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George W. Marston: Civic leader and naturalist who kept San Diego green
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George W. Marston made money hand over fist through his famous downtown San Diego department store and real estate dealings. But one way or the other, his profits returned to San Diego ten-fold, primarily in the way of parks and land donated back to the city. By creating parks, Marston preserved properties in perpetuity from developers.
In his two runs for mayor of San Diego, he was accused of being anti-business, and nicknamed "Geranium George". But with Marston’s influence, either direct or in part, came the creation of Presidio Park and the Junipero Serra Museum, Balboa Park, Torrey Pines State Park, and the 600,000 acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Where developers dreamed of building, Marston took back and preserved, even if it cost him a fortune. Lastly, as a tribute to the man, his Irving Gill designed home was gifted back to the city in 1987 by his family.
Marston came to San Diego in 1870 when the population wasn’t much more than 1,500. That number would continue to grow and at his death in 1946 had reached 200,000. In that first year in San Diego, Marston took odd jobs around town before landing a bookkeeping position at a general .jpg)
merchandise store called A. Pauly & Sons located at the foot of Fifth Avenue. In 1873, Marston and a friend bought out another store on borrowed money. They ran the store profitably for five years before going their separate ways.
On his own his new store prospered, becoming San Diego's premier department store located on the north side of C Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue.
As the store grew, so did his prominence and civic involvement. He sat on the city council and became a proponent for smart growth. He brought in an expert from New York to help create a plan for the city that included open spaces, parks, a civic center at bayside, and a public plaza.
He became Park Commissioner, and in 1882, a founder of the YMCA. He would serve on the YMCA board for the next 62 years with 22 of those years as president. He served on the first board of trustees of the public library, and was a trustee of several schools.
As an adored public figure he was referred to as the city's first citizen. He ran for mayor in 1913 and 1917, but lost both times. The 1917 campaign was marked by the slogan "smokestacks vs. geraniums" and they nicknamed him "Geranium George". It was a stressful time for Marston, but he never let up on his public work.
In the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake, he sent relief, giving tens of thousands of dollars in needed supplies. He did the same thing after the 1916 Hatfield flood and the 1925 earthquake in Santa Barbara.
Typical of Marston would be to purchase key parcels of land, create a park, then donate it back to the city. A perfect example is Presidio Park, which he purchased as raw land to preserve the memory of Junipero Serra and the first European settlement in Alta California. He upgraded the land into a park and contracted the design and building of the Junipero Serra Museum. Once completed, he donated both the park and Serra Museum to the city of San Diego in 1929.
In this way, he created the Presidio Golf Course. And on a larger scale Marston and others acquired land in eastern San Diego County which they gave over to the state and ultimately became Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
In 1902, with a $10,000 donation from Marston, the city hired a noted landscape architect from New York to prepare the first comprehensive plan for Balboa Park.
In 1928 he founded the San Diego Historical Society to help preserve the history of the region.
In later life, Marston travelled worldwide, climbed mountains and became a member of the Sierra Club.
The Marston home has recently been restored to its original luster with public tours beginning on July 25, 2009. Built in 1905, the home was designed for Marston by architect Irving Gill. The 8,500 square foot, four-story home is built almost entirely of redwood in the Arts & Crafts style of the time. It’s a Gill masterpiece and an opportunity to see his custom innovations built into the home.
Following in his tradition, the Marston family gifted the home to the city of San Diego in 1987.
Marston House Museum – 3525 Seventh Avenue in Balboa Park. Phone: (619) 297-9327 or (619) 297-7511. Open: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Admission
$8 for adults
$5 for seniors (65 & older)
$4 for children (ages 6-12)
Free for children 5 and under
Directions & Parking
The area is accessed from Upas Street via 6th Avenue. From Interstate 8, take 163 South to the University Street Exit, which will put you on 6th Avenue.
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