Heilman Villas, 706-720 Orange Avenue & 1060-1090 Seventh Street, Coronado, San Diego County, CA

Significance: Heilman Villas (Babcock Court) was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 as an excellent example of the bungalow court, retaining intact details of artistic design and craftsmanship successfully adapted to a housing form affordable to individuals with modest incomes. The complex expresses the aesthetics of much grander homes of the 1920s period. Ten bungalows and one two-story duplex are grouped on a landscaped central courtyard and surrounding areas of the nearly half-acre lot, affording comfortable interactions between indoor and outdoor living. The stuccoed building exhibit Mission-style architectural elements, such as crenellated parapets, canales, and bracketed and mission-tiled awnings. Interiors reflect Craftsman priorities through hardwood floors, built-in writing desks and cabinetry, and arched leaded-glass windows. Overall, the complex conveys clearly the essential qualities that made the bungalow court a successful response to the housing need generated as a result of rapid urban growth in the 1920s. By providing both a sense of community and a separate residence, the bungalow court was a successful compromise between urban tenements and traditional single-family homes.
Survey number: HABS CA-2341
Building/structure dates: 1922 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 92000319