San Diego’s Kensington

The mid-city San Diego neighborhood of Kensington was conceived as a streetcar suburb. Composed of several subdivisions, the first was Kensington Park, mapped on April 8, 1910. The principals involved in developing Kensington were also involved in creating the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park, and it was hoped that the throngs attracted to the exhibition would find Kensington to be a perfect place to build a home. The development of Kensington Manor, Kensington Heights, Talmadge Park, and adjacent subdivisions would bring Spanish-style houses, tree-lined streets, and a commercial core. Prominent people such as Judge Joseph Rutherford, Sarah Fitzpatrick Harden, G. Aubrey Davidson, two former Mexican presidents, and numerous politicians made Kensington their home. Ideal location, well-preserved architecture, and the small-town sensibilities of longtime residents combine to make Kensington a unique and desirable place.