Ray Street History
Commercial Development on Ray Street
In the first half of 1937, there was a renewed surge of activity in commercial development. In April, two new concrete buildings continued the conversion of the 3800 block of Ray Street from strictly residential to mixed-use residential and commercial. One, a $5,000 store building by Calland & Eden for the plumbing contractor, Juda Howell, was completed at 3825-27 Ray Street. The lower floor was Howell’s plumbing shop. The upper floor was shared by an apartment and a lease space which in 1937 became the North Park branch of the San Diego Library (3837 Ray Street). Prior to its home on Ray Street, the library had for a few years occupied a single room in the Plymouth Center on University Avenue, followed after 1927 by a larger space in the Nordberg Building. The Howells lived next door to their shop, at 3821 Ray Street.
The other 1937 project was at 3809-15 Ray Street, a $6,500 store building for attorney Ovid E. Mark, who lived at 3794 Ray Street. The building permit for concrete and stucco stores was issued April 7, 1937. The initial building was constructed in a late Art Deco style, and Mark’s offices were in this building. Apartments were added on a second floor two years later, with a building permit issued August 30, 1939 for Hays & Jackson, contractors.
During the summer months of 1938, commercial development of the 3800 block of Ray Street continued as one of the last houses was removed for the construction of a duplex building at 3818-20-22-24. The building was constructed at an estimated cost of $7,500 for George B. Wittman, president of Ideal Grocers Inc. His home at 3812 Ray Street stood between the new building and his market, built in 1926, at 3804 Ray Street. The contractor for the new building was E. S. Lewis (San Diego Daily Transcript, May 9, & May 16, 1938).
“North Park: A San Diego Urban Village, 1896-1946 by Donald Covington”, and reprinted with permission from the North Park Historical Society.
