Located in downtown San Diego, the William Heath Davis House is the oldest surviving wooden structure, as it was built in the 1850's.
Davis founded "New Town San Diego" in 1850. This was an attempt to build a town closer to the waterfront San Diego Bay, beleiving that a town close to the water would bring a fruitful trade. The William Heath Davis House is the oldest survining wooden strucuture in the New Town San Diego, now the Gaslamp Quarter, as it was built in the early 1850's. It is a great example of a pre-framed lumber "salt box" family home originated on the East Coast. The 140 year old William Heath Davis House is the oldest structure in the "New Town" section of downtown San Diego and has been turned into a museum that offers self-guided tours. The museum has been home to many fascinating people, including pre-civil war soldiers, a German Spy and the founder of San Diego, Alonzo Horton. Each room represents a historic period of the home and is filled with fascinating and amusing stories about the former inhabitants.
Museum Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11-3; Saturday & Sunday 10-4
