Style 101: Monterey Revival

Walter J. and Grace Ogden-Ralph L. Frank House, San Diego, CA | Photograph by IS Architecture

The Monterey Revival style, named for Monterey, CA (where it is most prevalent) is one of the few styles born in America. In the early 18th century, Californians blended Spanish colonial and New England colonial styles into something new. These buildings were two stories, built of adobe, and featured prominent second-story balconies or two-story front porches. This became the Monterey style. The Monterey Revival style is uniquely geographical in nature — when it appears on the east coast, Monterey Revival buildings tend to have wood clapboard or shiplap siding that reflect the New England colonial influence on the style. In the western United States, however, Monterey Revival buildings feature fewer New England details and usually have stuccoed walls. On both coasts, timber frame construction has replaced the adobe precedents of the original style.

There are only 6 Monterey Revival historical resources designated in San Diego. Could yours be next? Check out our handy infographic below to see if your home features the defining characteristics of the Monterey Revival style!