
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