Chris Cosgrove

Master Builder Chris Cosgrove was born in Rhode Island in 1899. He moved to Coronado in 1915. Beginning in 1928 he was listed in both the Coranado and San Diego Directories as an architect, builder, contractor, and draftsman.

Little is known about Cosgrove’s early work except he built close to home in Coranado. He did build a home for his parents in 1928 at 3202 Curtis Street in Loma Portal. It is individually designated as a historic resource listed on the City of San Diego’s Historic Resource Register. It is called, Augustus and Louise Cosgrove/ Chris Cosgrove House.

He also built a home nearby at 3111 Curtis Street.

In 1941, Cosgrove had his first notable project when he worked with five other industry leaders on the “Masterpiece Home” in Talmadge. This home is located at 4701 Madison Ave. This home was covered in an article in the San Diego Union on January 26, 1941. Cosgrove is listed in the 1941 Directory as living at this address for a year.

From 1941 to 1942, Cosgrove built 4825 Adams Avenue, which is individually designated as a historic resource listed on the City of San Diego’s Historic Resource Register.

In 1942, Cosgrove built 4490 Monroe Avenue. According to the San Diego Directory he lived there for about 3 years (1943-1945).

It was during this time in his life that Cosgrove met and married Celia Barbachano. She was from an influential and wealthy Mexican family. She was divorced and living in Kensington when they met. Her connections to the famous and well to do must have benefited Cosgrove’s business in a powerful way. Marrying Celia may be what allowed Cosgrove to leave Jenkins Construction Company in 1945. To learn more about Chris Cosgrove’s relationship with Celia Barbachano, please read Ronald V. May & Kiley Wallace at Legacy 106 Historical Nomination report entitled, “Gabriel and Marie Berg / Chris Cosgrove” pages 32-33. The link to the report is listed below in References.

In 1946, Cosgrove built the iconic Ken Cinema on Adams Avenue. The flagstone façade feature was a common characteristic of many of Cosgrove’s building.

Even though Cosgrove built beautiful custom homes, like his 1948 individually designated historic home at 5285 Marlborough Drive in Kensington, he made most of his money building FHA-funded low-cost homes after WWII. He built these FHA homes for veterans all over San Diego County.

Cosgrove stopped building in the Talmadge Park Estates Historic District in 1942. He went on to have a vast and illustrious building career until the early 1950s when he got swept up in a nationwide Congressional FHA investigation. This led to both problems with the IRS and prison time for improper business practices associated with the administration of the FHA program. He spent a year in jail and was released in 1954.  Upon his release, he and his wife Celia got into the mobile home business and moved to La Mesan Lodge Mobile Home Park. It is now called the San Diego RV Resort. To learn more about his legal troubles in the 1950s, go to page 36 in Ronald V. May & Kiley Wallace at Legacy 106 Historical Nomination report entitled, “Gabriel and Marie Berg / Chris Cosgrove” The link to the report can be found below in References.

The TPEHD website only has 2 homes built by Chris Cosgrove. It is safe to say that all 18 houses attributed to Jenkins Construction Company must also be attributed to Cosgrove, since he was running the company during the time the TPEHD homes were built.

References

May, Ronald V. & Wallace, Kiley 2019. “The Gabriel and Marie Berg / Chris Cosgrove House” Pages 30-37 https://sandiego.cfwebtools.com/images/files/Hi%20Res%20Nomination%20Report%204825%20Adams.pdf

City of San Diego Historical Resources Board 2020. “Biographies of Established Masters” Pages 67-68 http://www.sohosandiego.org/enews/images/0121hrbmasterslist2020.pdf