The Anderson building is located at 965 Monterey Street at the corner of Morro and Monterey Streets.
The building was originally built as the Anderson Hotel in 1922-1923 for J. L. Anderson.
The permit for the building was filed July 18, 1922, and construction began shortly after.4 The building was listed as a "five story reinforced concrete store and hotel building...contain storerooms, lobby and grill on ground floor, with 95 rooms above," with anticipated growth to 150 rooms.7 The hotel opened in July 1923.1 The architect was Conrad A. Meussdorffer (1871-1945), and contractor was Robert Trost, both of San Francisco.2,3
The architect Julia Morgan stayed at the Anderson Hotel when she would pass through San Luis Obispo on her way to San Simeon.
In 1930 a permit was filed for a construction of two wings to the hotel, to increase by 40 rooms, to cost $60,000.5
Around 1978, the hotel was refurbished and transitioned into apartments to house elderly and disabled residents, serving as an affordable housing community for vulnerable residents. In 2021 the building owners announced they were going to sell the building, and in 2022 the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO), who manages the property, purchased the building, with federal and local funding.
See More:
- Sara Kassabian, "Affordable housing for disabled, seniors to continue at Anderson Hotel in SLO" San Luis Obispo Tribune, April 26, 2022.
- https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/photos-from-the-vault/article248515535.html
Citations
1. San Luis Obispo Tribune (Weekly), Volume 54, Number 99, 24 July 1923, pg. 4
2. San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, Number 162, 16 September 1922
3. San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, Number 57, 17 May 1922
4. Permit for hotel for J. L. Anderson, July 18, 1922. Box 2, folder 1922, A-B, San Luis Obispo City Historic Building Permits, Special Collections and Archives, Cal Poly.
5. Permit for addition to hotel for J. L. Anderson, January 2, 1930. Box 3, folder 1930, A-B, San Luis Obispo City Historic Building Permits, Special Collections and Archives, Cal Poly.
6. "Boom shown on building" January 7, 1930 San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram, pg. 1.
7. Southwest Builder and Contractor, May 26, 1922, pg. 25. Accessed via google books: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Southwest_Builder_and_Contractor/F0pRAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=C.%20A.%20Muessendorffer&pg=RA7-PA25&printsec=frontcover
