Sylvan Road is a corridor located largely in the hills south of downtown Monterey, California. The corridor was developed during the early 1940s as road which looped California State Route 1 from Munras Avenue to Fremont Avenue via the Del Monte Golf Course. Modern developments around La Mesa Village have led to two segments of roadway which once served as a through route being abandoned.
Part 1; a fragmented history of Sylvan Road
Sylvan Road occupies a corridor which once comprised part of Rancho Aquajito south of downtown Monterey. The land was granted to George Tapia during 1835 by then Alta California governor Jose Figueroa. Tapia's land holdings were honored by the Public Land Commission in 1853 following the Mexican-American War and emergence of the state of California. The land was eventually purchased by David Jacks and later sold to the Pacific Improvement Company.
The lands of Rancho Aquajito along the coastline were used by the Pacific Improvement Company to develop the original Hotel Del Monte resort which opened in June 1880. The original Del Monte Hotel burned in 1887 but was soon replaced by the second hotel on the site. The Del Monte Golf Course would be developed south of Fremont Street (future California State Route 1) and opened during 1897. The second hotel structure would burn in 1924 and would be replaced by the current hotel in 1926.
The lands beyond the Hotel Del Monte complex appear southeast of California State Route 1 (Fremont Street, Munras Avenue and Carmel Hill Road) as undeveloped on the 1938 Thomas Brothers Map of Monterey.
A primitive Sylvan Road appears for the first time as a functionally roadway on the 1941 United States Geological Survey Map of Monterey. The roadway is shown originating from California State Route 1 at Munras Avenue extending east to the boundary of the Del Monte Golf Course. The roadway is shown taking a northward turn following the golf course back to California State Route 1 at Fremont Street near the Hotel Del Monte complex.
The Hotel Del Monte and 627 surrounding acres would be sold to the United States Navy during 1947. The Naval Academy Postgraduate School would move to the Hotel Del Monte complex during 1951. Officially the structure is designated as Herrmann Hall.
Sylvan Road can be seen as a minor roadway looping to/from California State Route 1 on the 1947 United States Geological Survey map of Monterey. Nearby Aquajito Road is shown to be the then more prominent roadway in the area.
The Navy began to develop a military housing complex known as La Mesa Village along Sylvan Road between Munras Avenue and Aquajito Road. Sylvan Road via Aquajito for a time was the primary access road to La Mesa Village.
During the 1960s the development of the California State Route 1 freeway would alter the corridor of Sylvan Road. The western terminus (now part of Barnet Segal Lane) was altered to connect to the then new freeway via Soledad Drive. The eastern terminus was cut back to what is now Josselyn Canyon Road.
Sylvan Road can be seen as the primary access point to La Mesa Village via Aquajito Road on the 1983 United States Geological Survey map of Monterey.
The bisection of Sylvan Road within the Monterey city limit appears to have caused by two factors. The La Mesa Village housing complex is now served by Farragut Road which is a more direct connection to the Naval Postgraduate School. This led to Sylvan Road being rendered inaccessible from Shubrick Road east to Aquajito Road. Secondarily the construction of the Westland House hospice center led to Sylvan Road being closed from complex east to Leahy Road.
While two above referenced segments of Sylvan Road were closed to vehicular traffic it appears the right-of-way was never fully vacated by the city of Monterey. Neither segment was razed nor had roadway signage removed.
Part 2; scenes along abandoned Sylvan Road
A portion of abandoned Sylvan Road can be found west of where the maintained portion around Del Monte Golf Course intersects Aguajito Road. The abandoned portion still features legible modern highway signage. Aguajito Road serves as part of the city limit of Monterey at the western end of the Del Monte Golf Course.
Much of the abandoned roadway is beginning to be consumed by overgrowth and debris. Some older Botts' dots can be found where the centerline used to be present. All access west of Shubrick Road is gated.
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