejuvenation of Old Town father�s most important contributions were the
building of the golf course, his assistance to the Cardwells in building the
Pico Motel, and his help in making possible the
Cardwells and construction
In partnership with George
Marston, Frank K. and Eloise Cardwell, already successful motel operators in
the
The charming
Casa de Pico was father�s conception of the type of modern architecture that is
appropriate to the traditions of Old San Diego. Father chose Richard
The Casa de Pico Motor Hotel, with rooms arranged around a central patio, represented a change from the more common auto courts of the day: small bungalows or cabins built around a central parking lot. In 1940 the Tourist Court Journal published a 4-page article on the structure just after the motel opened. Though Requa�s original drawings have not been located as of this date, the article did provide a floor-plan of the motor court. The article described it as a �tourist court which faithfully follows the traditions of the hacienda for the early Spanish Dons.�
All rooms in the Casa de Pico Motor Hotel opened onto wide porches fronting a large patio. This allowed guests to seclude themselves from the world outside the motel. All rooms came with garages that automobiles entered from the rear. Outside traffic noises were reduced considerably, allowing the motor court to remain �a quiet and safe retreat at all times.�
The rooms were furnished with guests comfort in mind. The bedrooms were carpeted with extra heavy padding. The beds were made longer than standard with box springs and mattresses each with 400 springs. The water heating system was designed to assure sufficient hot water to any guest at anytime. There were no kitchen facilities in the rooms. However, in case it became desirable in the future, means of adding kitchen facilities were provided in ten rooms. As an added bonus to the guests at the Casa de Pico Motor Hotel, the Presidio Hills Golf Course was made available to them. A driving range open at night proved very popular with motel guests.
The Tourist Court
Journal article concluded with: �It can be said that Kenneth Cardwell�s
Casa de Pico Motor Hotel is one of
40s & 50s
The El Pico Dining Room opened in 1942. This structure was built under the direction of Frank K. Cardwell. It was envisioned as dining facilities for guests staying at the Casa de Pico Motor Hotel. Catering not only to the ever-increasing number of automobile traveling tourists visiting Old Town, the El Pico Dining Room served defense workers from the nearby aircraft manufacturing plants as well. While construction and design elements are strongly suggestive of Richard Requa, it is thought that Cardwell simply mimicked Requa�s style in order that the dining hall complemented the adjacent motor hotel. The facility was renamed El Nopal in 1949.
James and Cora Cardwell, parents of Frank K. Cardwell, purchased the Casa de Bandini from the estate of the late Cave J. Couts, Jr., grandson of Juan Bandini, for $25,000. Couts, in the 1930s, turned the casa into a hotel and rooming house. In 1947 and 48, the Cardwells heavily remodeled the building; reopening it in 1950 as the Casa de Bandini Hotel. The City Directory for that year listed the Hotel as offering: �Exclusive Motor Hotel Accommodations.�
Taking a queue from the Casa de Pico Motor Hotel, and even the El Pico Dining Room, the Casa de Bandini Hotel was remodeled in the romantic Spanish Colonial style of architecture.
End of the motel,
beginning of the park
In 1968, the Casa de Pico Motor Hotel was secured by the
State of