The San Diego-Coronado Bridge & National Landmark Status
The graceful blue bridge connects the island, Nixon hosts a historic State Dinner, and Hotel Del is landmarked.
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Key Archival Photograph of the Era
Historic Archive Record
Robert Mosher’s award-winning 2.12-mile curved orthotropic steel box girder bridge rising 200 feet over San Diego Bay, opened August 2, 1969.
Documented Historical Synthesis
Step #8 Archival ChronicleOn August 2, 1969, the graceful 2.1-mile San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge was officially dedicated by Governor Ronald Reagan, physically connecting the Crown City to downtown San Diego with an iconic five-lane curved ribbon of steel and concrete, bringing an end to 83 years of automobile ferry service.
The era witnessed intense civic commitment to historic preservation and diplomatic prominence. In September 1970, President Richard Nixon hosted Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz at Hotel del Coronado for the first White House State Dinner ever conducted outside Washington, D.C., welcoming over 1,000 international dignitaries to the Crown Room.
In 1977, Hotel del Coronado was formally designated a National Historic Landmark, cementing its status as an irreplaceable American architectural treasure. Community leaders formed the Coronado Historical Association in 1969 to safeguard archival photographs, municipal blueprints, and maritime artifacts for future generations.
Photographic Suite (6 Archival Photographs)
Record #1 San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge Curved 80-Degree Span
Robert Mosher’s award-winning 2.12-mile curved orthotropic steel box girder bridge rising 200 feet over San Diego Bay, opened August 2, 1969.
Record #2 Coronado Historical Association Museum and Archives Building on Orange Avenue
The historic Bank of Coronado building at 1100 Orange Avenue, permanent home of the Coronado Historical Association museum, archives, and research center founded in 1969.
Record #3 President Richard Nixon and Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz (1970)
U.S. President Richard Nixon and Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz traveling during their historic September 3, 1970 visit for the landmark State Dinner in Hotel del Coronado’s Crown Room.
Record #4 Historic Spreckels Building Cinema and Lambs Players Theatre on Orange Avenue
The historic 1917 Spreckels Building on Orange Avenue, permanent home of the acclaimed resident Lamb’s Players Theatre company founded in 1971.
Record #5 Hotel del Coronado National Historic Landmark Victorian Facade
Hotel del Coronado’s magnificent Victorian turreted facade, formally designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior on May 5, 1977.
Record #6 Coronado Ferry Landing Marketplace and Slip
Passenger ferry service across San Diego Bay was revived in 1987 with the opening of the Coronado Ferry Landing at 1st & B Avenue.
Chronological Milestones of this Era
6 Recorded Events 1969 Opening of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge
The graceful 2.1-mile blue curved bridge opens, winning national beauty awards and linking Coronado to San Diego.
1969 Founding of the Coronado Historical Association (CHA)
Dedicated citizens establish the CHA and Museum of History & Art to protect Coronado’s unique heritage.
1970 President Nixon Hosts First State Dinner Outside D.C.
President Richard Nixon and Mexican President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz celebrate in the Crown Room of Hotel Del.
1971 Lamb’s Players Theatre Established in Coronado
Acclaimed resident professional theatre company takes residence in the historic Spreckels Building.
1977 Hotel del Coronado Designated a National Historic Landmark
The United States Department of the Interior designates the hotel a National Historic Landmark.
1987 Coronado Ferry Landing Revitalized for Pedestrians & Cyclists
Modern pedestrian ferry service revives the historic crossing, anchoring a bayside village of shops and parks.
Primary Archival Sources for 1969-1989
- Coronado Historical Association Archival Collection and Photographic Registry
- National Register of Historic Places Documentation and Architectural Surveys
- Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (Detroit Publishing and HABS)
- San Diego History Center Cartographic and Municipal Archives
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