Encinitas Boathouses
The S.S. Encinitas and S.S. Moonlight appear to be two boats, 15 feet tall by 20 feet long, dry docked two blocks from the beach in Encinitas. Appearances can be deceiving as they’ve never been to sea, despite their 19 portholes, mariner’s wheels and quirky starboard list. And 1,100 square feet of space might not merit the label of house for some. Local architect Miles Minor Kellogg paid homage to his sea captain father by creating the Encinitas Boathouses in 1928, using the reclaimed and recycled lumber from a landmark nightclub, the Moonlight Beach Dance Hall and Bathhouse. The Encinitas Preservation Association acquired the unusual abodes in 2008. The houses still stand and are still lived in today. Call it novelty, programmatic, mimetic or even vernacular architecture as you will, but call them a landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Encinitas, San Diego County
Photographer: Jacki Roberts