OCEANSIDE — Two 120-year-old cottages on South Pacific Street, once occupied by notable residents, have received protected status after the City Council agreed on Oct. 9 to designate them as locally significant historic resources.
The properties, located adjacent to each other at 602 and 608 South Pacific Street, were originally constructed under separate ownership but have been held by the same owner since 1957 when Roy and Alta Boyer acquired them.
The current owner, Damien Masson, applied for the historic designation, which offers protections for the structures.
“A historic designation will provide protection of the historically significant property,” said Senior Planner Shannon Vitale. “Any proposed alteration or demolition that would alter the historic resource would need to come before (City Council) for approval.”
Masson is also seeking to enter into a Mills Act Contract with the city, which would grant property tax reductions to offset the costs associated with maintaining and preserving the historic homes.
Both homes were identified as eligible for local historic designation through a cultural resource survey conducted by the city in 1992. To qualify, a property must be linked to a historical figure and exhibit architectural or construction styles of historical significance.
Built in 1903, the two-story Dutch colonial house at 602 South Pacific Street is known locally as the Gertrude Bowers Cottage. Bowers, a prominent figure in Oceanside’s history, once owned the home. Bowers was the owner of the El San Luis Rey Hotel and a member of the Oceanside Improvement Company.
The Gertrude Bowers Cottage features characteristic Dutch colonial elements, including wooden shingles, horizontal wood siding, and a wooden front door framed by six glass panels on either side. A covered porch, supported by two Tuscan-style columns, adds to the home’s architectural charm. The front porch was enclosed in the early 1930s, but the house remains largely unchanged from its original form.
The second property, located at 608 South Pacific Street and known as the Curtis Cottage, is a single-story bungalow built in 1905. The home combines elements of prairie and craftsman architecture, featuring wood siding, double-hung windows, and a large front porch with a solid wood rail.
Clinton Curtis, the original owner and builder of the home, was also a member of the Oceanside Improvement Company. While the cottage underwent a rear addition during its nearly 120 years of existence, a cultural resources report confirmed that the addition did not diminish its historical or architectural significance.
The Curtis Cottage remains one of the few surviving beach cottages of its era in Oceanside.
Both homes are currently in fair condition, according to city staff.
“This is a wonderful, wonderful project,” said Mayor Esther Sanchez.
With the new historic designations in place, any future alterations or potential demolition of the homes will require City Council approval to preserve their architectural and cultural significance.