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HomeMy WebLinkAbout010119_Template-GilmakerAutoBldg_217NBroadway.pdfPage 1 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Broadway 217 N (Gilmaker Auto Bldg) 8/8/01 NAME Gilmaker Auto Agency Building REF. NO. 240 ADDRESS 217-221 North Broadway CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92701 ORANGE COUNTY YEAR BUILT 1931 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Contributive 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Downtown Santa Ana NEIGHBORHOOD NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION C NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS CODE 1D Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted USGS 7.5” Quad Date: T R _ of _ of Sec : B.M Prehistoric Historic Both ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND RELATED TO PERIOD ARCHITECTURE: The Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival style, as its name implies, encompasses two major subcategories. The Mission Revival vocabulary, popular between 1890 and 1920, drew its inspiration from the missions of the Southwest. Identifying features include curved parapets (or espadana); red tiled roofs and coping; low-pitched roofs, often with overhanging eaves; porch roofs supported by large, square piers; arches; and wall surfaces commonly covered in smooth stucco. The Spanish Colonial Revival flourished between 1915 and 1940, reaching its apex during the 1920s and 1930s. The movement received widespread attention after the Panama- California Exposition in San Diego in 1915, where lavish interpretations of Spanish and Mexican prototypes were showcased. Easily recognizable hallmarks of the Spanish Colonial Revival are low-pitched roofs, usually with little or no overhangs and red tile roof coverings, flat roofs surrounded by tiled parapets; and stuccoed walls. The Spanish vocabulary also includes arches, asymmetry, balconies and patios, window grilles, and wood, wrought iron, tile, or stone decorative elements. The Churrigueresque variant features ornate carvings highlighting arches, columns, window surrounds, cornices and parapets. Page 2 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Broadway 217 N (Gilmaker Auto Bldg) 8/8/01 CONSTRUCTION HISTORY: (Construction data, alterations, and date of alterations) Built in 1931 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 Spanish Colonial Revival style building is located on the east side of N. Broadway between 2nd and 3rd Streets. One story in height, it is built of brick with a stucco exterior, and has a tiled side gable roof. Only about 30 feet deep, the building consists of three bays: a central drive-through passage topped by a front gable roof flanked on either side by storefronts recessed beneath the side gable roof. A round-headed arch defines the auto passage while broad elliptical arches form a shallow arcade in front of the storefronts. Impost moldings detail each archway. Orange and black glazed tile in a zig-zag motif decorate the bulkheads. The storefronts have newer plate glass display windows, and the entrance doors are recessed with arched transoms. Rear elevation windows are one-over-one double-hung wood sash. The building appears to be in good condition, and retains a high degree of integrity of materials, design and workmanship. HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS: The Gilmaker Auto Agency Building was constructed as the front office on an auto sales lot, and was expected to be used on a temporary basis (National Register Nomination Form, 7:24). The Depression precluded the replacement of the building with a new one, and it remains in use today. 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 RESOURCES PRESENT: Page 3 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Broadway 217 N (Gilmaker Auto Bldg) 8/8/01 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, and by the 1920s Santa Ana’s downtown had expanded in each direction to include both commercial and civic development. The California style of living evidenced itself in the abundance of Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings, which were commonly built during the 1920s and early 1930s. Character-defining exterior features of this building which should be preserved include, but are not limited to: stuccoed exterior; side gable roof with central front gable; red clay tile roof cladding; three bay arcade; impost moldings; storefront configuration and materials where original (tile bulkeads, wood and glass door); and central pass-through. The Gilmaker Auto Agency Building is architecturally significant as a good, intact example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style in downtown Santa Ana. The stucco finish, tile roof, and arches are all typical of the style, and the building retains good integrity. 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 an intact example of the Spanish Colonial Revival styling which typified an important architectural trend in Santa Ana development during the 1920s and 1930s, the building satisfies Criterion 1 for inclusion in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property. Additionally, the property has been categorized as “Contributive” because it “contributes to the overall character and history” of the downtown historic district (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2(3)). OWNER AND ADDRESS: Joseph L. Gilmaker 307 West Third Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 RECORDED BY: (Name, affiliation, and address) Page 4 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Broadway 217 N (Gilmaker Auto Bldg) 8/8/01 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. 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 M. American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. New York, WW Norton, 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.