Historic Carriage Works Building

This building was originally constructed in 1890, and a marker placed on the site notes that it once housed a historic Carriage Works. From 1890 to 1902, the property was home to a hardware firm. Its stock was subsequently purchased by the Lyons Implement Company, which offered a full line of Studebaker buggies and wagons. Thereafter, the building was occupied by several different tenants, including the San Diego Gas and Electric Company, the San Diego Farm and Dairy Supply, and the Volunteers of America, among others. The building is located in San Diego's historic Gas Lamp District.

The historic Carriage Works building was constructed in 1890 in San Diego's Gaslamp District. In its early years, it housed a hardware company and then a historic carriage works, which specialized in offering the full line of Studebaker wagons and buggies. In the twentieth century, the building was home to a number of other tenants, including the San Diego Gas and Electric Company, the San Diego Farm and Dairy Supply, the San Diego Tent and Awning Company, and the Walker Scott Corporation (a department store chain).

By 1955, the Walker Scott Corporation sold the Carriage Works building to a charitable organization called the Volunteers of America, which extensively remodeled the property. Thereafter, the building became the site of a thrift store, workshop space, offices, and non-denominational religious and welfare agency operated by the Volunteers of America. More recently, in the twenty-first century, the Carriage Works building became the home of a music and entertainment venue called Tin Roof, as well as to The Shout! House, a popular local watering hole that offers karaoke and live music, including dueling pianos.

Throughout the years, the large arched exterior doorways have remained the most notable architectural feature of this historic property. These doorways once allowed for carriages to enter and depart from the interior of the building, where they were on display for sale to the public. Today, the arched doors are opened at various times in order to allow fresh air to flow inside the space, while also offering patrons an unobstructed view of the street and sidewalk. As a result, live music from the entertainment venues in the historic Carriage House building can often be heard down the block.

Applewhite, Keith. Carriage Works, 1890 Historical Marker, Historical Marker Database. May 5th 2021. Accessed November 21st 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=172608.

The Carriage House, Gaslamp Foundation. May 3rd 2018. Accessed November 21st 2021. https://gaslampfoundation.org/the-carriage-house/.

Schulte, Richard. The Historic Carriage Works Building downtown., Cool San Diego Sights . July 21st 2021. Accessed November 21st 2021. https://coolsandiegosights.com/2021/07/21/the-historical-carriage-works-building-downtown/.