Point Loma Nazarene University

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If the Cabrillo Monument is on your list of San Diego attractions, do not forget to swing into the gated entrance of Point Loma Nazarene University on your way there.

Point Loma Nazarene University is located just off Catalina Boulevard at 3900 Lomaland Drive. Don't be alarmed by the presence of a security booth and a security guard. The public is allowed to access the campus because of California's public coastal access requirements.

DO ASK the guard for the "Self Guided Campus Tour" brochure as this will really help you find your way around its 92 acres.

TIP: If you go on the weekend, you will probably make life easier on yourself and the students as you stop your car to see the sights.

Affectionately known as PLNU, the 3,500 students who go to this private university have one of the most picturesque settings for a campus in the world. Why? The college is situated on coastal bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The views are outstanding and they must be terribly distracting for surfers and softball players alike. Why softball? Well, PNLU just happens to have its own field of dreams - a ball field located on a cliff overlooking, you guessed it, the Pacific Ocean!

However, there is more to PLNU than the beautiful setting. Because PLNU is considered to be a small private university, the students benefit from an excellent student to faculty ratio of 16 to 1. According to the University, 98% of the classes have less than 50 students. The university prides itself on incorporating ethics, character, and integrity into each course in the hopes of transferring these qualities into their graduates.

Greek Amphitheatre

You might also be surprised to know that 550 freshmen are accepted annually and of these 550 students, the average GPA is 3.72 with a SAT score of 550. 69% of the students live on campus and frankly, if we went to PLNU, we would too!

The campus is a great example of what different styles of architecture flourished in certain periods of the 20th century. It is not hard to see which were the first buildings, which were the most recent, and which ones were designed in the 1960s. Somehow, the different styles, from modern to neoclassical, all fit together on this campus. Perhaps it is the large Torrey Pines and the palm trees that line the roads in and out of the campus that unify the various architectural elements.

For the purposes of this article, we will highlight the historic buildings as points of interest. The campus' "Self-Guided Campus Tour" gives a good description of the other buildings.

All these buildings were designed and constructed under the leadership of Madame Katherine Tingley who led the Theosophical Society in the U.S. at the turn of the century. The Theosophical Movement was a "sifting of the wisdom of the ages in search of basic truths relating to man and the universe." Madame Tingley was the driving force behind purchasing the parcel of land that is now Point Loma Nazarene University.

The property that the Theosophists on Point Loma cultivated and built was called Lomaland. The community flourished and, at one time, had living quarters for 500 people, a bakery, stables, carpenter shop, machine shops, textile workshops, and even a publishing house.

Unfortunately, when Madame Tingley and stock market died in 1929, much of what was once Lomaland withered away. The Theosophists held onto the property until 1942. They sold the property to a developer who let the US Navy use it during World War II. After the War, the developer sold the property to Balboa University. Finally, Pasadena College took over the property and developed the campus that we see today. During its ownership of Lomaland, Pasadena College changed its name to Point Loma College and finally, Point Loma Nazarene University.

Cabrillo Hall

Thanks to Madame Tingley, the following buildings stand tall at the PLNU campus to this day.

Mieras Hall - Built in 1901, this octagon-shaped building features a very large amethyst-colored glass bulb on its dome. Mieras Hall also has a distinctive outside spiral staircase, a large covered porch, and many large curved old-glass windows.

Records Office - Located adjacent to Mieras Hall, the Records Office was built in 1900 as the home to Albert Spalding's nephew. The name Spalding should ring a bell. It is the same Spalding of the sporting goods company.

Public Safety House - Built in 1906, this bungalow was once called the Casa Rosa (the Pink House). You might think that your eyesight is failing you when you look at the exterior of the building. Dried plant stems were used as decoration over the exterior framing which give the bungalow a unique look. The raised relief certainly caught our eye.

Cabrillo Hall - After living in what is now the Alumni House, Madame Tingley took up residence at what is now Cabrillo Hall, just a few steps from her beloved Greek Amphitheatre. Madame Tingley's former residence is a three-level Greek Revival building that features balconies and large windows that overlooks the big beautiful blue ocean.

Ocean View Picnic Table

As you tour around the campus, be aware of how many scenic vistas there are for you and the students to enjoy. Be sure to bring a lunch with you so that you can sit down and enjoy your food and drink at one of San Diego's best placed picnic tables.