1888 - Louis Bank of Commerce - San Diego, CA - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

The date "A- 1888 -D" appears on the facade above the second story of this historic building. It is difficult to tell what materials were used and whether it is original.

The plaque at the entrance to this building reads:

"32 Louis Bank of Commerce, 1888. Punctuated by twin rising towers, San Diego's first granite building is an excellent example of Baroque Revival architecture. The four-story structure housed the Bank of Commerce until 1893, when entrepreneur Isidor Louis opened an oyster bar which became a favorite of Wyatt Earp. The upper floors later became known as the Golden Poppy Hotel, a notorious brothel run by fortune-teller Madame Cora. Her ladies wore dresses colored to match the doors of their rooms."

Interestingly, the sign doesn't include this additional piece of history:

"According to Kenneth Cilch's book, Wyatt Earp The Missing Years, Wyatt came to San Diego between 1885 and 1887 and could have remained here as late as 1896.

He was an active businessman in addition to a gambler and was engaged in a variety of real estate ventures, capitalizing on the land boom in the mid 1880's. Earp leased four saloons and gambling halls in San Diego, the most famous was his Oyster Bar located in the Louis Bank of Commerce on Fifth Avenue. He was listed as a capitalist (gambler) in the San Diego City Directory in 1887 and among his other winnings, he won a race horse."
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Year of construction: 1888 Full inscription: "A- 1888 -D" Cross-listed waymark: Not listed

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