Balboa Park in San Diego in San Diego County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Balboa Park West Mesa

Photographed by Adam Margolis, October 29, 2022

1. Balboa Park West Mesa Marker

Inscription. Extending from Sixth Avenue to Highway 163 and from the north to south boundaries of the park, the West Mesa remains Balboa Park's most recognizable example of the design style perfected by American landscape pioneer Frederick Law Olmsted. Samuel Parsons, It was the landscape architect commissioned in 1902 to create a comprehensive plan for San Diego's 1,400 acre City Park. His Olmsted inspired design sought to enhance the natural setting with judicious plantings, curvilinear roads respecting the terrain, and the creation of a pastoral setting without structures and other visual distractions.

Early landscaping of the West Mesa occurred along Sixth Avenue in 1885 and after 1892 when Kate O. Sessions Nursery was established within the park's northern border. Under a ten-year lease, Sessions planted more than 1,000 trees in the park. She demonstrated the horticultural potential of the largely barren land with a wide variety of tree species, seasonal flower displays, and flourishing nursery stock.

For the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, the West Mesa was improved with Balboa Park's first rose garden, sweeping picnic

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lawns, and an aviary. At the entrance of the dramatic Cabrillo Bridge, small ticket booths and gates were built across Laurel Street, anchored at each end with small stucco gate houses. Left in place when the entry gate was removed, the matching structures were restored in 2016 and offer a subtle introduction to the elaborate Spanish Colonial Revival exposition architecture across Cabrillo Canyon.

Erected 2016 by Friends of Balboa Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Bridges & Viaducts • Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1902.

Location. 32° 43.873′ N, 117° 9.475′ W. Marker is in San Diego, California, in San Diego County. It is in Balboa Park. It is on El Prado, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Diego CA 92101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Peninsular Ranges.

It is also in the American Borderlands

and on the Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

on the Pacific

Photographed by Adam Margolis, October 29, 2022

2. Balboa Park West Mesa Marker

Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cabrillo Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Administration Building (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Discovery of California (approx. 0.3 miles away); David Charles Collier (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Balboa Park Club (approx. 0.3 miles away); California Quadrangle (approx. 0.3 miles away); Craig Noel (approx. 0.4 miles away); L/CPL Kenneth J. Haywood U.S.M.C. (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Diego.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. This page has been viewed 761 times since then and 117 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 3, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.