The Top Gun House: Oceanside

One of our favorite photo opportunities, in years past, has been this house, currently known as The Top Gun House.

Built in 1887, the cottage was originally known as The Graves House in honor of its original owner, a physician from Riverside. One of the oldest beach cottages in San Diego County, it boasts an unusual architectural style: Folk Victorian. Designed to evoke the more elaborate Victorian homes of the era, Folk Victorian found favor among homeowners in the late 19th Century due to its ease and affordability. Spindlework detailing and cornice brackets were added to existing homes to create the style, which became common as Western towns were settled around the turn-of-the-century.
The house later became a beach rental before making its appearance as the home of Tom Cruise’s love interest in the movie Top Gun, which grossed over $360 million (more than $800 million in 2019 dollars)—the highest grossing film of 1986. It starred Cruise as a brash young naval aviator training at the elite Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego. The film became a cultural sensation; sales of bomber jackets and aviator sunglasses skyrocketed, Navy recruitment increased, and tourists began taking their photos in front of the newly dubbed “Top Gun House.”

As we all know, time marches on and the little house was located in prime Oceanside beach front property and had to go. Its removal was temporary, however. It was moved, renovated and returned, nestled in the middle of a huge, swanky resort. Once completed, the Top Gun house will be a darling ice cream parlor where customers can enjoy treats in a history that spans 133 years. "I feel the need, the need for... ice cream!" I can't wait.

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