Take a Free Walking Tour of Del Mar and Learn About Some of Its Early Residents and History.
This self-guided walking tour of Del Mar is part of a series of self-guided tours put together by the Del Mar Historical Society. This walk, along with 4 other fantastic tours, are contained in their book titled, Discovering Del Mar’s Past, which can be obtained by making a small donation to the Del Mar Historical Society. Be sure to visit their website for more information.
This particular tour takes you on a historical adventure through the heart of Del Mar's downtown district as you walk from L'Auberge on the corner of 15th Street and Camino del Mar, to the foot of 10th Street, and back. Along the way, you'll learn about some of Del Mar's earliest residents, some of them famous, and get to see some of the first homes and historical buildings dating back to the late 1800's.
To fully enjoy this self-guided walking tour, download our app to get started!
Once you have the app, tap on Walks, then tap on Del Mar Historical Walking Tour #1.
The tour begins in front of the L'Auberge Hotel near the corner of Camino Del Mar and 15th Street.
Stratford Square 1934
Below is an excerpt from the beginning of the tour:
L'Auberge was built by local resident, Jim Watkins in 1989 on the site occupied by the Stratford Inn that the South Coast Land Company opened in 1910. A prominent Los Angeles architect, John C. Austin, was hired to design the Inn in an English Tudor style with luxurious appointments and up-to-date features. From its inception, the Inn was a success, both as a tourist destination and as a means through which the Land Company could attract clients for the sale of beach and hillside lots.
The Stratford Inn was three stories high with 75 guest rooms, an elegant dining room, ballroom, and a grand lobby featuring a large brick fireplace. From the back of the hotel, sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and glorious sunsets could he enjoyed while sipping cocktails on the wide terrace. Lush gardens surrounding the hotel were designed by landscape architect Kate Sessions who has a park in San Diego named after her. Terraced gardens and pathways leading to the beach below were filled with flower beds, palms, pines and cypress trees. And at the beach, hotel guests could enjoy a heated salt-water swimming pool.
In 1926 the hotel's name was changed to Hotel Del Mar to more closely identify it with the town. During the 1920s and 30s, many prominent persons bought land and built houses in Del Mar, including four out of five of the SCLC founders. In adjacent Rancho Santa Fe, Hollywood star Bing Crosby had a ranch; and Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks lived at their Rancho Zorro, now the development called Fairbanks Ranch.
When, in 1937, Bing Crosby and fellow actor Pat O'Brien opened the Del Mar racetrack the Hotel Del Mar became the place to stay for race-loving celebrities, some of whom later established their homes here. In the hotel's cabaret, well known performers, such as Liberace, Carmen Miranda, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin gave evening programs. During summer months, Del Mar became a place where Hollywood's elite came to relax and play, away from the glare of publicity. Those were Del Mar's Golden Years.
The hotel was sold in 1943 and, while passing through numerous hands, slowly fell into dereliction. It was closed in 1963 and finally demolished in 1969. The hotel property stood empty and accumulated weeds for two decades until Jim Watkins bought it and built L'Auberge, not as a replica of the old hotel but embodying its welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. After Watkins sold it, it has had a series of owners and has recently undergone a complete renovation.
