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A Black Pioneer
Black Historic Site
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History of Blacks in Downtown San Diego (1860-1960)
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San Diego is
rich in African American history and culture. Black roots run deep in this city
and deeper in the County. When the Portuguese explorer Juan Cabrillo landed here
in 1542, several black slaves accompanied him. A few black Americans settled
here while San Diego was still a Spanish colony. In 1804 for example, John
Brown, a slave aboard the O'Cain, jumped ship to freedom.
The
first building ever designated an historic African American site in San Diego
was the Clermont Hotel. Built in 1887, The hotel was placed on the local
register of historic African American places on December 20, 2001. It is located
at 501 Seventh Avenue. By the mid-1920's the hotel's location had become part of
San Diego's historic Harlem of the West, a predominately black business and
residential district in downtown.
In an effort to
provide a comprehensive understanding of the history and contributions of Blacks
to the development of downtown San Diego, CCDC hired Mooney & Associates to
conduct historical research.
