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| The History of Kensington Heights | |
| On January 4, 1925 the first unit of Kensington Heights was opened. It was
developed by the Davis-Baker Real Estate Company of Pasedena. The Company was better known as the Kensington Heights
Company. George Forbes, an active realtor in the area, was the president. The first unit was north of Kensington
Manor's second unit with Hilldale Road marking the dividing line between them. The second unit of Kensington Heights followed May 24, 1926, just northeast of Unit One. Although both units had minimum building costs of $5,000 each and a minimum requirement of 1,500 square feet per dwelling, all the homes constructed exceeded the deed minimums. Lot prices ranged from $900 to $4,000. Davis-Baker also formed an architectural committee to make sure that the designs of all the homes in Kensington Heights met the high standards of this exclusive development. One of the committee, of course, was Richard Requa, a local architect respected for his design and development of Ojai and Rancho Santa Fe. Requa had a regular column in The San Diego Union about architecture and interior design. Davis-Baker took advantage of their association with Requa to run the Kensington Heights advertisement alongside the column. Mindful of that unique feeling of opulence one feels when touring Pasadena's more affluent neighborhoods, Davis-Baker had a goal that was both tangible and, with proper promotion, possible. The company recognized that the class of buyer they sought would be influenced by elements of location, architecture, and landscape. So they advertised that unlike other developments that were spectacular or elaborate, the houses in Kensington Heights were listed as luxurious homes of refinement. Richard Requa's theme of the ideal Californian dwelling became his "Southern California Style" architecture influenced by his trips to Spain. His work was sponsored by the Portland Cement Co., who wanted to encourage the use of stucco, as opposed to wood, for the interior and exterior surfacing of houses. Requa spent years in Spain making a careful photographic study of the "typical rural cottage of Andalucia." These included the round chimneys, arched doorways, and tile roofs. The Spanish urban contributions were window grills, balconies, and doors that were heavy, paneled, and studded. As a result of Requa's photographic survey of the Spanish and Mediterranean architecture, the Portland Cement Co. published a limited edition of three beautiful portfolios of this work. One marvelous portfolio was dedicated to iron fasteners, hinges, latches, and locks. Those of you who are well-acquainted with San Diego would recognize many of the SDG&E substations, with their studded doors and ornate lintels, as a perfect reflection of some of these prints. In early February 1926, Davis-Baker endeavored to involve the people of San Diego in a scheme to create more interest in both the subdivision and the "Southern California" type of architecture. An anonymous announcement in The San Diego Union stated that a man had purchased a lot in Kensington Heights, and not caring to hire a professional architect, was offering $100.00 in cash for the best amateur Spanish-Style designed home. The aspirant designers, the article went on, should personally observe the property, "to best determine the lay of the land". Richard Requa would serve as judge and the winner would receive, besides the acclaim, the cash prize. The San Diego Union kept the public informed with a running account of the numbers of contestants and discussed the surprising amount of architectural talent that was lying dormant in San Diego. The contest was won by a Mrs. Margaret Fickensen, and a second, third, and a number of honorable mentions were announced. The contest, of course, was fixed, and the design was pure Requa from the first. Whether or not the fine people of San Diego ever knew that they had been compromised is not clear; however , what was clear was that, like people at the race track, everyone loves a contest, win or lose. The thrill is the involvement, the expectation and, for Davis-Baker, the weeks of attention spotlighting Kensington Heights. The third unit was opened by the Kensington Heights Company on September 28, 1926. It is north of the first and second units, on the rim of Mission Valley. Many of the lots have a spectacular view of the valley and the San Diego River, the mountains to the east and north, and Mission Bay to the west. Minimums in the third unit were $7,500 and $10,000, depending on the lots, which were larger and costlier than those in the first two units. The third unit had underground utilities, the only area in San Diego to have these outside a small portion of the original La Jolla Muirlands. However, this unit developed slowly, and by 1929 there were only 24 homes constructed. Since there was no business district in Kensington at that time, it was planned to establish one at the intersection of Marlborough Drive and Hilldale Road. The Davis-Baker Company built a Spanish-design structure known as Marl-Dale. The original plan was to construct four matching structures, thus making the intersection a business quadrangle. However, this plan never materialized. Later, a gas station was built on the southeast corner, operated by Fred Richardson, whose wife, Jean, was a librarian in Kensington. Their daughter is Mrs. Leslie (Jean) Brock. This station was replaced years later by an apartment complex. Eventually, apartment buildings were constructed on the other two corners. George Forbes said later that he would not have built Marl-Dale had he known a business district would be developed in Kensington Park. Apparently the developers had not read even one of the deeds in Kensington Park. Otherwise, they would have known that the restrictions were to expire on January 1, 1926, and they would have suspected that entrepreneurs were anxiously awaiting that day when they could move houses away from Adams Avenue and start a business district there. George Forbes maintained his real estate office in Marl-Dale until he retired. Several different businesses occupied the corner, including a grocery store. In 1976 Jeanie Lee purchased the building and leased it to a variety of tenants: a dress shop, a gift shop, a beauty parlor, an antique furniture shop, and a snack shop. She renamed the building "Kensington Plaza." The building was later owned by Frank Salis and operated as Golden State Telephone. It is now The Center for Inner Work, a counseling and psychotherapy center owned by Ward Johnson and Barbara Miriello. An apartment building is located on the north side, adjacent to the building. The building has been beautifully restored and is now owned by Ward Johnson and Barbara Miriello of the Center for Inner Work and the Center for Inner Work Associates which represent a community of highly-qualified licensed therapists and interns who emphasize problem-solving and personal growth for the whole person, integrating the mind, body, and spirit. Recopied with permission from Claire Condra Arias, Kensington-Talmadge 1910-1997. |
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 Located at 5100 Marlborough Dr. Kensington area of San Diego, Ca 92116 Click for Directions. (Courtesy of MapQuest) 800-233-8080 |
