The William Heath Davis House is significant for an amazing number of reasons, including the fascinating life of its original owner, William Heath Davis, the man who first tried to develop modern San Diego, and the fact that it is the only known structure left standing that was home to Alonzo Horton, the man generally credited with being the San Diego's founder. Also, the facts that its original use was a pre-civil war soldiers officers quarters, that it was operated as San Diego's county hospital, that it is the oldest wooden structure standing in San Diego and the fact that it was lived in until 1981 but was never modified or electrified, all add to importance of the building and its significance to history. There is even an unverified story of a German Spy who lived in the attic during World War I! Nowhere else in San Diego can you find a structure that has such history over such a long time span.

When William Heath Davis was trying to start his "New Town" by San Diego Bay, he had to use pre-fabricated houses that were delivered to San Diego by ship. Because there were no trees in San Diego, William bought between 8-10 of these houses from a ship called The Cybell, and had them set up on his land near where the historic "Star of India" iron sided ship is now docked. The house was set up on the corner of State and Market Streets, and William rented it to military officers. He set up another house on the corner of State and "F" Streets as his personal residence. The officers who lived in the house later became leaders in the Civil War and went on to become generals.

In 1867, Alonzo E. Horton and his wife Sara bought 1/2 interest in the house. They had just arrived from San Francisco and, planning to start a town near the water, purchased the land surrounding Davis' property for very little money. The local town's people laughed at Horton, because they thought he would fail just like Davis had 17 years earlier. They were wrong, however. Horton was very good at marketing his new town, and soon people were moving to San Diego from all over the country. Most of the historic buildings in the Gaslamp Quarter are the results of Horton's efforts to promote the town. With the huge amount of money he made on his new town, Horton and his wife soon moved into an elegant new mansion, and left the little house behind.

After a series of owners, the house was sold to a woman by the name of Anna Shepard. In 1873, Anna had the house moved away from the water to the corner of 11th and "K" streets, and opened it as a County Hospital. The County of San Diego paid Anna $1.00 per day per patient to care for sick people in the house, and there are hospital records that show that at one time there were as many as 19 sick people living in the house. Many people were treated for illnesses like tuberculosis and for various injuries during its lifetime as a hospital.

In the early part of the 1900's, the house was purchased by a couple called the Lohmans. They knew who William Heath Davis and Alonzo Horton were, and knew that the house was historically important. They loved the house, and once claimed to have rented a room in the attic to a man who turned out to be a German Spy during WWI! Having no children, they decided to take in a young man, George Deyo, and offered him the deal of a lifetime. They told George he could live in the house with them and keep it after they died for free, as long as he agreed not to change anything in the house. George honored their request, and the house remained virtually unchanged. In the later part of George's life, he took in a retired couple named the Lanuzas, and offered them the same deal. They also agreed not to change anything, and that's why the house never had electricity! The most modern addition to the house was indoor plumbing, which was installed around 1911.

In 1984, the house was moved to its present location at the corner of 4th & Island Avenues by the City of San Diego and completely refurbished. Each exhibit room of the house tells a story in the life of the house through the use of furnishings of the period. The museum is open for self-guided tours Tuesday thru Saturday 10am - 6pm and Sundays 9am - 3pm.

Thanks to the Lohmans, George, and the Lanuzas, and their forward thinking approach to the importance of history, we can all enjoy this charming and significant piece of our city's heritage.