Beth Sarim, Spanish Revival mansion in San Diego, United States

Beth Sarim is a two-story Spanish Revival mansion at 4440 Braeburn Street in San Diego's Kensington Heights, designed by architect Richard S. Requa and built in 1929. Its white stucco walls carry a multi-level terracotta tile roof, with a square tower topped by a pyramidal roof and finial at the center. A lower wing on the left has exposed dark wood eaves and an arched entry with a balcony above; a tall green vine climbs the tower's front, and a rough stone retaining wall of irregular tan and gray stones runs along the base.

The building was constructed in 1929 for Joseph Franklin Rutherford, the second president of the Watch Tower Society. It served as a winter residence for the religious leader and his organization.

The Hebrew name Beth Sarim means House of the Princes, referring to the biblical patriarchs the Watch Tower Society expected to be resurrected. The deed, written by Rutherford, placed the property in perpetual trust for them until their arrival. The house was sold to a private owner in 1948 and is now a private residence, so only the exterior can be seen.

Beth Sarim is a private residence at 4440 Braeburn Street in Kensington Heights and is not open to visitors; the house and its grounds can only be seen from the public street. Look for the square central tower, the tall vine on its front face, and the rough stone retaining wall along the sidewalk.

Rutherford's will asked to be buried at Beth Sarim, and a crypt was begun in the basement before his death. San Diego County refused permission; after a three-and-a-half-month delay and a petition of over 14,000 signatures, he was buried in Rossville, New York. The crypt was never used.