Steam Powered Giraffe: The Story of The Cavalcadium, Part I
Artwork by Sam Luke and Bunny Bennett
“In 1874, a group of local scientists founded The San Diego Natural History Museum in what was then called “City Park”, now known as the famous Balboa Park of California.
Before the turn of the century saw construction on the First World’s Fair, the scrub-filled mesa of land that was to host Balboa Park had very little landscaping or development. The most prominent building at the time is one you won’t find in the local history books, for the simple fact that many don’t know it existed.
It was called the Cavalcadium, and was a very large structure in Balboa Park with a loose Spanish Colonial Revival style. It housed nearly a dozen laboratories, studies, and libraries for use by its congregations. Even being as distinguished as it was, very few outsiders knew what the building was used for.
As an active scientific institute, it was unparalleled. Some of the world’s greatest minds stepped through those doors to share their pursuits. Chemists to artisans, engineers to botanists, the Cavalcadium became a haven for the pursuit of knowledge, beyond conventional standards.
It all began with a man by the name of Doctor Verato. This mysterious figure swooped in and bought up large amounts of City Park with his business partner, Jack Pomene. The two immediately started construction on The Cavalcadium building. The plaque adorning the entrance read “The Cavalcadium Finishing School For Girls.” For the most part, people believed what the plaque said and left the society alone, but rumors soon began to circulate.
The structure took on the name “The Scholomance of California” in the local scientific community and quickly began earning a sordid reputation for being a haven of witches. It did appear to be some sort of private school for women, but many local scientists who were asked to contribute to studies, or contractors who worked in its construction spoke otherwise. Due to its secrecy and the underdeveloped land, many San Diegans had no idea what The Cavalcadium actually was. To any who remember the building, they remember whispers and hearsay, or they remember how the building disappeared rather suddenly in 1917. But mostly they would agree that is was a school for girls.
As members of the Cavalcadium, we’ve come to know more about the history of the society beyond its secretive and sketchy past. You won’t find traces of its existence on Earth, as it almost seems to be literally unwritten from the history books. The reason for this is quite more astonishing than you could now fathom.”
LEARN MORE about The Cavalcadium at www.TheCavalcadium.com
