La Jolla lost one of its greatest advocates and chroniclers of local history with the death of Patricia Schaelchlin on Wednesday, March 15, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. She was 81, and had remained active until her death.
Schaelchlin is survived by her husband Bob, three children and their spouses, and many grandchildren.
Schaelchlin fulfilled her passion for preserving the city’s history with impressive success. She was a gracious, charming woman with an incredible wealth of knowledge and she knew how to achieve her goals, associates said.
“She was a strong woman who made up her mind to do something and she was able to accomplish it, and it was all for the good of La Jolla,” said District 1 City Councilman Scott Peters, adding that her death is a great loss for La Jolla.
Schaelchlin was instrumental in relocating three cottages to La Jolla Boulevard to preserve their heritage. The cottages include the Martha Corey residence (the “yellow cottage”) built in 1906 that housed La Jolla’s first woman physician; the Horace Rhoads cottage built in 1917; and the Galusha Grow cottage built in 1895. The Dischelle family presently owns all three cottages.
“It was very important for Pat and Bob to show that this type of rehabilitation and restoration could be economically viable, because so many people were tearing down wonderful, significant homes, saying that they couldn’t make them pencil out,” said architect Marc Tarasuck, who worked closely with Schaelchlin.
Economically feasible preservation is even more essential today as property value skyrockets and developers want to build new, larger buildings, Tarasuck added.
Schaelchlin initiated the La Jolla survey in 1976 to inventory historical homes within the area. The city and coastal commission still use the survey to identify historical buildings, Tarasuck said.
While Schaelchlin’s legacy lingers in La Jolla’s cottages, her knowledge is on record at the La Jolla Library, where she donated her personal historical collection. Schaelchlin also made a substantial donation to remodel the library’s history room.
She chronicled her research and expertise in several books. She wrote “La Jolla: The Story of a Community” (1998) and “The Newspaper Barons; A Biography of the Scripps Family” (2003).
Beyond momentous projects, Schaelchlin was invested in the entire process. She presided over the La Jolla Historical Society, Friends of the La Jolla Library and Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO).
Schaelchlin’s expertise extended beyond La Jolla; she was a historical guru throughout San Diego. She helped create Heritage Park in Old Town by transplanting Victorian cottages from downtown. Schaelchlin also single-handedly managed to save the San Diego Rowing Club boathouse from demolition, Tarasuck said.
More than 100 people crowded into La Jolla library to honor her life on Wednesday, March 22. The city council adjourned in memory of Schaelchlin on Monday, March 27.
“Someone needs to step forward to fill her shoes,” said Bruce Coons, SOHO executive director.