Historic Golden Avenue 'James House' to Be Auctioned Off

A piece of local history will be up for grabs when the 1931 James House goes to public auction next month in San Diego.

Caltrans, which purchased the property as a right of way acquisition when the state Route 125 freeway project came through Lemon Grove, will sell the historic home located at 8336 Golden Ave. to the highest bidder. Caltrans has determined the real estate to be surplus and will put it on the auction block Nov. 8 at its district office in Old Town.

“The James House by Frank L. Hope is a Monterey Revival and utterly wonderful,” said Helen Ofield, president of the Lemon Grove Historical Society. “Like the Lee House, it retains original windows and doors and all hardware, floors, bathroom tile, interior arches, 12-inch thick walls, tile floors, hand-wrought curtain rods and more.”

The 81-year-old James House was designed by noted San Diego architech Frank Hope Sr., and qualified for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The 2,770-square-foot home sits on more than half an acre of land, and features 4 bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a basement and two-car garage. Caltrans calls the home an “excellent example of Monterey Colonial architecture.”

According to Ofield, the historical society will oversee renovations and restoration of the property.

An open house tour was conducted Sunday, and there is another scheduled for Oct. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Serious buyers are required to put up a certified check for $7,500 to get a bidding number. Registration starts at 9 a.m. Nov. 8, with the auction at 10 a.m.

The opening bid is $161,000, Ofield said.