John Lovett

John Harold Lovett was born in 1897 in Colorado Springs, CO. At 21, he enlisted in the Army in Fort Springs, CO. Stationed as a young man in Key West, FL, he fell in love with the warm weather and the tropical fruit. Two years later, he enlisted in the US Navy and while stationed at North Island in Coronado, he became an esteemed aviation mechanic. He served in WWI and spent an additional 8 years serving in the US Naval Aviation Department as a Machinist Mate, 2nd Class.

Upon being discharged from the Navy, he started his career as a realtor but quickly fell in love with carpentry. While working as a realtor in the 1920's, he started a supplemental career building homes. He started as a carpenter, and then became a contractor. He built a Spec House at 4351 Bancroft Street in North Park in 1927. He sold this home to a fellow veteran, as this was a time when veterans were helping one another achieve stability through long term home ownership and jobs. Lovett went on to build several homes that veterans could afford through the State loan program during the late 1920s. This Spec House is individually designated and listed as a Historic Resource in the City of San Diego. For more information click the link under References.

Lovett enjoyed a long and successful construction career from 1927 well into the 1960s. While most of his homes were sold to veterans, many were also sold to civilians. Lovett's cumulative knowledge of real estate, financing, veteran benefits, and construction came together perfectly to aid in the use of incentives offered by the Veteran’s Welfare Board. He played a huge role in the growth and development of North Park and later Talmadge. He built 200 homes in San Diego.

In 1930, John Lovett was in partnership with the Master Builder Benjamin Torgerson. They served together on the San Diego Building Contractors Association. They were instrumental in promoting the building industry during the Depression, and again in the 1940s to promote post-war housing for the population boom.

John Lovett married Lucille Lowe in 1935. John proposed to Lucille in front of an empty lot near Adams and 49th in Talmadge. He told her that if she married him, he would build her a home right there. Happily, Lucille said yes, and in 1939 that home became 4715 49th Street. Lucille worked as a bookkeeper for John's construction company. She also helped with the sale of homes he built in Kensington, Talmadge, and Del Cerro. They had one son, John Jr., a student at Hoover High School and UC Berkeley. Lovett’s building in Talmadge lessened after a car accident in 1943. Lovett was injured and a woman tragically died. The Lovetts lived in the home he built at 4715 49th Street the rest of their lives. John passed away in 1965, but his widow Lucille lived there until her passing in 2003. 

John Lovett exemplified the type of contractor that built in San Diego during the Great Depression and WWII. As a veteran he wanted to provide well-built affordable housing for veterans, active military, and aircraft workers. Many San Diegans were able to purchase their first homes due to governmental assistance via the Veteran’s Welfare Board and FHA. Lovett used these programs to great effect to help his fellow veterans and San Diego. We are so lucky that he chose to live and build in Talmadge. He built 83 homes within Talmadge Park Estates Historic District. Many of  his homes featured arched porches and were in the Minimal Traditional style.

Reference

Johnson Paul and Sarai 2020. “The John H Lovett Spec House No. 1” Historic Research Report, pages 10, 28-32. https://sandiego.cfwebtools.com/images/files/CR%204351%20Bancroft%20Street.pdf