Please Help us Repair the Roof!
The Germania Hotel on the grounds of the Olivenhain Town Council (OTC) property has been through a long journey in over 120 years. Originally, it was the largest and most expensive home in Olivenhain during the Colony era. It was constructed for Herman Baecht, his wife Katherine, and their ten children. Herman called it the Germania Hotel, and to provide an income, Katherine did take in boarders. The house was first sold around 1900 and became a private residence for another eighty years. The person to own it the longest was Carl Teten who called it home for sixty years. In 1982 the Hotel was moved from its original building site to the OTC property next to the Meeting Hall.
Following the move, there was a very ambitious group of Olivenhain Town Council volunteers that worked weekends for several years patching roofing, repairing siding, rebuilding the front porch and utility area and replacing the copula. After those initial repairs, the Hotel again gradually fell into a period of abandonment and disrepair.
In 2000, the Olivenhain Town Council resumed the restoration of the building which continued for the following 17 years. The Hotel is used during the Arts and Crafts Fair, for the Boy Scouts Haunted Hotel, and for community meetings.
Now the Hotel needs a new roof and the OTC is looking for the community to come together and help fund the reroofing this historic building. All of our typical in-person fund-raising activities have been cancelled this year, but the repair of the roof cannot wait, as the winter is approaching. There are open spots in the roof where bats have been making their home, and if it rains, the interior of the hotel will be damaged, undoing years of work that volunteers have put in restoring the building.
We Need Your Help!
The OTC understands that it has been a very difficult year for many in our community. We have never asked for direct donations before to maintain the Meeting Hall or Hotel, and understand that your family comes first. However, if you have the means and can help preserve a historic landmark of our community, please consider donating to the Germania Hotel Roof Repair Fund. Any size donation will make a difference and will be greatly appreciated!
Donate Online
There are two ways to make donations to the Roof Repair Fund. The first is by credit card through PayPal using this form.
Donate by Check
The second way to donate is to mail a check to OTC. Please mail your check to:
Olivenhain Town Council
Attn. Roof Repair Fund
423 Rancho Santa Fe Rd.
Encinitas, CA 92024
The OTC has been designated as a 501(c)(3) organization by the IRS and your donation for the Germania Hotel roof repair may be tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor regarding the tax deductibility of your donation. The OTC’s Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number is 33-0099393.