The John Steven McGroarty Spec House No. 1, A Spanish Colonial Revival Overlooks the Pacific Ocean on Sunset Cliffs
Captivating from the moment you open the gate in the white stucco wall and step onto the stone courtyard that leads to the arched wooden front door.
Its historical roots are noted on the official City of San Diego plaque at the gate as the John Steven McGroarty Spec House No. 1, built in 1927 and designated as a Mills Act home in 2013.
The history of the Devonshire Drive home is an integral part of the development of the Sunset Cliffs area. In the early 1920s, John P. Mills, a successful Los Angeles real estate developer, bought 300 acres on Sunset Cliffs from baseball magnate Albert Goodwill Spalding and began developing it. In 1927, the John P. Mills Organization Inc., in partnership with Pantages, Mills and Shreve Co., set about to sell lots in an area they called the Riviera Villas.
The home was meticulously renovated by San Diego architect Lee Hope in 2011 under the strict guidelines of maintaining its historic character to qualify for the Mills Act designation in 2013. According to Hope’s website, he is a native San Diegan and third generation Hope architect.
The renovation involved a complete remodel of the upper and lower levels of the residence while refreshing but keeping the living and dining room authentic to the original.
Each room is a delight — red Spanish-tile stairs with a wrought-iron hand rail lead to the upper level with two secondary rooms, laundry, den, dramatic tile shower in the large bathroom and an exquisite primary suite with a fireplace. Nearly every room has a view of the ocean.
The kitchen is open to a large family room and light floods in from all sides through arched windows and French doors. Another formal living room is off the dining room.
The large lot property has a pool and incredible jungle-like landscaping. Several rooms have their own private balconies overlooking the ocean and various outdoor entertainment areas.
A spectacular tiled jacuzzi featuring two large peacocks in shades of light blue and yellow is the centerpiece of the courtyard that is off a den in the back.
The builder of the home, McGroarty, was a poet, Los Angeles Times columnist and author who also served two terms as a California Democratic Congressman from 1935 to 1939.
He wrote a poem about the home he referred to as “The Harbor of the Sun.” An excerpt:
“In the heart of man there are two times of longing — the time of youth that longs for wealth and power, and the time of retrospect when the soul grows wiser. And for these times and all times, the Harbor of the Sun waits with both a solace and a reward.”
