On November 5, 1885, Jacob Taylor sold the first lot in his new Del Mar. It was Lot 14, Block 10, and Don Diego de Jesus Alvarado paid $600 for it, including a house. The deed contained a clause, “…this conveyance is made and accepted upon these express conditions that the said party of the second part [Don Diego] shall not use or employ the said land and premises or any part thereof for the purpose of carrying, exercising or conducting any saloon for the dealing of intoxicating liquor of any kind, either alcoholic, malt or fermented or any house of ill fame or for any species of gambling.” Lot 14, Block 10, became 144 10th Street, and it was used as a residence until 1985, when it was threatened with demolition to make way for new construction. After some negotiation, the owner donated the house to the Del Mar Historical Society and paid to have it moved to the City Hall parking lot where it sat for several years before being moved to the San Diego County Fairgrounds, where it sits today. During the Fair, it is open to the public with docents to tell about its history. A major goal of the Del Mar Historical Society is to bring the Alvarado House back into Del Mar. We are searching for the ideal location, and the recently-acquired Del Mar Shores School property may be that place. The goal includes a museum for the display of Del Mar artifacts, an atmospheric-controlled storage room, and a meeting room. |