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Overview

The German-born carriage-builder and inventor Henry Timken and his wife Fredericka Heinzelman designed this Queen Anne style residence as their retirement dwelling, when the couple retired to San Diego in 1899. For about fitty years, the couple had resided in Saint Louis, MO, where Timken operated several businesses, most of which focused on carrage manufacturing. Timken also invented several suspension and axle parts for carriages--including the cross-spring, side spring and tapered roller bearing-- the last of which would earn him and his family a large fortune. To produce these versatile and important bearings, he founded the Timken Roller Bearing Axle Company in 12/1899. According to the Timken website: "Single-row tapered roller bearings are the most basic and widely used, consisting of a cone assembly and a cup. Timken patented the first in 1898 and today offers the world's widest variety in inch and metric sizes." (See Timken.com, "Tapered Roller Bearings," accessed 10/01/2025.) The Timken Roller Bearing Axle Company was located in Saint Louis initially before moving to Canton, OH, in 1901 where it has remained.

Building History

The wood-frame, two-story Timken House consisted of a large, main residence and a very large carriage house.

Alteration

At some point, the original carriage house on the north side of the property was demolished.

PCAD id: 25857