History
The Fabulous 7 Motel, and its sign has been on a long journey to arrive at where it is today.
The original hotel sat on the same location as ECTLC or the East County Transitional Living Center does today, 1527 East Main Street in El Cajon, California.
But Main Street was not always Main Street – it was originally Highway 80, now part of what is known as “Old Highway 80”. Highway 80 stretched from San Diego to Yuma, Arizona and replaced the original plank road that crossed the desert sand dunes of Imperial County.
The earliest record we have of the hotel is its incorporation with the Secretary of State of California on April 14, 1966 and registered as the “Fabulous Five-Seven Corporation”.
At that time, Highway 80 ran along the east side of the property, where Main Street is today.
At this point in time, the hotel used the name “Fabulous Five-Seven Motel.” The reason for this name was simple – one guest was $5, while two, three or four guests were $7! The hotel counted on 62 individually air-conditioned and heated units, all soundproof, radio and television in every room, ample parking a nearby restaurant (Aunt Emma’s which was open 24 hours) and a pool. Sadly, the original hotel sign on Highway 80 is no longer in existence. The motel was described as modernist and geared to families embarking on road trips.
At some point in time, the $5 room rate went away, so the hotel evolved in its name. What was once the “Fabulous Five-Seven Motel” became the “Fabulous Seven Motel”. Commercial rates were available, and with the increase in rates came free local calls and waterbeds! Aunt Emma’s offered cocktails, dancing and entertainment at the famous “Diamond” lounge.
In the late 60s, the new Interstate 8 freeway was planned and would be built, bypassing El Cajon’s length of Highway 80. The good news is that the new Interstate 8 was just on the other side of the hotel property.
It was at that time that the hotel saw the opportunity to build a new sign next to the new freeway. This was the birth of the Fabulous 7 Motel neon sign. If you look closely at this postcard from the Fabulous 7 Motel from 1971, you can see the sign over the rooms on the right-hand row of hotel rooms.
In this undated photo by M.C. Morrissey, we can see the original colors of the sign when the Fabulous 7 Motel neon sign was still operational: Blue, Pink and Yellow.
At some point in time, the hotel began to come into disrepair and was eventually abandoned.
We assume that this was the last time the neon sign worked and lit up the night sky.
In 2004, ECTLC was established by Harold Brown. During that winter he and several others from Hamann Companies began to convert the Fabulous Seven Motel it homeless shelter and recovery. Harold always believed that adversity provides an opportunity for growth. In his absence, his legacy of perseverance and faith continues on at ECTLC.
In 2023, Esteban Villanueva approached ECTLC with an idea- to restore the Fabulous 7 Motel neon sign. Mr. Villanueva would drive past the sign on a regular basis and admire its retro design and recognized the importance of the sign as a part of Roadside Americana.
In 2024, after a plan for the restoration was created, estimates were obtained and the most important aspect was begun: fundraising. The fundraising will be directed by Esteban Villaneuva, who publishes several magazine in San Diego including GB Magazine, a magazine that focuses on the philanthropy of the region. The funds will be administered, received and managed by East County Transitional Living Center (ECTLC) a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Tax ID #27-0865318.
Once all the funding for the restoration is raised, the sign will be restored by The San Diego Air & Space Museum, whose staff and volunteers have experience in the restoration of aircraft- so the structure, surface and paint will be expertly restored. The electrical and neon tubing will be replaced and rewired by David Vich of Neon Jungle, an El Cajon based company with more than 30 years of experience with neon signs. Neon Jungle is Licensed by the State of California, Bonded and Insured. Certificate of Insurance and Workers Compensation are available upon request. CL # 791252- C45 Electrical Signs. 8976070 – B General Contractor David Vich. DIR License Number: PW-LR-1000589523.
We expect the repair and restoration to take one year of work to complete once all the funds have been raised. The Fabulous 7 Motel will then once again illuminate the California night and be an exciting roadside landmark – the last original roadside neon motel sign in San Diego. We are excited to see this sign become a thing of beauty, a local landmark and a piece of our region’s history.
ECTLC
San Diego Air & Space Museum
Neon Jungle
Esteban Villanueva