If you’re ready for a journey into history, a touch of ghostly intrigue, and a glimpse of old-fashioned holiday cheer, the Davis-Horton House in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter has it all. This unassuming yet elegant structure at the Gas Lamp Museum is a remarkable testament to the city’s storied past.
A House with a Storied History
Built in 1850, the Davis-Horton House is reported to be the oldest surviving structure in downtown San Diego. Its original name, the William Heath Davis House, reflects its early significance in “New Town,” an ambitious settlement that became modern San Diego. With scarce local materials available at the time, the house was shipped from Portland, ME, as a prefabricated structure. Its saltbox-style architecture, characterized by a sloping roof and two-story front, is a rare feature in California.
The house was initially located near Market and State streets, later serving as a county hospital managed by Anna Scheper in 1873, where she earned $1 per patient daily. In the 1930s, George Deyo acquired the house, and by 1977, the Lanuza family donated it to San Diego. After a restoration project, the house became a museum in 1984, preserving its historical significance for future generations…