Long considered to be one of the birthplaces of California, San Diego is among the most historic communities on America’s Pacific Coast. The area’s first inhabitants were actually various tribes of Native Americans, including the Kumeyaay, the Payoomkawichum, and the Cahuilla. They occupied numerous settlements throughout the borders of present-day San Diego, with the largest being the village of Cosoy. Indeed, it was these indigenous people that the first Europeans encountered when they arrived during the 16th century. Led by Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the group had sailed north from the port of Navidad to chart the coastline. Upon sailing to the region in 1542, Cabrillo and his team claimed the territory on behalf of the Spanish Empire and named it “San Miguel.” Additional Spanish mariners continued to visit the region over the next two centuries, who eventually gave it the new title of “San Diego” in honor of a famous monk that lived in Alcalá de Henares. Nevertheless, no permanent Spanish presence appeared until the arrival of the Gaspar de Portolá during the latter half of the 18th century. He specifically created a military outpost known as a “presidio” in 1769, which adopted the name of the surrounding area. The presidio itself remained fairly small, save for a Franciscan mission that priest Junípero Serra constructed alongside it at the same time. (The mission was the first of a series that Serra created along the California seashore.) But settlers began to develop a town around the complex in the wake of the Mexican War of Independence that also assumed the name “San Diego.” The community initially grew in size shortly thereafter, although tensions with the neighboring Kumeyaay ultimately stunted its growth.

Despite its miniscule size, San Diego nonetheless became a strategic American target during the Mexican-American War. The town was one of several that the United States had captured as part of its greater effort to conquer California. Following the war, San Diego rapidly gained national economic importance throughout America due to its proximity to a natural harbor. To help facilitate its development, entrepreneur Alonzo Horton spearheaded the creation of a whole new section of San Diego closer to the ocean. This district was subsequently referred to as the “New Town,” while the original settlement became known as the “Old Town.” (The New Town is known locally today as the celebrated “Gaslamp Quarter.”) The relocation greatly affected the town’s future, allowing it to grow into a full-fledged city at the start of the 20th century. Also assisting San Diego’s growth was the arrival of the Santa Fe Railway during the 1880s, which allowed for the goods to head further into the American interior. As such, San Diego had become one of the country’s major metropolises by the 1920s. San Diego’s status as a thriving seaport inspired the various branches of the American military to eventually open their own facilities throughout the area, too. Among the most prominent were Camp Pendleton, Naval Base San Diego, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, which later played invaluable roles in conflicts like World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Today, San Diego retains its prestigious identity as one of California’s top communities. Not only is it the state’s second largest city, its also among its most culturally vibrant. San Diego is also home to many fascinating destinations as well, such as the Balboa Park, the Gaslamp Quarter, and the Old Town State Historic Park.

The Sofia Hotel stands in downtown San Diego today as a brilliant example of Gothic Revival architecture. Gothic Revival-style architecture itself is part of the artistic movement known as “Romanticism,” which swept through Europe and North America for much of the 19th century. This demarcated a distinctive break from the Neoclassicism of the century prior, which drew its architectural inspiration from the Greco-Roman civilizations of antiquity. The desire for the medieval design principles of Gothic Revival architecture reflected a broader trend within Western societies—particularly in European countries—to preserve the past in some meaningful way. As such, architects took to preserving the surviving buildings from the period, while also creating new ones that mirrored the aesthetic. The most common structural elements incorporated into buildings developed with Gothic Revival style were the pointed arch. This profound feature manifested in windows, doors, and rooftop gables. Yet, it also influenced the development of entire substructures, causing the creation of such features as mock parapets, conical towers, and high spires. Other characteristics associated with Gothic Revival-style architecture included a special kind of wooden trimming known as either vergeboards or bargeboards. Porches also featured turned posts or slender columns, while the roof was often deeply pitched and lined with dormers. Architects typically used this style for rural buildings set within a historic village or town, although some in the field—such as Thomas Pringle in America—chose it for commercial structures from time to time. Churches were the buildings that featured Gothic Revival style the most, as their natural layout was well-suited to showcase the best of the form.