The Distinct Modernism of San Diego

pastedGraphic.pngThe Wednesday Club (1911), 540 Ivy Lane, San Diego, designed by Hazel Wood Waterman
(Photo: Andreas Koester)

A Lecture and Book Signing
with
Rev. Dr. Mark Hargreaves

Saturday, November 21, 2026, 10:00 AM

San Diego History Center
Casa de Balboa
1649 El Prado, Balboa Park

San Diego’s contribution to the story of Californian Modernism has been sadly neglected. This lecture corrects that oversight by examining the work of several key architects. The architects who will be discussed were born and raised in San Diego or spent their careers in the city. These figures include Irving J. Gill, Hazel Waterman, Lloyd Ruocco, Sim Bruce Richards, Cliff May, and Kendrick Bangs Kellogg. An examination of their work reveals that a distinct modernism emerged in San Diego which was shaped by the legacy of Gill.

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(Photo: Walter DuMelle)

Rev. Dr. Mark Hargreaves is the Rector of St James by-the-Sea in La Jolla. He came to San Diego from London where he was a Rector in Notting Hill for nearly 20 years. He did his undergraduate studies at Oxford University and then completed a PhD at Cambridge University. He has a master’s degree in “Christianity and the Arts” from the National Gallery and King’s College in London. The Distinct Modernism of San Diego, with co-author Haillie Swenson, is his second book. His first was The Sacred Architecture of Irving J. Gill (2023). The lecture will be followed by a book signing.

pastedGraphic_2.pngThe Babcock House (1957), 2694 Bayside Walk, Mission Beach, designed by Ken Kellogg
(Photo: Andreas Koester)

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PLEASE NOTE:
Our FSDA programs are being presented in a new location, the San Diego History Center.
Refreshments 10:00–10:30, program 10:30–11:30
Admission to the museum is free but donations to SDHC are welcomed.
A $5 donation to FSDA is requested.
For current parking information, see: Parking Information for Balboa Park.