A Lloyd Ruocco-designed home perched above a Mission Hills canyon is opening its doors to the public for the very first time on September 26, part of a 19th annual Historic Home Tour that for the first time in its history is dedicated entirely to midcentury-modern architecture. Visitors will wander through homes terraced into the neighborhood’s steep hillsides, tour a residence built around a lush interior courtyard, and browse a furniture exhibit featuring pieces by Eames and John Lloyd Wright set up inside the Ruocco house itself.
The self-guided tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and registration begins at Mission Hills United Methodist Church, located at 4044 Lark St., with coffee and vendor displays kicking things off, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Staggered entry times let ticket holders explore at their own pace, and docents stationed at every property share each home’s history and architectural significance. Guests receive wristbands granting access to each stop on the route, though the newspaper notes some time slots have already sold out ahead of the event.
Mission Hills Heritage advisory director and co-founder Barry Hager said design buffs shouldn’t miss it, per the same account, while event chair Sharon Lieder called the chance to tour these modernist homes rare. Tour tickets benefit the nonprofit’s mission to preserve the neighborhood’s historical assets. Membership pricing is $50, while nonmembers pay $60.
A Ruocco Landmark Opens for the First Time
The star of the lineup is the Robertson House, a home designed by Lloyd Ruocco and now owned by a local school, which is opening to the public for the first time as part of the tour. Inside, visitors will find paintings by San Diego modernist Richard Marks alongside the midcentury furniture exhibit, plus refreshments offered on-site. Ruocco graduated from UC Berkeley in 1933 and went on to co-found San Diego’s Design Center on Fifth Avenue in 1949 as well as the civic organization Citizens Coordinate for Century 3, according to Modern San Diego archive records, cementing his reputation as a founding figure of the city’s regional modernism…