Horton Plaza and Broadway Fountain

Fountain in 1915

Horton Plaza is a small (half a city block) city park in Downtown San Diego, California. The Broadway Fountain stands in the middle of the plaza. The plaza was designated a historical landmark by the City of San Diego on March 19, 1971.[1]

The fountain's cupola with official name visible

History

The area of the park was sold to the city of San Diego in 1895 by its namesake, Alonzo Horton.[2] Originally, the plaza was intended for use by his guests staying at the Horton House Hotel.[3]

The fountain in the middle of the plaza was designed by Irving Gill, which he modeled after the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. Louis J. Wilde, banker and part-owner of the U. S. Grant Hotel, donated $10,000 to help build the fountain,[3] which was completed in 1910.[1] The engraving on the frieze reads "Broadway Fountain for the People." [4]

Cold weather in January 1913 caused the water in the fountain to freeze, an event rare in the region. San Diegans visited the fountain and stood on the thick ice.[5]

On November 2, 1960, then-Senator John F. Kennedy spoke at Horton Plaza to make a last-minute appeal for votes just six days before the 1960 Presidential Election.[6]

In 2012 the city undertook a major renovation of the 1.4-acre (0.57 ha) plaza area into an urban park and public gathering place called Horton Plaza Park. The operators of the adjacent Westfield Horton Plaza shopping center partnered with the city in the renovation and will manage and schedule the park. The plaza will host scheduled events such as concerts, movie screenings, and celebrations. The restored Gill fountain is the centerpiece of the plaza, which also has an amphitheater, an interactive pop-jet fountain, and light sculptures.[7] The park opened in May 2016.[8]

Geography

The plaza is bordered to the north by Broadway Ave and the U.S. Grant Hotel, former site of the Horton House Hotel. Flanking the east and west are 4th and 3rd Avenues, respectively. Immediately to the south is the Westfield Horton Plaza shopping mall.

References

  1. 1 2 "Historical Landmarks Designated by the SD Historical Resources Board" (PDF). City of San Diego Historical Resources Board. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Burnham, Mary Maud (Fall 1974). "SAN DIEGO'S HORTON PLAZA". The Journal of San Diego History 20 (4).
  3. 1 2 Amero, Richard W. "Horton Plaza Park: Where People Meet and Opposites Collide". Balboa Park History. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Coons, Alana. "The Broadway Fountain How it came to be SOHO's logo". Save Our Heritage Organisation. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  5. ↑ Pourade, Richard F. (1965). Gold in the Sun (1st ed.). San Diego: The Union-Tribune Publishing Company. p. 170. ISBN 0-913938-04-1.
  6. ↑ "Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy, Horton Plaza, San Diego, CA," November 2, 1960
  7. ↑ Hirsh, Lou (March 3, 2016). "May 4 Opening Scheduled for Horton Plaza Park". San Diego Business Journal. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "Restored Park Opens at Downtown’s Horton Plaza". San Diego Business Journal. May 4, 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
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Coordinates: 32°42′55.62″N 117°9′41.52″W / 32.7154500°N 117.1615333°W / 32.7154500; -117.1615333


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