The Pacific Hotel was located at 158 Higuera.
The four-story brick building was built in 1931 as the Pacific Japanese Hotel Building by owner Robert F. Fukunaga and Frank Tsutsumi.1, 2 The area of what is now Lower Higuera was San Luis Obispo's Japantown.
The site was adjacent to a pool hall operated by Giichiro Tanaka, opened approximately 1926, who also constructed a frame lodging house behind the pool hall in approximately 1927 (192 Higuera), possibly later referred to as "Hokubei Ryokan".11,12,13
The Pacific Hotel formally opened with a celebration in November 1931, with more than 600 guests, a barbeque, and what the newspaper described as "Japanese vaudeville entertainment" that brought well-known Japanese actors from Los Angeles, held at the Japanese Church. O. Hamai was the proprietor of the hotel.3 In 1938, a license for operation of the hotel was granted to Mrs. Y. Urabe.4 By 1942, Roy Kurozumi is listed as the manager of the hotel.5
Records suggest that by summer of 1942, non-Japanese American people were operating the business, as most Japanese Americans in San Luis Obispo were forcibly relocated to concentration camps by the U.S. government during World War II. In August 1942, the newspaper reports that J. Barksdale Brown was operating the hotel. Next, Lela Bell Alston (1907-1980) held the business license, and she transferred the license to Lela F. San in 1949.6 The Pacific Hotel is one of the only hotels in San Luis Obispo to accommodate Black guests, as early as 1941, including Alice Martin when she first arrived in San Luis Obispo. The area of town that was formerly the site of Japantown in the 1940s becomes an area where Black families and businesses settle.
The hotel was later known as the Clover Hotel and then the Stewart Hotel in 1951 (operated by Rev. and Mrs. John D. Stewart). In 1952 the building is known as the Plantation Club.
By the 1950s Cecil G. Evans owns the building, and the building becomes a off-campus housing for Cal Poly students. In 1954 the building opens as the Mustang House, offering housing for 50 students.10 Advertisements list 18 rooms, 5 showers, and manager's apartment.9 By 1960 the building is known as the Poly Engineers House, and by 1966 appears to be known as the Ark, low-cost housing for Cal Poly students for the next 25 years, primarily appears to be architecture students.7
The Pacific Hotel was demolished in 1987, to make way for the widening of Higuera Street.8 The "Arc Center" or "Arc Plaza" opens in 1989, including Circle K and Subway.
See Also:
References
3. Ibid.
4. February 12, 1935 Daily Telegram.
8. Ibid.
11. Y. Watanabe building Permit for "pool room and multiple residence room house in back", MS0034 SLO City Historic Building Permits, Box 3, folder 1926 S-Z.
12. Tanaka building Permit for "lodging house", MS0034 SLO City Historic Building Permits, Box 3, folder 1927 T-V.
