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HomeMy WebLinkAbout010119_Template-DibbleBldg_102EFourth.pdfPage 1 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 102 E (Dibble Bldg) 8/8/01 NAME Dibble Building REF. NO. 245 ADDRESS 102 East Fourth Street CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92701 ORANGE COUNTY YEAR BUILT 1885; 1915 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Key HISTORIC DISTRICT Downtown Santa Ana NEIGHBORHOOD NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION C NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS CODE 1D Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted USGS 7.5” Quad Date: T R _ of _ of Sec : B.M Prehistoric Historic Both ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Italian Renaissance DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND RELATED TO PERIOD ARCHITECTURE: The late 19th and 20th century revival of the Italian Renaissance style, also known as the Italian Renaissance Revival, was popular from the late 19th century until 1930. It was inspired by the designs of the palazzi of northern Italy and popularized by American architects McKim, Mead, and White. Utilized on public buildings and ornate homes, the vocabulary of the style also influenced the appearance of commercial buildings. Characteristic features generally include masonry construction, often with different treatments on lower and upper stories; stringcourses or beltcourses between stories; flat roofs screened by parapets or hipped roofs; cornices, dentils, pilasters, quoins, and other classical details; and a balanced, often symmetrical appearance. Taller, more elaborate buildings often feature terracotta facade cladding or ornamentation while more modest one to three story examples utilize bricks of contrasting colors as trim. Ground floors of multi-story buildings often housed banking rooms; more modest buildings may contain storefronts with recessed entries and large plate glass display windows with transoms and bulkheads. Upper story windows are most commonly one-over-one wood framed double-hung sash. Page 2 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 102 E (Dibble Bldg) 8/8/01 CONSTRUCTION HISTORY: (Construction data, alterations, and date of alterations) Built in 1885 (George E. Bessonett, contractor) Façade 1915 (J. S. Fluor, designer/contractor) Remodel 1949 RELATED FEATURES: (Other important features such as barns, sheds, fences, prominent or unusual trees, or landscape) None. DESCRIPTION: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, settings, and boundaries.) This two-story brick commercial building is located on the southeast corner of Fourth and Main Streets. The building was originally constructed in 1885, with a storefront alteration in 1915. A 1949 remodel further altered the lower floor to the appearance evident today, while the details of the 1915 remodel remain on the upper floor. The building has blonde brick structural walls that are still visible on the upper floor. White glazed brick faces the lower floor. Symmetrical fenestration on each street façade includes a central entrance flanked by large aluminum-framed picture windows on the first floor, and broad one-over-one wood sash windows arranged singly (north elevation) and in pairs (west elevation) on the second floor. A course of decorative glazed brick with intermittent mauve glazed brick patterns separates the upper windows from the denticulated cornice, topped by a simple parapet hiding a flat or sloped roof. Small vertical neon “Dental” signs are attached to the north and west corners of the upper portion of the building. HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS: The Dibble Building was originally constructed in 1885 as designed by George E. Bessonett. The long-time location of the Santa Ana Produce Market (Gerrard and McGannon, proprietors), the location was altered in 1915 to become the California National Bank, formed by John Cubbon. The 1915 remodel was designed and constructed by the John Simon Fluor construction company. The J.S. Fluor company has since become the internationally known Fluor Corporation based in Irvine. Various banks were located here including the Pacific Southwest Trust and Saving Bank (1925; E.L. Crawford, President) and the Security First National Bank of Los Angeles (1929-1934). Offices above were the location of the Babize Guitar and Mandolin Studios (1900-1904), the Santa Ana Painless Dentist, and the offices of J.S. Fluor Construction (1916-1921). The upper floor continues to convey its 1915 appearance, while the street level façade reflects a 1949 alteration. RESOURCE ATTRIBUTES: (List attributes and codes from Appendix 4 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office of Historic Preservation.) (HP 6) 1-3 story commercial building Page 3 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 102 E (Dibble Bldg) 8/8/01 RESOURCES PRESENT: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other MOVED? No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, geographic scope, and integrity.) Santa Ana was founded by William Spurgeon in 1869 as a speculative townsite on part of the Spanish land grant known as Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. Early growth and development was stimulated by the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1878 and the Santa Fe Railroad in 1886. By the end of the 1880s, Santa Ana’s downtown business district was defined by five city blocks of brick commercial buildings on Fourth Street, with the heart of the city at the intersection of Fourth and Main Streets (Thomas, 8:1). The period of 1911-1915 saw many characteristic new business blocks or remodels along Fourth Street, of which this building was one. This building is architecturally significant as one of the better examples of early twentieth century Italian Renaissance Revival influenced commercial architecture in downtown Santa Ana. Though originally constructed in 1885 and subsequently altered in 1915, the building retains much of the 1915 design, which was completed by the J.S. Fluor Construction Company. The storefront level has been altered, but the upper level retains its 1915 brickwork, windows, cornice details and parapet in good condition, allowing the building to convey this period of development. The building is also significant for its association with the J.S. Fluor Construction Company, which is now the internationally known Fluor Corporation based in Irvine, California. Character-defining exterior features of the Dibble Building which should be preserved include, but are not limited to: face brick walls; bay divisions; parapet; denticulated cornice; stringcourse; wood-framed, one-over-one double-hung sash windows; glazed brick architectural embellishments; and the Mayan influenced deity symbols. SUMMARY/CONCLUSION: This building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as a contributor to the Downtown Historic District. Under the regulations implementing the California Register of Historical Resources, the building is also listed in the California Register. As a typical example of the vernacular interpretation of Renaissance Revival styling which personified downtown Santa Ana development during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the building satisfies Criterion 1 for inclusion in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property. Additionally, the property has been categorized as “Key” because it has a “distinctive architectural style and quality,” “is characteristic of a significant period in the history of the City of Santa Ana,” and “is associated with a significant person or event in the City of Santa Ana” (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2(2)). OWNER AND ADDRESS: Raul Yanez 318 North Bush Street, Suite D Santa Ana, CA 92701 Page 4 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 102 E (Dibble Bldg) 8/8/01 RECORDED BY: (Name, affiliation, and address) Leslie Heumann & Liz Carter Science Applications International Corporation 35 S. Raymond Avenue, Suite 204, Pasadena, CA 91105 DATE RECORDED: January 19, 2001 SURVEY TYPE: (Intensive, reconnaissance, or other) Intensive Survey Update REPORT CITATION: (Cite survey report and other sources) Les, Kathleen. “Santa Ana Historic Survey, Final Resources Inventory: Downtown.” May 1980, p. 5. Thomas, Harold M. “Downtown Santa Ana Historic District” National Register nomination form, 1984. REFERENCES: (List documents, date of publication, and page numbers. May also include oral interviews.) Harris, Cyril. American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. 1998. Heritage Orange County Inc. “Downtown Santa Ana Historic District Walking Tour.” nd. McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984 National Register Bulletin 16A. “How to Complete the National Register Registration Form.” Washington DC: National Register Branch, National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, 1991. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969. EVALUATOR: Leslie Heumann DATE OF EVALUATION: January 19, 2001 EXPLANATION OF CODES: • National Register Criteria for Evaluation: (From Appendix 7 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office of Historic Preservation) C: that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. • National Register Status Code: (From Appendix 2 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office of Historic Preservation) 1D: Contributor to a listed district.