Zondra Schmidt, a local pioneer in the modern Gaslamp revitalization and restoration. It later became SRO affordable housing under the ownership of Mrs. In 1939, the Onyx became the Rex Hotel, and in 1941, it became the Gates and remained so until 1956. The 1921 Sanborn Fire Map clearly reveals steel trusses built to hold up lockers and labeled as such. Later, it was rumored to be a “locker club,” where servicemen could keep a locker with their civilian clothes to change into before embarking on a night on the town. Indeed, numerous sailors and soldiers were caught at the hotel, and bottles of beer, wine, gin and whiskey were confiscated. Alexandrea (Ramon) Garcia, was illegally selling alcohol to servicemen. It was widely rumored that the current owner/manager, Mrs. In 1917, under the direction of Mayor Louis Wilde, a police squad raided the hotel. Throughout those years, it had several proprietors and managers, several who had auxiliary enterprises on the premises, and things were not always peaceful at the Onyx. As the the earliest and longest tenant was the Onyx Hotel, the words “The Onyx” were outlined in green and white tiles in the inside of the main entrance, as well as on the stained glass above the entrance.įrom 1911 through 1938, the Onyx Hotel operated on the upper floors. The central doorway was crowned with decorative stained glass. The upper floors were divided into rooms and apartments. On the interior ground floor, located between two 25-foot storage areas, was a stairway leading to the upper floors. As the building was intended for commercial use, the large plate glass windows allowed for maximum display opportunities. The three-story building was built of cream colored pressed brick with prism glass and plate glass fronts. It was said to be patterned after the nearby Fritz Building on Fifth and F Streets. The structure was designed in the modern commercial style, which was beginning to be the norm in the burgeoning commercial district. The cost for the combined buildings was $55,000. It was additionally noted that the new building would replace the last frame landmarks on the Fifth Avenue business corridor. Coates was to have constructed an adjoining building, also with a 50 foot frontage, for a different owner, who also replaced Coates with Standard Iron Works. Coates to construct the current building, but a contract dated two weeks after Coates was hired indicates that the actual commission was awarded to the Standard Iron Works. The new owners initially hired contractor T.W. The most consistent businesses, however, were the Mercantile Restaurant and Fashion Dye Works.įinally, in 1910, the property was sold to S.W. Cosper, a jeweler, real estate offices, two restaurants, barbers, a photographer and a cigar store. These included a millinery store/residence run by Mrs. Throughout the years, the property exchanged hands on a regular basis, with the only buildings on the site being a series of frame, one-story structures, which housed various businesses. Dunnells is credited to have built the first hotel in Newtown (San Diego) in the early 1850s. In 1868, he sold the lot to another notable early San Diegan – Capt. This property, like all others, was originally owned by Alonzo Horton.
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