Julian, CA

zip code:  92036

Click the "Listings" tab above and you will see all the JULIAN homes that are currently in the market for sale.

Julian is an official California Historical Landmark #412. Also, the Julian townsite and surrounding area is defined by the San Diego County Zoning Ordinance Section 5749 as the Julian Historic District. This designation requires that development adhere to certain guidelines that are administered by the Architectural Review Board of the Julian Historic District, which is appointed by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. (The "Design Guidelines Manual" is available in portable document format at San Diego County's office web site.)

The Julian Union School District operates one elementary and one junior high school as well as Julian Charter School

History

The town was named by Drue Bailey after his cousin Mike Julian, who later was elected San Diego County Assessor.

The area was seasonally occupied by the Kumeyaay people, and in 1845 was part of the Rancho Cuyamaca Mexican land grant.

After the American Civil War, Julian experienced a Gold rush. In 1869, A.E. "Fred" Coleman, a former slave, was crossing over what is now known as Coleman Creek, just west of Julian. Seeing a sparkle of gold in the stream bed, he climbed down from his horse to investigate. Having had previous experience in the gold fields, he retrieved his frying pan and began panning the sands of the creek. Learning of the find, others tried to trace the gold to its source.

On February 22, 1870, the first "lode", or hard rock, mining claim was filed in the Julian area. Since February 22 was President George Washington's birthday, the mine was named the Washington mine. Soon hundreds of anxious men and families were rushing to Julian to stake their claims. Julian quickly became a tent city. To some it appeared like it was overnight.

In April 1870, the area's first saw mill was set up and Julian began to take on a more permanent structure such as storefronts, saloons and sleep areas (Hotels-cabins)

While the miners were trying to wrestle the gold from deep within the earth, James Madison brought a wagon load of young apple trees up into the mountains. The fruit trees flourished in the clear, fresh air. Apples are still a big product in Julian, many of which are used for making the world famous Julian apple pies.

In recent decades Julian has become a quaint mountain resort. The town narrowly escaped total destruction in the 2003 Cedar Fire that burned much of the surrounding area.

Geography

Julian is located in a mixed pine-oak woodland elevation at 4,235 feet above sea level.

Precipitation averages 26 inches per year, notably much higher than rainfall totals in coastal and desert areas of San Diego County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Julian has a total area of 7.8 square miles, all land.

Soils in and around Julian are mostly dark brown, slightly to moderately acidic sandy "loams" (a rich soil containing sand, silt and clay) which are well drained and of variable stones. Less stony areas, which underlie most of the townsite, are in the Holland series. The hills around town have rocky soils of the Crouch series. Somewhat poorly drained "alluvial" (sedimentary matter such as sand or mud deposited by flowing water) loam occurs along Coleman Creek.

Attractions and features

Main street in Julian is where most all tourist traffic can be found.

Although Julian's picturesque setting attracts tourists, recreationalists and antique lovers, the town is most famous for its apple crop. The apple variety grown locally is considered less sweet than most traditional types, but pies and cider made from the fruit have acquired great popularity for nearly 100 years. The town is often very busy on holiday weekends and during the apple harvest season (occurs approximately on the month of October).

Local shops feature handtooled jewelry, Western artwork, souvenirs, apple-related foods and candy. In homage to Julian's "gold rush," an inactive gold mine is open daily for tours, and recreational gold panning continues today in Banner Creek east of town. Three AAA approved places of lodging are available, including the historic Julian Hotel, several bed and breakfast type establishments, and many private cabins.

Rides on an 18" narrow gauge train, the "Smith Ranch & Julian Railroad", to explore a hand-dug 1870 "gold rush" mine and pan for gold, are available by reservation

Winter days in Julian usually are sunny and cool; however, the area experiences several light snowfalls most years, allowing for snowplay and surfing within the same county only an hour apart. In March 2006, a snowfall that exceeded two feet surprised the residents and blocked private roads, unmaintained by the county, for more than a week.

There is a number of wineries located in and around Julian offer complimentary wine tasting. These wineries are: Orfila Vineyards, Witch Creek Winery, J. Jenkins Winery, Menghini Winery, Blue Door Winery, and Shadow Mountain Vineyards. Many of these are located along SR 78/SR 79 to the northwest of the town center.

Access to Julian is limited to three major roads.  The northern access is via State Route 76/State Route 79, which ultimately links to various other roads and highways serving northern San Diego and southwestern Riverside counties, including at least three different access routes to Interstate 15.

State Route 78 comes to Julian from the west, providing access to Ramona and Escondido.

The eastern access is State Route 78, which descends the eastern slope of the mountains to intersect with State Route 86 in Imperial County; this is the least commonly used of the three routes.

The southern access is State Route 79 through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, which provides a link to Interstate 8.

Oscar Castillo 

BROKER - REALTOR®

(858) 775-1057

DRE# 01140298