Southern Hotel, listed on the NRHP in California
The Southern Hotel is a two-story wooden structure built in 1886 featuring Renaissance Revival architecture with decorative window crowns and an open porch at the front. Its horizontal siding and simple rectangular form display Italianate details characteristic of late 1800s construction on D Street.
The hotel was built in 1886 by Swiss couple Bernardo and Marcellina Bernasconi and served early travelers on the stage line connecting San Jacinto and Perris. After 1919, the family converted it to a residence where their oldest daughter Matilda lived for many years until her death.
The hotel served as a gathering place for travelers and local residents during Perris's early years. Walking through today, you can sense how such buildings anchored community life before automobiles and modern hotels changed how people moved through towns.
The building now operates as the Motte Historical Museum, displaying artifacts and photographs from early Perris that help visitors understand the town's development. Its central location on D Street makes it convenient to explore on foot and walk to other sites nearby.
This is the oldest remaining business structure in Perris and nearly faced demolition in the 1980s before local preservation efforts saved it from destruction. The Motte brothers purchased and restored it in 1990, bringing it back to its original condition for future generations.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
