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Casa del Rey Hotel (House of the King) was a
resort hotel A resort hotel is a hotel which often contains full-sized luxury facilities with full-service accommodations and amenities. These hotels may attract both business conferences and vacationing tourists and offer more than a convenient place to sta ...
in Santa Cruz, California. During World War II the hotel was converted to the Naval Convalescent Hospital, Santa Cruz. The hotel was built in 1911 by
Fred Swanton Fred Wilder Swanton (1862–1940) was an entrepreneur and real estate developer who served as mayor of Santa Cruz, California from 1927 until 1933. He promoted the expansion of Santa Cruz as a beach resort city. The seaside resort he established ...
on Beach Street as a Santa Cruz Boardwalk development plan. The Resort Hotel had: a pool; gardens; and a grand pedestrian bridge to cross the street to visit the beach. The hotel was at about 500 Beach Street and Cliff Street. In addition to the hotel, there were built Cottage apartments. Later after the war the hotel became a senior citizen housing. In the
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on California's Central Coast on October 17 at local time. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of t ...
there was serious damage to the hotel and was taken down. The site now is the parking lot across the street from the
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of the few seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States. Description ...
amusement park.


History


Casino

The Santa Cruz Railroad opened in 1874, but Santa Cruz did not become a resort destination. The Santa Cruz Railroad became part of the
Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
in 1881. Santa Cruz became a resort in 1887, when the railroad shorted the line to Santa Cruz. Fred W. Swanton first built a casino, Neptune's Casino, and a beach tent city in 1904. The Casino offered 500 beach dressing rooms, a theater, a cafe, seaside grill, ballroom and roof gardens. The Casino was designed by architect Edward L. Van Cleeck The Casino was a bar with entertainment and gambling was never legal there. But it was widely known visitors could find boats at the
pleasure pier Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.">England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th ...
, now called the
Santa Cruz Wharf The Santa Cruz Wharf is a wharf in Santa Cruz, California, United States, known for fishing, boat tours, viewing sea lions, dining, nightlife and gift shops. The current wharf was built in 1914, the last of six built on the site, and is oper ...
, to take them out in ships into the harbor to gamble in the 1910 and 1920s. Swanton built an amusement park near the pier, some calling it the ''Coney Island of the West''. In 1911
Charles I. D. Looff Charles I. D. Looff was a German master carver and builder of hand-carved carousels and amusement rides, who immigrated to the United States of America in 1870. Looff built the first carousel at Coney Island in 1876. During his lifetime, he bui ...
family built a Merry-go-round
carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
and in 1924 the '' Giant Dipper roller coaster.''. Both the Santa Cruz Looff Carousel and Roller Coaster are National Historic Landmarks. The Casino changed its name to Cocoanut Grove from 1920 to 1933 during prohibition. On June 22, 1906, a fire started in the kitchen, destroyed the complete casino. Swanton hired
William Henry Weeks William Henry Weeks (1864–1936) was an early 20th-century architect who designed hundreds of buildings including many schools, banks, and libraries. He was best known for the monumental neoclassical style of his public buildings, although he ...
and a new Casino was built and the Plunge Natatorium pools. At the same time, a new Cottage City was built for guests. The new Casino, Plunge and Cottage brought many new guests to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk by the end of 1907. The Cottage City, was designed as a residential hotel for long summer stays. But, there was a great need for a regular hotel. The hotel was served by a Horsecars offered tram service that started in 1876. The Santa Cruz, Garfield Park, and Capitola Electric Railroad service in 1881. The Union Traction Company consolidated the three electric tram service routes in 1904. One service line ran from DeLaveaga Park along Water Street and Pacific Avenue to the beach. Another from Ocean Cliffs to the hotel along what would become CA Route 1. The third line through Seabright to Capitola was completed in 1906. With more and more automobiles in use, the streetcar service ended in 1926. The Southern Pacific Railroad ran a summer excursion train, called
Suntan Special The ''Suntan Special'' (sometimes styled as ''Sun Tan Special'') was a summer excursion train service operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, California, from 1927 to 1959. History When ''Suntan Special'' ...
, between San Francisco and the hotel from 1927 to 1959. The ballroom in the Casino has hosted nightly bands and dance since it opened. In 1924
Isham Jones Isham Edgar Jones (January 31, 1894 – October 19, 1956) was an American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter. Career Jones was born in Coalton, Ohio, United States, to a musical and mining family. His father, Richard Isham Jones ...
's band played jazz, in the 1930s and into the 1950 Big Bands-Jazz play like: Artie Shaw, Ted Fio Rito, Lawrence Welk,
Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
, Skinnay Ennis, Paul Whiteman,
Billy May Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad'' (1968), ''Batman'' (with '' Batgirl'' them ...
, Tex Beneke,
Les Elgart Lester Elliott Elgart (August 3, 1917 – July 29, 1995) was an American swing jazz bandleader and trumpeter. Early Years Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Elgart grew up in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey with his brother Larry. They were exposed to ...
,
Hal McIntyre Hal McIntyre (born Harold William McIntyre; November 29, 1914, Cromwell, Connecticut – May 5, 1959 Los Angeles, California) was an American saxophonist, clarinetist, and bandleader. McIntyre played extensively as a teenager and led his ow ...
and
Si Zentner Simon Hugh Zentner (June 13, 1917 in New York City, United States – January 31, 2000 in Las Vegas, Nevada) was an American trombonist and jazz big-band leader. Zentner played in the bands of Les Brown, Harry James, and Jimmy Dorsey in the ...
. In the 1960s the ballroom had artists Nat King Cole Sonny and Cher, the
New Christy Minstrels The New Christy Minstrels are an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including " Green, Green", "Saturday Night", "Today", "Denver", and " ...
and The Four Freshmen. From 1924 to 1965 the Miss California Pageant took place at the Casino's Boardwalk. Many movies and TV shows have been shot on the Casino's Boardwalk: ''
Sudden Impact ''Sudden Impact'' is a 1983 American vigilante action thriller film, the fourth in the ''Dirty Harry'' series, directed, produced by and starring Clint Eastwood (making it the only ''Dirty Harry'' film to be directed by Eastwood himself) and co ...
'', '' Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid'', '' America Screams'', and '' The Lost Boys''.


Plunge Natatorium

Built in 1907 on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the Plunge Natatorium was an indoor swimming pool that used heated Monterey Bay Pacific Ocean salt water. The main swimming pool was 144 feet by 64 feet and had a 40-foot slide. The two pools held 408,000 gallons. The pool was refilled and heated to 83 degrees each night. An added attraction was the ''Water Carnival''. The ''Water Carnival'' had entertainment like: Ruth Kahl, known as the ''human submarine'', a world record holder for deep underwater swimming down to 303 feet; Dido Scettrini, Shirley Wightman and Harry Murray all human submarines, flying trapeze artists; fire divers; Stratosphere Plungers; water ballets;
Duke Kahanamoku Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) was a Hawaiian competition swimmer who popularized the sport of surfing. A Native Hawaiian, he was born to a minor noble family less than three years before th ...
an Olympic swimmer and surfer; fire dives; Don "Bosco" Patterson log zip line rider, swimming team races and other exhibitions. Later called ''The Plunge'' or the ''Santa Cruz Swimming Pavilion''. Natatorium opened in 1907 and closed in 1963. On the old site a miniature golf course was built. After the remodel, some structural features of the old pool were still visible on the outer edges of the mini-golf course. After the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake this mini-golf course was replaced with a new one, called in ''Neptune's Kingdom''


Casa Del Rey

In 1910 Swanton had a large resort hotel built. Across from the new Casino architect
George Applegarth George Adrian Applegarth (1875 – 1972) was an American architect. Applegarth’s career included designing the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, the Clift Hotel (now The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel), and projects for the town of Clyde, Ca ...
designed and built the new 100,000 square feet 300 rooms hotel. Some of the original Cottage were kept. The hotel was built in the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with some Pueblo Revival architecture. A triple-arched pedestrian bridge crossed the street and railroad tracks. The hotel was 335 feet by 135 feet, with a phone in each room and elevators. The hotel had Italian gardens and a grand lobby. Hotel has assess to its restaurant, tennis courts, and bandstand. To get to the hotel it had is own rail and streetcar stop. The streetcar could take guests to the hotel's private golf course, now Pogonip park. The grand opening for the $500,000 (2019 money $12.25 million) resort was held on May 1, 1911. The Santa Cruz Seaside Company was found to run the resort in 1915. Visits by car increased when the Glenwood Highway (Ca17) was paved in 1921. With more guest in 1926, the Seaside Company built the Casa del Rey Apartments designed by architect William C. Hays. Casa del Rey Apartments were built in Spanish revival style and had some ocean-view luxury suites. On March 31, 1928, the Casa Del Rey Spanish Gardens had it grand opening,
Vera McKenna Clayton Vera McKenna Clayton (February 18, 1896 – October 6, 1978) was a prominent music teacher and community member in Santa Cruz from the 1920s to the 1950s. Early life Vera McKenna was born in Oakland, California, on February 18, 1896, the daughter ...
wrote original music for the opening. The Spanish Gardens were built where some of the old cottages were taken down. Casa Del Rey Spanish Gardens had: trees, flower, bushes, playground and glass solarium. Spanish Gardens opened with a Spanish café, a French café and tea pavilion. Management of the hotel change in 1932, J. Vance, Gifford L Troyer, and W. C. Troyer, ran the hotel. The Casino 's Bay Room ball became a conference center and entertainment stage.


Naval Convalescent Hospital Santa Cruz

On 9 March 9, 1943 the US Navy leased the hotel as 500 bed
Convalescent hospital Convalescence is the gradual recovery of health and strength after illness or injury. It refers to the later stage of an infectious disease or illness when the patient recovers and returns to previous health, but may continue to be a source of ...
for wound war troops, known as Naval Convalescent Hospital Santa Cruz and also Naval Special Hospital, Santa Cruz. The
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
having been fought for a little over a year had many Navy wounded. Frederick E Porter, a retired Medical Corps Captain, was put in charge of the new hospital. The large pool worked great in
physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
. Over 18,000 service men received care at the hospital before it was closed on April 1, 1946. During the war the Army's 963rd Amphibious Brigade used the Plunge for water safety training. About 700 men from Fort Ord camped at De Laveaga Park and trained at the Plunge.


Post War

The hotel and apartments never returned to their glory after the war. The apartments were sold by Santa Cruz Seaside Company in 1944 to George Holland; sold again in 1964 to Dr. Allegrini and renamed the La Bahia Apartments and are still in use. In 1983 Santa Cruz Seaside Company bought back the apartments and used them as University of California, Santa Cruz student housing. In 1942 many of the cottages were taken down to made a parking lot. The pedestrian bridge was removed in 1952. In 1953 a restaurant workers strike reduced attendance. The great December 1955 flood did much damage and reduced attendance more. In 1955 it rained from December 6 to December 23, causing wide spread flooding. In 1956 more cottages (?) and the gardens were removed for more parking. In the 1970s the hotel was changed to a retirement home. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake did serious damage and the retirement home was taken down after 78 years of use. All the land was now a Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk parking lot. The only remains of the grand resort are two large palm trees that were near the grand pedestrian bridge.County of Sutter, Office of Emergency Management The Casino building of 1907 survives, after several renovations, as the Cocoanut Grove event center, while the Plunge building now houses the Neptune's Kingdom entertainment complex and retail shops. * A panoramic view of the Boardwalk from the pier, with Boardwalk's Coconut Grove on the left.


See also

* California during World War II


References

{{US military navbox Naval Convalescent Hospital Santa Cruz
Casa del Rey Hotel Casa del Rey Hotel (House of the King) was a resort hotel in Santa Cruz, California. During World War II the hotel was converted to the Naval Convalescent Hospital, Santa Cruz. The hotel was built in 1911 by Fred Swanton on Beach Street as a Santa ...
1911 establishments in California History of Santa Cruz County, California History of the Monterey Bay Area