According to the San Diego History Center, “George Marston was one of the great community servants in the history of San Diego” (San Diego History). In 1907, George Marston along with Charles kelly, John D. Spreckels, E.W. Scripps, and A.G. Spalding acquired fourteen lots center in Presidio, with the goal of preserving the site. Marston first attempted to interest the city in taking possession of the land for a memorial park in the mid-1920s. Marston then changed his plans after five years of no progress and went on to pursue his plans discreetly. Marston saw the project of Presidio Park would give him the opportunity to combine both planning and park buildings so by 1925, Marston had obtained 20 acres for his project. Advancing with his plans,
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John Nolen was city planner and landscape architect in Cambridge, Massachusetts and had previously done worked for Marston in 1907 when he prepared the urban plan that Marston had commissioned. When George Marston requested Nolen to give him landscaping and planning advice, Nolen came over to Presidio hill and when he first saw the area, “he recommended a tract of forty acres as a more suitable landscape unit” (San Diego History). Nolen also mentioned to Marston that, “A building was needed at the top of the hill to serve as a monument and to set the tone of the park” (San Diego History). Nolen saw the potential of the area where Presidio Hill lied and knew that it needed to have a monument dedicated to the history of Presidio hill because he saw the significance it contained. Nolen inspiration for building a monument in Presidio Park led to George Marston to hire a leading local architect to design a museum that would be the monument. Johnson experience in designing Spanish Colonial and Mission style architecture lead to him design the museum with inspiration of Mission architecture that is related to the Missions the Spanish built while they had control of Presidio Hill. Now the museum is currently known as Junipero Serra Museum and was built in dedication of where Father Junípero Serra, with a group of soldiers, established the first Spanish mission and fort. Because of John Nolen’s role in the preservation of Presidio Hill, Junípero Serra Museum is a major symbol of the city as it stands where the beginning of California
John Nolen was city planner and landscape architect in Cambridge, Massachusetts and had previously done worked for Marston in 1907 when he prepared the urban plan that Marston had commissioned. When George Marston requested Nolen to give him landscaping and planning advice, Nolen came over to Presidio hill and when he first saw the area, “he recommended a tract of forty acres as a more suitable landscape unit” (San Diego History). Nolen also mentioned to Marston that, “A building was needed at the top of the hill to serve as a monument and to set the tone of the park” (San Diego History). Nolen saw the potential of the area where Presidio Hill lied and knew that it needed to have a monument dedicated to the history of Presidio hill because he saw the significance it contained. Nolen inspiration for building a monument in Presidio Park led to George Marston to hire a leading local architect to design a museum that would be the monument. Johnson experience in designing Spanish Colonial and Mission style architecture lead to him design the museum with inspiration of Mission architecture that is related to the Missions the Spanish built while they had control of Presidio Hill. Now the museum is currently known as Junipero Serra Museum and was built in dedication of where Father Junípero Serra, with a group of soldiers, established the first Spanish mission and fort. Because of John Nolen’s role in the preservation of Presidio Hill, Junípero Serra Museum is a major symbol of the city as it stands where the beginning of California