In the late 1800s, during La Jolla’s early development, beach bungalows were the preferred style of home, and they were mainly used as seaside retreats and vacation homes. These simple cottages also served as early “hotels” for growing the tourist trade when people began flocking to La Jolla to enjoy its natural seaside beauty. In Howard Randolph’s 1955 book, “La Jolla – Year by Year,” he noted that a cottage could be rented for $9 a month, a far cry from what a cottage would rent for today. Beach cottages were simplistic in style and mostly single-level or one and a half stories with front porches. They were designed with single-wall construction and had redwood shingled or board-and- batten facades. Roof rafters were usually exposed, and the roofs were low, sloping and sometimes hipped or gabled. Windows were occasionally made of stained or leaded glass but were usually double-hung. Fireplaces or wood-burning stoves were used for heat, and, even if it was small, the garden was a main focal point of the cottage. Until 1913, many of the original beach cottages had names instead of addresses. “White Rabbit” or “Hug Me Tight” were names with whimsical tributes, or “Sea Cliffe,” “Puesta del Sol” and “Sea Dream” referenced their seaside location. Since there were no sidewalks and paved streets in these early years, dirt trails and winding pathways linked the cottages to the businesses and beaches. Residents planted star pine trees all around the community to use as landmarks. By the 1920s, more and more people began to make La Jolla their permanent home, and architectural styles began to change. European Revival architecture was growing in popularity during this period, and homes with English, French and Spanish characters were being built in new developments, such as the Barber Tract, Lower Hermosa, Upper Hermosa and the Muirlands. By the 1960s and ’70s, many of La Jolla’s original beach cottages were demolished to make way for new construction. Prior to this time, beach cottages were usually picked up and moved to new locations. This happened to many cottages in the Village, where it was becoming much more commercial, and people were choosing to move their cottages to quieter locations. Heritage Place in La Jolla’s Barber Tract is a preservation example of three early cottages moved from lots in the Village. Today, literally only a handful of La Jolla’s early beach cottages remain in our community, including the Red Roost and Red Rest on Coast Boulevard. The beach bungalow, at 383 Westbourne St., was built in 1920 when the surrounding area was known as Neptunia and prior to Phillip Barber purchasing the land we call the Barber Tract. While this charming cottage has had a few changes made to it over the years, it still reflects the ambience of Old La Jolla and is indicative of the style of home that was once found throughout our community. Offered for sale, the property also features a detached guesthouse and a two-car garage.
