Photo shows half-dozen girls and their teacher sitting around a small, round table shaded by an umbrella that has been set up at the beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado; another small study group can be seen in the background next to the hotel. Considered to be one of America's most beautiful resorts, the Hotel del Coronado is located on the quaint island of Coronado in San Diego. In 1885 founders Elisha Babcock and H.L. Story purchased the entire peninsula of Coronado and North Island for $110,000 and developed it through subdivision and lot sales; they also dreamed of building a seaside resort that would be "the talk of the Western world". Babcock and Story hired architects James, Merritt & Watson Reid who began construction of "The Del" in March 1887 and finished just 11 months later in February 1888 at the cost of one million dollars. It was built as a premier resort for the wealthy, and was visited by celebrities, dignitaries, and ten U.S. presidents, starting with Benjamin Harrison in 1891. The building was constructed in the form of a parallelogram and was built around an open court measuring 250x150 feet. Although the hotel has 750 rooms, it is only two rooms in depth throughout, giving those on the 'inside' a view of a beautiful courtyard, while the others on the 'outside' face either the ocean or the peaceful blue waters of the bay of San Diego. The Hotel del Coronado, known today as the Grand Old Lady by the Sea, is located immediately behind the beach, facing the Pacific Ocean; it is the largest beach resort on the North American Pacific Coast. It was designated California Historical Landmark No. 844, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places - building #71000181 on October 14, 1971, and designated a National Historic Landmark on May 5, 1977.
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