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Mission Hills Heritage Annual Historic Home Tour

The tall, slender palms gracing the sidewalks of many streets in Mission Hills today set the scene for the multitude of homes with a Spanish flair in the neighborhood, outside and in.

Hosted by Mission Hills Heritage (MHH), "The Romance of the Spanish Style," is the theme of the organization's Tenth Annual Home Tour.

Featuring docent-led tours of the interiors of six residences and a self-paced walk through the historic neighborhood, families of the privately-owned homes will open their doors to a variety of Spanish architectural styles such as Spanish Revival, Spanish Colonial, and Spanish Eclectic.

Well-known San Diego architects and builders who built in these styles in Mission Hills include Richard Requa, William Templeton Johnson, Ralph Hurlburt, Alexander Schreiber, William Melhorn and Morris B. Irvin.

A number of factors set off the movement for Spanish style homes, most of which were built in the 1920s and 1930s and are based on a romanticized view of "New Spain" that had spread from 16th century Mexico northward to the 18th century California frontier, and which replaced the earlier Arts and Crafts period. The Spanish Baroque buildings that were construted in Balboa Park for the Panama California Exposition in 1915 became part of a larger movement in the southwest and other parts of the country. In San Diego they still play an important role in the style 100 years later.

On this year's tour docents will point out Spanish design elements, such as intricate tile work, carved wood beams ,wrought iron work, and decorative lighting fixtures and bubbling courtyard fountains that welcome the visitor.