Green Dragon Colony

   

La Jolla Timeline

1850

Lands of La Jolla incorporated as part of the City of San Diego

1887

Auction of lots in first La Jolla Park subdivision; considered as founding year of La Jolla

1893

Opening of La Jolla Park Hotel

1894

Railroad extended to La Jolla from San Diego; La Jolla Post Office established. Reading Room opened. Anna Held arrived in La Jolla and created Green Dragon Colony.

1895

First La Jolla Village Improvement Society organized

1896

Ellen Browning Scripps buys two lots on the ocean side of Prospect Street and builds her first home

1897

Library Association of La Jolla formed

1899

Barber Tract development begins (first known as Neptunia); first telephone lines installed

1904

Wisteria Cottage built

1905

Marine Biological Association organized, later Scripps Institution of Oceanography

1906

Ground broken for new bathhouse at the Cove; first La Jolla newspaper is published

1907-09

Architect Irving Gill designs a re-model of Wisteria Cottage for Virginia Scripps

1910

The Bishop’s School, with buildings designed by Irving Gill, is built; Gill also designs and builds first Scripps Institution of Oceanography building

1912

Opening of Colonial Inn (Grande Colonial La Jolla)

1914

La Jolla Woman’s Club is built

1915

Arsonist sets fire to several La Jolla buildings, including Ellen Browning Scripps’ house; work begins on new home designed by architect Irving Gill; La Jolla Community House and Playground, now La Jolla Recreation Center, also designed by Irving Gill, opens

1918

Scripps Memorial Hospital opens (first known as the Sanitarium); paving of La Jolla streets begins

1924

Electric railroad begins operations; Casa de Manana opens as resort hotel; street lights introduced

1926

La Valencia Hotel opens; The Balmer School started at La Jolla Country Club; The Muirlands development begins

1927

La Jolla Beach and Yacht Club formed (now La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club)

1931

Childrens Pool breakwater built

1932

Ellen Browning Scripps dies (August 3)

1940

Art Center organized in former home of Ellen Browning Scripps

1941

Camp Callan established at Torrey Pines Gliderport with start of World War II

1942

Wisteria Cottage becomes The Balmer School, later La Jolla Country Day School (until 1961)

1944

First stop signs erected at Girard and Torrey Pines Road

1947

La Jolla Playhouse founded by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer

1948

The Cove movie theater opens

1956

White Sands begins operations as a retirement home

1960

University of California San Diego campus established in La Jolla; La Jolla School of Arts and Crafts formed

1963-64

La Jolla Historical Society founded

1964

Salk Institute built, designed by Louis Kahn

1967

La Jolla Community Plan adopted by San Diego City Council

1974

University Towne Center shopping mall opens

1983

BLOB (“Ban Large Office Buildings”) organized to oppose large structures in the built environment

1987

La Jolla celebrates its centennial

1996

Architect Robert Venturi designs an update to the former home of Ellen Browning Scripps, originally designed in 1916 by architect Irving Gill, as the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego