♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Elsa Sevilla: Hello, and welcome to "Historic Places."

I'm Elsa Sevilla.

Thank you for joining us as we explore Southern California's rich history.

In today's episode, we take you behind the scenes of the remarkable restoration of Hotel del Coronado, fondly known as the Del in Coronado, California across San Diego Bay.

Our cameras have captured every step of the restoration process helping to preserve this historic gem and returning it to its former glory.

♪♪♪ Elsa: The iconic Hotel del Coronado is recognized worldwide for its Victorian architecture and stunning seaside location.

Alterations to the hotel began just a few years after its opening in 1888.

The resorts amend a master plan helped bring back many Victorian elements that had been lost for decades.

David Marshall: What used to be here which were in a recreated version of--is this front veranda, the front porch of the hotel.

Very large, completely across the south side of the building.

Beautiful wood floors, open ceilings, decorative columns, Victorian gingerbread.

This was all gone.

Yeah, and people have not seen this probably since the 1940s.

Rob Harper: It's a large responsibility but it's also privilege and a lot of fun.

This is an incredibly unique business plan and project to be a part of.

You don't get a lot of these in your career.

Elsa: In the 1960s, there was a major expansion significantly altering the Del's facade by removing its iconic veranda, outdoor ornate ceilings, columns, and original set of stairs, replacing them with designs that didn't blend with its Victorian architecture.

Restoring these historic features was a complex task.

But the restoration project successfully brought back the hotel's original grandeur.

David: Track down drawings.

I mean, the hotel has a very good archives and we were able to reference the oldest floor plans that are known.

There's not a full set of drawings.

Apparently, when they built a hotel, they basically just had a general plan and then they worked with the various carpenters and designed it as they went along.

Elsa: Lead architect, David Marshall from Heritage Architecture and Planning, led the meticulous recreation of the Veranda in 2020, honoring the hotel's Victorian architecture and charm.

Workers recreated every detail including the original columns, gingerbread features, and the stained glass windows on the first floor.

Gina Petrone: We've done a painstaking restoration of it by looking at old photos, duplicating light fixtures, but it was really a gathering place for guests.

♪♪♪ Elsa: Historic photos, documents, and architectural drawings from the Del's archives were invaluable in recreating lost Victorian elements.

These photos guided the recreation of the veranda's intricate craftsmanship, ensuring the restored features feel as authentic as the originals.

Gina: And the door was originally four wooden doors together that would open up.

So very grand entrance really to the hotel and right next to the very large fireplace that was removed in 1936 and that we didn't know what originally looked like.

Elsa: Thanks to vintage photos and documents, the veranda's woodwork, columns, light fixtures, entry doors, stained glass windows, and many other elements were carefully recreated to closely mirror its original design while incorporating modern updates and meeting current building codes.

David: We're under the roof of the veranda, but we have the exposed ceiling which has what we call beadboard, tongue and groove.

So, it's a--it's an ornate wood plank.

And it's painted this color which the nickname for is haint blue.

The joke is because it ain't blue and it ain't green, it's kind of in the middle.

But in reality, haint is kind of a slang term for haunt because they used to paint Victorian porch ceilings this color to ward away evil spirits.

♪♪♪ Elsa: Recreating the veranda was a major and important project.

Each restored and replicated detail is preserving the hotel's Victorian heritage, allowing guests to experience the resort's elegance and storied past.

♪♪♪ Elsa: Next, step into a world of artistry and history as we unveil one of the Del's most cherished masterpieces, the stained glass window including the coronation window.

Its recent rehabilitation stands as a testament to the Del's commitment to safeguarding its history.

♪♪♪ Elsa: One of the main centerpieces at Hotel del Coronado is its original 5 by 6 stained glass coronation window, also known as the Woman in the Window.

It features nearly 700 pieces of glass and it was designed by architect, James Reid, who designed the famed hotel.

This unique artwork stands out for its exceptional design and size.

Bruce Coons: She's a spectacular window.

She was the focal point of the lobby originally and above the lobby fireplace for many years.

It's a focal point then, it's a focal point now, and she's just gorgeous.

Elsa: The rehabilitation of the antique window was part of the Del's amended master plan to restore the hotel.

Architect, James Reid, called the stained glass scene, an allegorical representation of Coronado with a landscape depicting San Diego's mountains, valleys, and bay.

Gina: This just shows some of the detail of the framing for the coronation window that was set in the fireplace.

It was visible from both inside and from outside.

Some of the things that this drawing reveals is that it was framed using Oregon sugar pine, which is the wood that we used inside the crown room.

Elsa: With the arrival of steam heat and fire concerns, many of the Del's original fireplaces were removed from its 425 guest rooms as early as 1892, prompting the relocation of the antique stained glass window in the 1930s and again in the 1990s to the fourth floor where it would stay for decades until its rehabilitation in 2020.

David: Well, we're floating above the Hotel del Coronado's front entry.

We're about four stories up.

Most of the glass is--has a special tape on it to hold it in place, that won't damage it.

The area of glass, it has hand painting on it.

We don't wanna use any tape.

Elsa: Standing on scaffolding nearly 50 feet high in 95 degree weather, we watched as workers removed the antique window.

David: If you are to identify one feature of the entire hotel that has the most historic significance, it's probably that window.

[saw buzzing] [hammer pounding] Elsa: During the hotel's restoration, work crews carefully removed the stained glass window from the fourth floor.

Over three days, workers dismantled the frame to free the window.

It was hoisted down with a big crane and transported to Bera Stained Glass Studios in San Diego's North County for a nearly year long rehabilitation.

Nicole J. Purvis: We were hired to do the rehabilitation on the antique stained glass window.

This window was built in 1887.

Elsa: Nicole Purvis and Brian Canfield of Bera stained glass studios, experts in antique stained glass restoration, rehabilitation, and recreations, assessed the window and discovered it had faced outward for more than two decades.

Despite being protected by plexiglass, prolonged sun exposure had caused significant damage.

Elsa: What condition was it in when it came in?

Nicole: It was in a failing state.

The lead came was completely deteriorated.

All of the joints were cracked and broken, all the lead joints.

They're not soldered yet so you can't really tell.

Elsa: To restore the iconic window, Nicole and Brian carefully studied its intricate design.

They could see architect, James Reid's vision in creating something grand that perfectly reflected the hotel's architecture in San Diego's landscape.

A thorough condition assessment of the stained glass window uncovered valuable insights into its overall condition and rehabilitation needs.

Nicole: The leading, which is the metal in this was severely deteriorated.

Oxidized, all of the majority of the joints were cracked.

The lead joints and solder joints were cracked.

There were pieces of glass that were coming out of the lead came and it had been in that state for a long time.

Elsa: Assessing the window was painstakingly slow but vital.

Nicole and Brian had the unique opportunity to see firsthand how this masterpiece was originally crafted.

At times, it was like piecing together a giant jigsaw puzzle documenting and identifying each piece.

The window was carefully cleaned and each piece was soldered on both sides.

That's nearly 3000 solder points for the entire antique window.

While most of the glass pieces in the window were maintained, there were three that were beyond repair and had to be completely recreated and hand painted to match.

Elsa: These are some of the original pieces that were part of the window.

Brian S. Canfield: These are some of the pieces that we chose to recreate because of the condition of the original piece was such that it couldn't be reused.

Even though this one has been epoxied, there's just too many internal fractures and visible fractures.

Elsa: It was critical to recreate the damaged pieces to preserve the antique window, especially because stained glass windows of such grandeur and intricate design are commonly linked with the architectural marbles found in European cathedrals and castles.

This is why the coronation window is so extraordinary.

Brian: Same with the arm.

Elsa: Oh, wow!

Brian: You can see some of it was epoxy, but also you can see the chips were just such to a degree, the aesthetics changed significantly.

And it's just--when you have a piece of glass that has this kind of internal cut or a 90 degree angle, it's just--it's so vulnerable we chose to recreate that one as well.

Elsa: During the rehabilitation, Nicole and Brian made some remarkable discoveries including rare glass pieces that change color under certain conditions.

These unique finds made from 1880s materials and chemicals reflect the Victorian Heiress craftsmanship, further enhancing the coronation windows uniqueness.

Nicole: But when you put a black light on it, it glows and it's uranium glass.

Also, sometimes people refer to it as Vaseline glass.

And it only glows in black light.

So, I was very happy.

I didn't know that they existed in the window until the conditions's assessment.

Elsa: With a remarkable stained glass window discoveries, Nicole and Brian prioritized preserving the design and integrity, working to retain as many original elements as possible.

Brian: In addition, you have these jewels as we call them.

And these are--there's a lot of jewels in different styles of jewels in this, but typically, they are hand pressed, they're, you know, you take molten glass, you put it in some sort of form, sometimes it's graphite.

And then it would have these kind of beveled recesses in it and then the glass is pressed into it.

Elsa: In addition to the large coronation window, three small stained glass windows on the third floor survived and were restored by Bera Studios.

Two missing stained glass windows on the same floor were uncovered through black and white photos and were recreated based on original window designs.

Nicole: This is one of the four historic antique historic windows.

It was built in 1887.

There's three of this particular style.

And the--two of 'em are with the red jewel and then there's gonna--there's two that'll have the blue jewel.

Elsa: Bera Studios also recreated 21 new windows for the Del.

Once completed, each window was carefully packaged and returned to the hotel for installation.

[crane whirring] Elsa: A large crane carefully lifted the antique coronation window back to its original second floor spot.

It was all overseen by Nicole, Brian, architect, David Marshall, and the hotel's construction team.

Our camera crew captured this historic moment.

It was like watching the original window placement in 1887.

And visitors now get to enjoy its beauty for years to come.

♪♪♪ Elsa: Behind the Del is the story of innovation.

It's industrial buildings.

These often overlooked structures were the backbone of the Del's creation and they laid the foundation for the city of Coronado itself, shaping both the hotel and the vibrant community that grew around it.

Elsa: Built in 1887, the historic industrial buildings were essential to the construction and operations of both the Hotel del Coronado and the city of Coronado.

Black and white photos captured so much detail from the hotel's construction site as hundreds of workers built the beautiful seaside Victorian hotel.

Gina: Originally, the power plant was the first building erected in 1887.

And that remained in effect until 1922, it actually supplied all of the power to Coronado Island itself.

So, it was built to be robust.

We also had a planing mill, we had an iron works, we had brick kiln there on property, everything had to be manufactured here on site.

Elsa: This view shows the industrial buildings and original south main entrance as they appeared in 2018 along with the ice house, storage areas, and other structures that were later removed.

David: Spaces became enclosed that originally were open air and that you have remnants of these old walls and you know this old green paint here which, you know, is easily 80 to 100 years old.

Elsa: Historic photos also reveal details of the original buildings such as the hotel stables which were later converted into a garage.

And support structures like the power plant, ice house, laundry, and carpentry shop, several of which served the hotel and community for over a century until 2018.

David: Now, there was a pretty intensive master plan process in order to evaluate all the existing buildings and basically assess which ones were important to the history of the building and which ones were less so.

Elsa: Our cameras captured key moments at the industrial buildings before their 2018 restoration.

Lead architect, David Marshall identified elements for preservation and others for removal.

The exterior power plant shows years of decay and modifications while the interior reflects non-historical changes.

The power plant underwent a major restoration in 2020 ensuring its preservation, revitalizing its historic significance.

David: This was all a patchwork of buildings and a lot of the windows that you see had been walled over, bricked in, or covered in concrete block.

Pretty much all the windows you see here are recreated because the original ones were either missing or damaged beyond repair.

You can see the windows that were restored and this was a former lower window that was here before the ice house was built.

Elsa: The utility tunnel connects the power plant to the hotel.

In the early years, transporting steam, electricity, and other utilities.

Once off limits to the public, the tunnel is now open as part of the hotel's historical tours.

David: It was intended to be big enough for people to walk through so people could service it and update it.

But some of these pipes date back to when the hotel was brand new.

Elsa: Right beside the tunnel, crews unexpectedly uncovered remnants of the original power plant building.

David: Well, this is one of the original features that we wanted to protect as part of the project and it's an old fire door.

It's--you can see it's an overhead supported fire door.

There were several of these throughout the building and it's got great character and charm to it.

And you know, we--there was no reason to remove it.

It's a historic feature of the buildings.

Elsa: The power plant supplied energy to the hotel in Coronado until 1922.

The nearby smokestack was also built in 1888 and it provided electricity to the hotel, Coronado residents, and businesses.

The hotel would switch to the city's electrical grid in 1956.

David: Well, we are at the back or the--I guess the east side of the powerhouse in the boiler room area as well.

And you can see all the original red clay bricks.

Now, they fired all these bricks on site.

This is where there were voids in the brick and the mortar was deteriorating.

So, this has all been restored.

This is a new opening to provide access.

You know, the building is still very much used and is necessary for the operations of the hotel, but it does show, you know, a lot of the restored work here.

Elsa: Built in 1889, the ice house produced up to 15 tons of ice daily for the hotel and Coronado.

After upgrades, it has been fully restored, preserving historic features, and reusing reclaimed items.

Gina: That's one of the most exciting aspects of the master plan to me, is the restoration of the ice house.

It was built in 1889.

It was added on to the power plant and it was built to accommodate a new 10-ton ice machine.

Elsa: Following upgrades, the ice house has been carefully restored, preserving its historic features and incorporating and reclaimed materials.

Now serving as the Hotel's museum, it celebrates the Del's rich legacy.

Built in 1919 from red brick, the laundry building serve hotel guests, Coronado residents, and businesses with five trucks and a branch on Orange Avenue.

Only one original truck survived.

Over time, wear and tear led to significant modifications though some equipment remained intact, offering a glimpse into its past operations up to 2018.

The building was restored by removing exterior white paint, refurbishing the brick, and adding seismic retrofitting all while preserving key historical details.

Gina: They meticulously used brushes and removed the paint.

It was one brick at a time.

And, so it was a long tedious process but a wonderful result and preservation of the brick.

Elsa: Due to extensive damage, most of the original transom windows were recreated.

Original windows that could be saved were carefully restored.

The skylights typical of industrial architecture of the era were also restored.

David: All the beautiful exposed structure, the wood trusses, the skylights or clear stories to bring in all that daylight.

And then the old conveying system for the laundry equipment is in the back corner there with all that red metal.

That's all original.

Elsa: The original machinery has been carefully restored and preserved remaining a key part of the building.

The adjacent machine, carpentry, and paint shop buildings built around 1910, served the hotel's needs until 2018.

David: You're looking at the backside of the siding.

There's no interior finish at all and then we have these big oversized trusses which are supporting the roof.

We have the original windows which we call these 4 over 4, double hung windows.

And one of the things I really like about this is it shows the original, what we call swirled glass.

It's an obscure glass that allows light in but not views.

Elsa: Despite their long history, the buildings lack significant historic value and were removed.

At the south end of the property stands the historic Oxford building.

Coronado's first hotel built in July 1887 at the same time as the Del.

It once housed the hotel's construction workers and in later years, it was almost demolished before being saved and moved multiple times.

Acquired by the Del in 1983, the Oxford was restored as part of the amended master plan.

The exterior is being restored.

We're bringing back the original colors and then we're also reworking the interior to make it a little more efficient.

It will still be used as offices, but it's a very much a historic hotel just like the main Del building is.

Elsa: Following the restoration of the industrial buildings and reimagining of the original South main entrance, guests can now experience Hotel del Coronado as visitors did in 1888.

It's preserved architecture and rich history ensure that Del's legacy endures for future generations.

♪♪♪ Elsa: The hotel Del is one of the most photographed and documented landmarks in Southern California.

During its restoration, a museum and archives room was dedicated to the Del's rich history.

Each item weaves together the hotel story and legacy.

Elsa: Step back in time at the historic hotel, Del Coronado, where black and white photos, documents, and ephemera bring history to life.

Key historical materials supported the Del's multiyear restoration from 2018 through 2025.

And for the first time in its 135-year-history and now features a dedicated space to preserve its legacy.

Gina: This is one of the most intriguing pieces of our collection to me.

These are Babcock's letters.

Says starting from February 1888, when the hotel opened till about 1904.

He was a prolific letter writer who wrote ten to 20 letters a day.

Anywhere from ordering coal, repairs on property, incoming guests, preparing for the king of Hawaii's arrival in 1890.

Elsa: These records along with the hotel's first architectural design and plans capture the details of Elijah Babcock Junior, Hampton story, and architect, James Reid's extraordinary vision of creating a grand hotel.

But at one point, part of the collection was removed from the Del.

Gina: All of the guests who stayed here at the hotel we have financial records, bell--employee records, payroll records, as well.

In 1977, we donated the collection to San Diego State University and it's been there for the past 40 years.

And we recently reacquired the collection.

It's really been a treasure trove of information for us that we did not previously have access to.

Elsa: Historical details from documents and vintage photos have been essential in uncovering the hotel's past shedding light on notable guest, key events, and the many changes made over time.

These insights have played a crucial role in the Del's master plan restoration with many discoveries now shared with the public through the exhibits at the hotel's museum.

Gina: In the very early days where people like Cornelius Vanderbilt, Mrs. JP Morgan came, Andrew Carnegie.

So, this was a place to see and be seen.

It was a very prominent place and especially for easterners who would come out to the hotel during the winter months, they were escaping the eastern climates.

Elsa: The documents are more than a historical record.

They are a window into another era capturing the lives of visitors from everyday guest to Hollywood stars, us presidents, and European royalty.

Each page preserves the hotel's rich legacy.

♪♪♪ Elsa: That's all for now.

Thank you for joining us on this episode of "Historic Places" where we help preserve Southern California's rich history.

I'm Elsa Sevilla, until next time.

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announcer: Support for this program, comes from the KPBS Explore Local Content Fund, supporting new ideas and programs for San Diego.