Deed to the Watchtower’s San Diego mansion

DEED

Robert J. Martin, a single and unmarried person of 117 Adams St. Brooklyn, New York, for and in consideration of the sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00) does hereby grant, bargain and sell unto Joseph F. Rutherford of 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York for and during his life on earth and thereafter to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, a corporation created and organized under the laws of the state of Pennsylvania and maintaining its chief operating offices at 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

All that real property situated in Kensington Heights, County of San Diego, State of California, bounded and described as follows, to-wit:

Lot One Hundred Ten (110) and lot one Hundred Eleven (111) of Kensington Heights, Unit No. 2, in the County of San Diego, State of California, according to Map thereof No. 1912, filed in the office of the County Recorder of said San Diego County, May 24, 1926.

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD THE ABOVE GRANTED AND DESCRIBED PREMISES unto him, the said Joseph F. Rutherford for his exclusive possession, use and benefit for and during his life on earth and at the end of said limited estate then to the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY in trust to be used for the purposes herein set forth, to-wit:

The grantor at the request of the said Joseph F. Rutherford who is President of the WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY and General Manager thereof makes this provision and condition as set forth in this deed.

Both the grantor and grantee, the said Joseph F. Rutherford are fully persuaded from the Bible Testimony, which is the word of Jehovah God, and from extraneous evidence that God’s Kingdom is now in course of establishment and that it will result beneficially to the peoples of earth; that the governing power and authority will be invisible to men but that Kingdom of God will have visible representatives on the earth who will have charge of the affairs of the nations under the supervision of the invisible ruler Christ; that among those who will thus be the faithful representatives and visible governors of the world will be David, who was once King over Israel; and Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jepthae, and Joseph, formerly the ruler of Egypt, and Samuel the prophet and other faithful men who were name with approval in the Bible at Hebrews the eleventh chapter. The condition herein is that the said WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY shall hold said title perpetually in trust for the use of any or all of the men above named as representatives of God’s Kingdom on earth and that such men shall have possession and use of said property hereinabove described as they may deem for the best interest for the work in which they are engaged.

This property has been acquired and the improvements built thereon at the instance and under that direction of the said Joseph F. Rutherford and dedicated to Jehovah God and to his King Christ who is the rightful ruler of the earth and for the express purpose of being used by those who are servants of Jehovah God. For this reason the provision is made in this deed that the property shall be forever used for the purpose subject to any encumbrances that may have been placed thereupon.

IT IS FURTHER PROVIDED that if the said JOSEPH F. RUTHERFORD while alive on the earth shall be lease, deed or contract provide that any other person or persons connected with the said WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY shall have the right to reside on said premises until the appearing of David or some of the other men mentioned in the Eleventh Chapter of Hebrews as above set forth every such person or persons so designated by the said Joseph F. Rutherford in such lease or other paper writing shall have the right and privilege of residing on said premises until the same be taken possession of by David or some of the other men herein named and this property and premises being dedicated to Jehovah and the use of his kingdom it shall be used as such for ever. Any person appearing to take possession of said premises, shall first prove and identify themselves to the proper officers of said Society as the person or persons described in Hebrews Chapter eleven and in this deed.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I the said Robert J. Martin and the said JOSEPH F. RUTHERFORD have hereunto signed our names this 24th day of December A.D. 1929.

WITNESSES:

Donald Haslett Robert J. Martin
Bonnie Boyd Joseph F. Rutherford

State of New York )
) ss.
County of Kings )

WITNESS my hand and official seal the day and year in this certificate first above written.

Donald Donald Haslett
Haslett

Notary Notary Public #632
Public Kings County Register #1276

Kings Commission expires March 31/1931
county State of New York, ) ) ss. County of Kings ) I, FRED G. LEMMERMAN, clerk of the county of Kings, and also Clerk of the Supreme Court for said County (said Court being a Court of Record), DO HEREBY CERTIFY that Donald Haslett, the Notary Public before whom the within acknowledgment of deposition was made, was at the time of taking the same authorized by the laws of the State of New York to take the acknowledgments and proofs of deeds or conveyances for lands, tenements and hereeditaments situate, lying and being in said State of New York. And further that I am well acquainted with the hand writing of such Notary and verily believe that the signature to said certificate of proof, acknowledgment or deposition is genuine.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have herunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the said County and Court, this 24th day of December 1929.

Fred G. Lemmerman Clerk

Kings County SEAL

Recorded at request of Grantee, Feb. 7, 1930 at 15 min. past 2 o’clock P.M.
John H. Ferry, County Recorder,
Fee $1.80 by N.C. Parsons, Deputy