Save Our Heritage Organisation

Save Our Heritage Organisation, commonly known as SOHO, is a nonprofit historic-preservation organization based in San Diego, California. Founded in 1969 by Robert Miles Parker and an initial group of approximately 35 members, it was created to protect buildings and sites that expressed the architectural, cultural, and historical identity of the San Diego region. Its work combines direct stewardship of historic properties with public education, preservation advocacy, technical assistance, and campaigns against the loss or inappropriate alteration of significant places. SOHO's founding constitution described a broad preservation role: the organization could acquire, own, move, improve, maintain, repair, display, lease, or operate historic structures as museums or for other public purposes. That remit shaped an approach that has included rescuing threatened buildings, supporting relocation when in-place preservation was not possible, restoring structures for public interpretation, and helping privately owned properties through preservation easements. Its first major undertaking was the Sherman-Gilbert House, a Stick-Eastlake Victorian residence threatened with demolition. SOHO helped save and relocate the house to the Heritage Park area of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. The organization expanded its advocacy capacity in 1970 with the creation of a Preservation Council. The council was intended to monitor proposed demolitions and sales of historic buildings and alert SOHO to preservation threats. SOHO also collaborated with civic and professional organizations, including the Historical Site Board, the American Institute of Architects, and the San Diego Historical Society, on the acquisition and restoration of Villa Montezuma. This combination of watchdog activity and partnerships became a recurring feature of the organization's work. SOHO's preservation portfolio has included Victorian residences, commercial buildings, transportation structures, civic facilities, theaters, industrial properties, and religious buildings. Its projects and assisted sites include Villa Montezuma, the Santa Fe Depot, the San Diego Rowing Club building, Granger Music Hall, Horton Plaza, the Balboa Theatre, Temple Beth Israel, the Western Metal Supply Building, and numerous structures associated with San Diego's historic downtown and Old Town districts. Several residences, including the Harfield Timberland Christian House, Burton House, Bushyhead House, and Senlis Cottage, were relocated to Heritage Park. Through its Preservation Easement Program, SOHO has also helped protect the historic character of properties such as Cliff House, the Sherman-Judson residence, Wisteria Cottage, the Senator Hotel, Callan Hotel, Brunswig Drug Company, and Mission Brewery. In addition to property work, SOHO operates or supports museums and historic sites, including the George and Anna Marston House Museum and Carriage House and the Warner-Carrillo Ranch House. The Marston House, completed in 1905 in the Arts and Crafts tradition, became part of SOHO's museum holdings in 2009. The Warner-Carrillo Ranch House, dating from 1857, is associated with California's early overland stage transportation history. Public engagement is central to SOHO's model. The organization has sponsored historic-home tours, lectures, workshops, and preservation-related educational programming. It operates gift and book stores, publishes a bimonthly electronic newsletter, and maintains a publishing arm known as Our Heritage Press. Its annual Most Endangered List draws attention to locally threatened historic resources and adapts a nationally familiar preservation-advocacy format to San Diego conditions. SOHO also advises smaller neighborhood preservation groups and has partnered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The organization marked its fortieth anniversary in 2009. That year was associated with the release of the documentary Four Decades of Historic Preservation in San Diego County, produced by San Diego filmmaker and photographer Dan Soderberg. The film received a California Governor's Award for Historic Preservation. SOHO remains best understood not as a commercial product brand but as a regional heritage institution whose identity is expressed through stewardship, advocacy, interpretation, and community organizing.

Save Our Heritage Organisation was formed in San Diego in 1969 during a period when redevelopment and demolition threatened many older buildings in the region. Robert Miles Parker founded the organization with roughly 35 additional members, who prepared its constitution in April of that year. The constitution gave SOHO an unusually practical mandate for a preservation advocacy group: it could acquire, own, move, improve, maintain, repair, display, lease, or operate historic structures as museums or for other public purposes. The stated objective was to preserve representative examples of San Diego-area architectural styles for public education and benefit. SOHO's first project established the pattern for much of its later work. The Sherman-Gilbert House, a Stick-Eastlake Victorian residence, faced demolition. Rather than simply campaign for its retention, SOHO helped arrange its relocation to the Heritage Park area of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, where it could remain part of a publicly interpreted collection of historic buildings. The organization subsequently participated in the rescue, restoration, relocation, or advocacy surrounding a wide range of structures, including Victorian houses, commercial blocks, theaters, transportation buildings, industrial properties, civic facilities, and religious sites. In 1970, SOHO created its Preservation Council. The council functioned as an early-warning and monitoring body, tracking proposed demolitions and sales of historically important buildings in the San Diego area. During the same period, SOHO worked with the Historical Site Board, the American Institute of Architects, and the San Diego Historical Society on efforts involving Villa Montezuma. These collaborations reflected SOHO's broader role as a convening organization that connected residents, architects, historians, public agencies, and other preservation groups. The group's project history includes the Santa Fe Depot, the San Diego Rowing Club building, Granger Music Hall, Horton Plaza, Villa Montezuma, and the Balboa Theatre. In Old Town and Heritage Park, SOHO's work has included the relocation or preservation of the Harfield Timberland Christian House, Burton House, Bushyhead House, Senlis Cottage, and Temple Beth Israel. In downtown San Diego, the organization has been associated with the preservation of the Western Metal Supply Building, Simon Levi Building, Levi Wholesale Grocery Company, Showley Bros Candy Company, Schiefer & Sons Aeroplane Company, Station A, the Carnation Building, Rosario Hall, Kidd & Krone Auto Parts Building, the T.R. Produce Building, an Art Deco fire station, the Bledsoe Company Furniture Warehouse, and the Western Wholesale Drug Company Warehouse. Other listed projects include the Greg Rogers House in Chula Vista, the Percival Thompson House, Green Dragon Colony, the Julia Liffreing House, Warner Ranch, the San Diego Veterans War Building, the Canfield-Wright House, and Egyptian Revival buildings that received historic designation. SOHO's Preservation Easement Program extends its influence beyond properties directly owned or operated by the organization. The program protects historic character, particularly exterior features and façades, through legal preservation interests attached to participating sites. Listed easement-related properties include Cliff House, the Sherman-Judson residence, Wisteria Cottage, the Senator Hotel, Callan Hotel, Brunswig Drug Company, and Mission Brewery. The organization also developed a public-facing institutional portfolio. It maintains the George and Anna Marston House Museum and Carriage House, an Arts and Crafts residence completed in 1905, and the Warner-Carrillo Ranch House, built in 1857 and associated with California's early overland stage connection with St. Louis. SOHO uses such sites to connect architectural conservation with local social, economic, and transportation history. Education and advocacy have remained as important as physical restoration. SOHO has organized historic-home tours, lectures, and workshops; operated gift and book stores; issued a bimonthly electronic newsletter; and published preservation-related material through Our Heritage Press. Its annual Most Endangered List highlights threatened local resources, while its advisory work assists smaller neighborhood organizations seeking to protect historic places. In 2009, SOHO commemorated its fortieth anniversary. A documentary titled Four Decades of Historic Preservation in San Diego County, made by San Diego filmmaker and photographer Dan Soderberg, marked the occasion and received a California Governor's Award for Historic Preservation. The same year, SOHO added the Marston House to its museum list. The organization is also described as a partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Its continuing identity is that of a San Diego-centered preservation nonprofit using stewardship, advocacy, interpretation, and community education to retain the region's architectural and cultural links.

• 2009

  Fortieth anniversary and Marston House addition

  [1]Save Our Heritage Organisationen.wikipedia.org

  SOHO marked its fortieth anniversary, was associated with an award-winning documentary on San Diego preservation, and added the Marston House to its museum properties.

• 1970

  Preservation Council established

  [1]Save Our Heritage Organisationen.wikipedia.org

  A council was created to monitor demolitions and sales affecting historic buildings in the San Diego area.

• 1969

  Organization founded

  [1]Save Our Heritage Organisationen.wikipedia.org

  Robert Miles Parker and approximately 35 other members founded SOHO in San Diego and drafted its constitution in April.

• 1969

  Sherman-Gilbert House rescue

  [1]Save Our Heritage Organisationen.wikipedia.org

  SOHO began its first project by helping save and relocate the threatened Sherman-Gilbert House to Heritage Park in Old Town San Diego.

A regional nonprofit preservation institution combining direct stewardship of historic properties, public education, and advocacy for threatened San Diego landmarks.

• Museum and historic house · 2009

  George and Anna Marston House Museum and Carriage House

  A 1905 Arts and Crafts movement residence associated with George and Anna Marston. SOHO maintains the house and carriage house as a museum property, using the site to interpret architecture, domestic life, and San Diego history.

• Historic site and museum

  Warner-Carrillo Ranch House

  A ranch house built in 1857 and associated with California's first regular overland stage connection with St. Louis. It forms part of SOHO's historic-site stewardship and public interpretation work.

• Preservation service

  Preservation Easement Program

  A program that protects the historic character of privately held properties through preservation easements, with particular attention to significant exterior features and façades. Listed participating or assisted sites include Cliff House, Wisteria Cottage, the Senator Hotel, and Mission Brewery.

• Publishing

  Our Heritage Press

  SOHO's publishing arm, which produces or supports books and other material related to historic preservation and regional heritage.

• 1969Sherman-Gilbert House preservation campaign

  San Diego, California

  SOHO's first major project sought to prevent demolition of the Sherman-Gilbert House, a Stick-Eastlake Victorian residence.

  Outcome. The house was relocated to Heritage Park in the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park area.

  Source
• Annual Most Endangered List

  San Diego County, California

  SOHO publishes an annual local list of threatened historic resources to focus public attention on demolition, neglect, or other preservation risks.

  Source

• 1970

  Create a Preservation CouncilStrategy

  Background

  SOHO needed a systematic way to identify historic buildings threatened by demolition or sale.

  Action taken

  The organization established a Preservation Council to monitor local preservation threats and report them to SOHO.

  Aftermath

  The council strengthened SOHO's watchdog and advocacy role in the San Diego area.

  Source

• 1969

  Relocate the Sherman-Gilbert HouseOther

  Background

  The Stick-Eastlake Victorian house faced demolition and could not be preserved at its original location.

  Action taken

  SOHO helped save the building and move it to Heritage Park in Old Town San Diego.

  Aftermath

  The building became part of a publicly accessible historic-building collection.

  Source

1. 1Save Our Heritage Organisationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Save Our Heritage Organisation official websitesohosandiego.org