Written by a Coronado Historical Association Volunteer
Referred to as the “Jewels in Coronado’s Crown,” Gerry MacCartee and Nancy Cobb have been monumental to the preservation of Coronado’s history. As very young women, they were trusted by Coronado Historical Association founders Bunny MacKenzie and Katherine Carlin to carry on the history baton after they were gone.
Gerry and Nancy were the beneficiaries of Katherine Carlin’s enormous collection of clips, photos, and notes that would be published as Coronado: The Enchanted Island after her death. As the project developed, Gerry and Nancy spent a year as consultants to historian and co-author Ray Brandes. They helped to compile volumes of detailed information about the people, architecture, businesses, and events that shaped Coronado’s history. After completing the book in 1987, Dr. Brandes expressed his gratitude by saying, “They are the generation that will help to make Coronado the place in which we want our grandchildren to live.”
Nearly three decades later, the combined efforts of Gerry and Nancy are making waves for the Coronado Historical Association. Their passion for preserving Coronado’s past continues to be an inspiration for citizens of all ages. They currently contribute their time to CHA’s Collections Committee, and they recently co-presented at CHA’s 50th Anniversary Gala on March 2, 2019.
Despite their different upbringings, both Gerry and Nancy would come to call Coronado their lifelong home as they embarked on a common mission. Gerry graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, and went to work at Mademoiselle and then Glamour magazines in New York. She later moved to Coronado where she met an Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) officer named Bobby MacCartee, fell in love with and married him, and planted her roots in Coronado. When Bobby passed away, Gerry persevered with strength and courage as she raised her two sons. Both sons are now grown and have had the opportunity to witness their mother become a Coronado legend.
Nancy received a business degree from the University of Maryland. Her interest in Coronado history was first sparked when her architect husband bought a faded Victorian house on B Avenue. Both Nancy and Gerry would become historic home owners. The two joined forces to educate themselves about their hometown, and determine what could be done to preserve its valuable historic resources.
In their early years, Gerry and Nancy were hoping for a part-time job that would allow flexibility to care for their young children, while enabling them to learn more about the fascinating history of this town. The dynamic duo proceeded to launch Coronado Touring in the summer of 1980. As they conducted walking tours of Coronado’s historic neighborhoods, they helped educate others about the heritage and history around them. Today, the eight-block, ninety-minute walking tour continues to be a popular activity for residents and visitors alike. Nancy still owns and operates Coronado Touring.
From 1981 to 1990, Gerry served as CHA president, while Nancy served as treasurer. At this early stage of CHA, the membership was about 300, and Gerry, Nancy, and other committed citizens volunteered their efforts for free, motivated by their passion for historic preservation. As pioneers for CHA, Gerry and Nancy presented slide shows to community groups, spreading awareness about the history of the island community and the need to restore historic buildings. They wrote newsletters to the Coronado Journal, reminding citizens to protect instead of destroy old homes. They also helped draft Coronado’s Downtown Design Guidelines.
Together these women educated elected officials and citizens about Coronado’s unique history, pleading before City Council to develop a preservation program. They simultaneously continued to conduct their walking tours of historic homes, including elegant Christmas home tours, to raise money for their vision of a historical museum.
When they stepped away from the board of CHA years later to focus on restoring a building on Loma Avenue to house that museum, membership had grown to over 800. In true Gerry-and-Nancy-fashion, they successfully raised funds for the much-needed history museum, which was completely paid for by opening day in 1993.
In addition to the many years Gerry had devoted to CHA and the museum, she has also served as a historic resource commissioner. She was a persuasive voice in convincing the City to adopt a historic ordinance, which she helped write, along with appointing a historic resource commission. She also assisted in writing the Mills Act for the restoration and preservation of historic buildings.
Gerry and Nancy have touched many lives through their preservation efforts. Fittingly, the Cobb-MacCartee Preservation Award is an award named in their honor for the invaluable contributions they made to CHA in its early days. The award honors an individual(s) whose work in the area of preservation, vis-a-vis, restoration, rehabilitation or adaptive reuse has significantly contributed to the enhancement of Coronado and therefore retention of the community’s cultural resources.
More photos of Gerry and Nancy:
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