Robert’s Cottages

Shortly after the town layout was completed in 1883, Oceanside, California, was marketed as a seaside resort. A book titled Oceanside was even published, with a doctor’s decree: “The invalid finds health and bright spirits, the pleasure seeker finds variety and amusement.”

Investors bought up land along the beach, and visitors arrived in droves, quickly leading to a housing shortage. Entrepreneurial denizens converted garages into tiny homes and temporary trailer parks into permanent residences, and began scouting the coast for new development opportunities.

Soon after, in 1928, A. J. Clark bought a sizable strip of land, secured a permit, and built twenty-four beach cottages. The small pastel-colored homes, framed by the carnations and geraniums planted throughout Oceanside, opened for business by midsummer.

Harry and Virginia Roberts purchased the iconic double row of homes in 1941. Within a dozen years, investors began to sell the quaint cottages individually. Ocean view homes sold for $5,950, while second- row units went for $700 less.

The buildings, now rental bungalows, still stand, representing an important moment in Oceanside’s nascent days, a time when the town enticed visitors with the tremendous promise that “If you long for a beautiful country, with a matchless climate, come to Oceanside, where life is worth living.”

📖 Featured on Page 21 of AWA, The Book 📖