Our History

The Del Mar Hotel was built in 1910 at 1540 Camino Del Mar (L’Auberge now resides on the site). Right from the start, the hotel attracted Hollywood silent film movie stars and other luminaries.

The Village of Del Mar was small, yet rich in amenities. “The village also offered a pier, a plunge (saltwater bath house), a golf course, its own powerhouse,” and a nearby airport.

A second powerhouse was built in 1928 to house new equipment and provide the many gallons of hot water needed for a new laundry space to support the hotel’s needs. The powerhouse’s most notable feature was its attractive, round, and fluted, sky-reaching smokestack. Nearly 100 years later, this aspirational landmark continues to beckon people from near and far.

As the years went on and the village grew into a town, the powerhouse underwent successive phases as well. For many years, it provided laundry facilities and electricity to the hotel, and generated hot water for the plunge.

But later, after its roaring start, the Del Mar Hotel suffered a downhill slide and ultimate demise. It lost its popularity, had many owners, became rundown, and sank into bankruptcy in 1955. The powerhouse itself would revive briefly in the late 1950s, coming back to life as the Powerhouse Roaring ’20s nightclub.

In 1965, three years after the nightclub’s doors closed, the powerhouse was rented by Universal Water Corporation as the site of a potential desalination plant. As the first step in building a plant to convert salt water to potable (drinking) water, Universal completely renovated the interior. Three years later, the project was abandoned.

Although the salt water effort helped preserve the structure, after Universal departed, the powerhouse remained closed for 20 years until 1988 when it became the namesake of Powerhouse Community Park. The Friends of the Powerhouse organization takes great pleasure in having galvanized and supported the restoration of the park, community center, and surrounding beach-area facilities.

The Board states, “We are happy to have contributed to⁠—and to continue to support⁠—this inclusive community asset. The facilities are in daily use for the enjoyment of all and well-utilized by people of all ages and interests for diverse activities and special events.”

What began as a humble powerhouse serving the needs of a hotel in a burgeoning village has grown into a civic treasure that is a place of pride for Del Mar residents and visitors. The FOP is pleased to be part of our community’s rich history and to help enhance Del Mar’s exceptional quality of life.

For more on the history of the Powerhouse and other Del Mar landmarks and people, visit the Del Mar Historical Society where on the Donations page you’ll find Discovering Del Mar’s Past, a walking tour book with pictures and maps.

The ‘Friendship’ Forms

In 2014, after informally supporting the City’s Lifeguard service for many years, the FOP was asked to incorporate the non-profit Del Mar Lifeguard Association into Friends of the Powerhouse. The FOP Board believed the natural fit bolstered the value to the community, which turned out to be true. As the Lifeguard staff grew Del Mar Lifeguard Association took back oversight functions FOP had been handling for them.

An early FOP committee, pictured below: