The year was 1967. Two newly built modern structures stood in Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama as a stark reminder of failed preservation efforts. We were losing the Dream City bestowed upon San Diego for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. The Committee of One Hundred (C100.org) was formed that year by a dedicated group of San Diegans concerned about the destruction of Spanish Colonial Buildings in Balboa Park.
Four “temporary” Exposition buildings along the Prado had already been destroyed by 1967. Since the formation of The Committee of One Hundred, all four of the remaining temporary buildings have been reconstructed.
The Committee of One Hundred championed the reconstruction of the Food and Beverage Building (now the Casa del Prado). San Diego citizens passed Proposition M in 1968, providing $3.5 million for the new building, which was completed in 1971. The Electric Building was destroyed by fire in 1978, rebuilt in 1981 for $8 million, funded in part by a $5 million from a federal grant and renamed Casa de Balboa. The House of Charm was rebuilt in 1996 for $11.5 million and the House of Hospitality in 1997 for $15.5 million, each financed with 1996 lease-revenue bonds backed by the Transient Occupancy Tax on hotel and motel rooms.
Most recently, the Committee completed the restoration of two tile fountains and eight tile benches in Alcazar Garden. The committee raised the funds necessary to complete the project, which required over 1,800 tiles hand-crafted to match the originals.
Now celebrating over 40 years as an entirely volunteer organization, The Committee of One Hundred welcomes everyone interested in our mission of preserving Balboa Park’s Spanish Colonial Architecture.
About the Author: Michael Kelly is a retired physician and president of The Committee of One Hundred.
