William Heath Davis House, 227 Eleventh Avenue, San Diego, San Diego County, CA

Significance: The House of William Heath Davis (founder of New Town San Diego), built in 1851, was probably the first permanent structure built in New Town by Americans. The materials for the building were brought around Cape Horn in the Brig "Cybell." The house was first erected on State Street, between Market and G Streets, and it was later moved to its present site at 227 Eleventh Avenue, between K and L Streets. / The William Heath Davis House was one of the earliest houses in New Town San Diego. Built about 1850 by Davis, the founder of New Town, the house is a well preserved example of a building constructed of pre-cut framing members, shipped by boat from Portland, Maine, to California, and erected in San Diego. Incorporating heavy, variably-sized framing elements, joined by mortise and tenon, it is the only surviving example of a number of such structures originally in the area. It was moved to present site c. 1873.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-80
Survey number: HABS CA-423
Building/structure dates: 1851 Initial Construction