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Hensley House

Historic Landmark No. 597
Hensley House

Unknown, Architect
Henry B. Hensley, Builder

1931

Kensington Community

Historical Landmark No. 597 - Designated June 2003





This prestigious bronze Historic Landmark plaque is now prominently displayed outside the Charles R. "Dick" Bowman House. Lower photo of Dick Bowman in Air Mail plane. Photo courtesy San Diego Aerospace Museum.
SAN DIEGO'S CONNECTION TO OVERNIGHT AIR MAIL SERVICE
This house is associated with Pacific Air Transport pilot, Captain Charles R. “Dick” Bowman, who with four other pilots flew into history on July 1, 1930, as they inaugurated overnight United States Air Mail and passenger flight service between Seattle, Washington and San Diego. Bowman flew the 36-hour flight in a B-40 Boeing bi-plane. Captain Bowman also held the distinction of flying the first transcontinental flight from San Francisco to Boston in 1925.

When United Air Lines acquired Pacific Air Transport in 1932, Captain Bowman continued to fly in and out of San Diego in the B-247 commercial passenger and Air Mail planes. As Assistant Manager to T. Claude Ryan, Captain Bowman helped build and refit many famous passenger and airmail planes at the Ryan Flying Company at Dutch Flats in San Diego. In addition, the house was also owned by George T. Forbes, a leader in early 20th century real estate development in San Diego and built under the design control of master architect Richard S. Requa.

This house embodies distinctive elements of Spanish Eclectic with Monterey style architecture. Historic photographs demonstrate how the stuccoed, two-story building exhibited a fired red-tile roof, ornate wooden balcony, and iron grillwork windows. It is a classic Spanish Eclectic home that reflects popular 17th and 18th century Andalusia style houses in Spain.


Permission to use this material is granted provided it is attributed as follows:

Copyright © 2010 Ronald V. May and Dale Ballou May, Legacy 106, Inc., www.legacy106.com

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