SOHO has run historic site in Old Town for 20 years
mark, gets 100,000 visitors in a typical year.
David Thornton, local general manager for Old Town Trolley Tours, said the company has experience running museums in other cities where it operates, including Boston, Savannah, Ga., and Key West, Fla.
He said the company plans to aggressively promote the Whaley House as an attraction on its trolleys, its social media accounts and at a visitor center it operates on the waterfront embarcadero.
“We’re honored and excited to be chosen,” Thornton said.
Durckel said county officials are negotiating final details of a new lease, which must get approval from the county Board of Supervisors. She said such a vote is anticipated this spring, but no date has been chosen.
Since SOHO’s lease expired Nov. 20, the county has taken over the Whaley House site, which is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SOHO’s lease was for 10 years with two 5-year renewal options that the nonprofit exercised.
Bruce Coons, SOHO’s executive director, called it ironic that the nonprofit’s efforts to improve the Whaley House made the site more attractive to a forprofit corporation.
Coons said he hopes the new operator will focus on the right things.
“The restoration and
conservation of the Whaley House Museum and its related buildings and grounds should be the first priority
for any operator agency,” he said.
Durckel said the county was obligated to consider and
other possible operators.
“It is standard practice at the end of long-term lease and operating agreements to issue an RFP to evaluate the full spectrum of potential operations and interested parties to deliver the best-value provider,” she said.
The lease covers the 3,680 square-foot, two-story Whaley House Museum, the 1,480 square-foot DerbyPendleton House, the 1,100square-foot Verna House Cottage, two 400-squarefoot buildings currently used as a restaurant, a restroom building, outside gardens and landscaping.
The Whaley House, built on a former cemetery by Thomas Whaley, is considered haunted by many. It was operated as a museum by June Strudwick-Reading from 1960 until she died in 1998.
Old Town Trolley Tours was founded in the early 1970s in Key West. The company began operating in San Diego in 1989.