HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS: The History of Stanford Court Antique Store on Avenida Del Mar
By Christine Lampert, Architect, AIA, NCARB | Artwork by David Harris Lang
In Downtown San Clemente, at the top of Avenida Del Mar next to the old hotel, is a large antique store called Stanford Court, which is housed in two of the oldest buildings in town.
For almost 100 years, these two buildings have had many uses and, fortunately, have survived when so many other buildings have been torn down.
Stanford Court is an antique store today, but it was originally two buildings built in different years. The Taylor Building, next to the alley, was built in 1926, and the Berg Building, next to the historic hotel, was built in 1927.
The 1927 Berg Building was constructed of poured-in-place concrete and is a three-story building. Poured-in-place concrete was being used in Southern California during the 1920s, though mostly in taller buildings and not in San Clemente. It is assumed that it is not reinforced with steel, since codes didn’t require reinforcing until after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Early ads for the contractor, O.M. Berg, in the San Clemente newspaper advertised this as a fireproof building. Oddly enough, there is no indication that O.M. Berg was able to commission any other concrete buildings in San Clemente. It seems that all of the new buildings in the 1920s were wood construction with plaster finish inside and outside. Later, in 1936, the Miramar Theatre was a concrete building.
Old news clippings about the Berg and Taylor Buildings.
Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente Historical Society
The original use of the Berg Building was an open-air produce market with a large front door that opened up to the public. A huge open-air market in such a small town was very unique. Later, this same door was used to bring in cars when the building became a car showroom. The second and third floors were apartments and offices, which are still there today.
After many tenants over the years, the Berg Building eventually became a hardware store in 1945 and ultimately was combined with the Taylor Building into a larger hardware store. Bob Kutcher bought the store in 1965 and later sold it to Wilma Bloom, who ran the Bay City & Ace Hardware for years. Both buildings were sold to Michael Kaupp in 1995.
The Taylor Building saw many uses over the years, including several barber shops, a 1940s bakery and Linden’s TV and Electronics in the 1950s.
One of the most interesting tenants advertised that they could do a “Character Analysis” by using numerology. The numerologist was Lorol H. Caskey in Apartment 4. Caskey promised that she could help you find the “divine purpose of your life” and to “cease to meet life as an accident – live it as an art.” Mrs. Caskey is often mentioned in newspaper articles as a friend of Mrs. Ole Hanson and was very active in the new town.
The Berg Building and Taylor Building (now Stanford Court) in 1928.
Photo: Courtesy of the San Clemente Historical Society
Today, both buildings house the antique store Stanford Court, and Mr. Kaupp has restored most of the original design elements of the front facade.
Architects and is certified with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
She has lived in San Clemente for more than 45 years, and also resides part time in Hong Kong