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HomeMy WebLinkAbout050705_Template-SpicerHouse_2348NNorthPark.pdfState of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #______________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #__________________________________________________ PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial______________________________________________ NRHP Status Code_____________________________________ Other Listings_____________________________________________________________________ Review Code________ Reviewer________________________ Date_______________ Page _1_ of _4_ Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) Spicer House P1. Other Identifier: *P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted *a. County Orange County *b. USGS 7.5’ Quad TCA 0054 Date: *c. Address 2348 North North Park Boulevard City Santa Ana Zip 92706 *e. Other Locational Data: Assessor’s Parcel Number 002-122-02 *P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) An elegant entry, offset to the west, is the focal point of the design of this two-story, Spanish Colonial Revival residence. Rectangular in massing, the building is sheathed with stucco and capped by a tiled hip roof. The entry surround is flat- headed, with a molded crown, and projects slightly from the façade. Pilasters and decorated spandrels frame an archway. The wood-paneled door is deeply recessed, also arched, and contains a round window bisected in the middle by a mullion. An ornate glass and iron lantern is suspended within the archway. Windows above and beside the entry are primarily casements, widely spaced, and adorned with wrought iron grilles and balconets. Shrubbery screens most of the lower story openings. The house appears to be substantially original, although the stucco finish may have recently been repaired. The property is in fair condition and also contains a one-story, tile-roofed garage with an original wood paneled garage door. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other P5b. Photo: (view and date) North and west elevations July 2005 *P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources: historic 1928/Builder’s Contract *P7. Owner and Address: Robert L. Collins 2025 Springfield Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 *P8. Recorded by: Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC 35 S. Raymond Ave. # 204 Pasadena, CA 91105 *P9. Date Recorded: July 5, 2005 *P10. Survey Type: Intensive Survey Update *P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter “none”) California Department of Transportation, Broadway Overcrossing Historic Property Survey, March 1979. *Attachments: None Location Map Sketch Map Continuation Sheet Building, Structure, and Object Record Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record Other (list) DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information P5a. Photo State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #__________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#______________________________________________ BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD Page 2 of 4 *NRHP Status Code_2D1_________________________ *Resource Name or #: Spicer House B1. Historic Name: Spicer House B2. Common Name: Same B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence *B5. Architectural Style: Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1928. March, 1933. Rebuild chimney. *B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date:__________ Original Location:_____________________________ *B8. Related Features: Garage. B9a. Architect: W. W. Kays & M. L. Berenson b. Builder: E.A. Nol *B10. Significance: Theme Residential Architecture Area Santa Ana Period of Significance: circa 1888-1953 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) The Spicer House is architecturally significant for its restrained interpretation of the Spanish Colonial Revival style and historically notable for its association with a prominent local family, the Spicers. According to the Builder’s Contract dated May 17, 1928, the house and garage cost $13,940 and were designed by William W. Kays and Milo L. Berenson for Mrs. Orah Spicer. Kays was a successful local architect, with offices in both Santa Ana and Los Angeles. His commissions included numerous homes throughout Orange County as well as buildings for the Santa Ana School District. Berenson was an architectural draftsman who worked for various Santa Ana architects, including Frank Lansdown and Fay R. Spangler. (See Continuation Sheet 3 of 4.) B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) *B12. References: City of Santa Ana Building Permits Santa Ana History Room Collection, Santa Ana Public Library Sanborn Maps (See Continuation Sheet 4 of 4.) B13. Remarks: *B14. Evaluator: Leslie J. Heumann *Date of Evaluation: July 5, 2005 DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information Sketch Map (This space reserved for official comments.) 2348 N. Northpark Blvd S icer House State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _____________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # ________________________________________________ CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial _____________________________________________ Page 3_ of 4_ Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Spicer House *Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date July 5, 2005 ⌧ Continuation Update DPR 523L *B10. Significance (continued): Orah A. Spicer was the widow of Charles Spicer, who died in 1925 at the age of 47. He had come to California in 1904, settling initially in Pomona. A resident of Santa Ana for twelve years at the time of his death, Spicer was the proprietor of Charles Spicer & Company, a prosperous dry goods and ladies ready-to-wear store. An active member of the business community, Spicer served as president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1924, and as one of the founding members of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, serving as its president as well. An art school graduate, Orah Spicer was also active in the social and civic affairs of Santa Ana, and was a member of the Ebell Club. The Spicer House is located in Floral Park, a neighborhood northwest of downtown Santa Ana bounded by West Seventeenth Street, North Flower Street, Riverside Drive, and Broadway. Groves of oranges, avocados, and walnuts and widely scattered ranch houses characterized this area before 1920. Developer and builder Allison Honer (1897-1981), credited as the subdivider and builder of a major portion of northwest Santa Ana, arrived in Santa Ana from Beaver Falls, New York in 1922 (Talbert, pages 353-356). “Before nightfall on the day of his arrival, Mr. Honer purchased a parcel of land. And that month, he began building custom homes in Santa Ana” (Orange County Register, September 15, 1981). The parcel chosen became the Floral Park subdivision between Seventeenth Street and Santiago Creek. “When built in the 1920s, the Floral Park homes were the most lavish and expensive in the area. They sold for about $45,000 each” (Orange County Register, September 15, 1981). Revival architecture in a wide variety of romantic styles was celebrated in the 1920s and 1930s and Floral Park showcased examples of the English Tudor, French Norman, Spanish Colonial, and Colonial Revival. The Allison Honer Construction Company went on to complete such notable projects as the 1935 Art Deco styled Old Santa Ana City Hall, the El Toro Marine Base during World War II, and the 1960 Honer Shopping Plaza. Honer lived in the neighborhood he had helped to create, at 615 West Santa Clara Avenue. In the late 1920s and 1930s, another builder, Roy Roscoe Russell (1881-1965), continued developing the groves of Floral Park. An early Russell project was his 1928 subdivision of Victoria Drive between West Nineteenth Street and West Santa Clara Avenue. The homes were quite grand and displayed various revival styles, including Russell’s own large, Colonial Revival mansion at 2009 Victoria Drive. In the early post World War II years, Floral Park continued its development as numerous, smaller, single-family houses were built. Continuing in the Floral Park tradition, they were mostly revival in style. In the 1950s, low, horizontal Ranch Style houses completed the growth of Floral Park. Today (2005) Floral Park maintains its identity as the premier neighborhood of Santa Ana, historically home to many affluent and prominent citizens. The Spicer House has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributor to a North Broadway Park historic district that is bounded by Riverside Drive, Santa Clara Avenue, North Broadway, and North Flower Street. Comprising the northern end of the Floral Park neighborhood, North Broadway Park was subdivided in 1923. The Keeper of the National Register found that: “North Broadway Park reflects the City Beautiful planning movement in Southern California during the early twentieth century. The vernacular adaptations of period revival styles, curvilinear street patterns, street furniture, and landscape combine to create a cohesive and pleasant middle class suburban neighborhood environment which is unique in the early historical development of the city of Santa Ana.”1 Under the regulations implementing the California Register of Historical Resources, the Spicer House has been listed in the California Register. It also qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property under Criterion 1 for its exemplification of the distinguishing characteristics of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The house showcases a Renaissance inspired version of the style, with its block-like massing, hipped roof, and graceful entry. The house also contributes to the historic character of the Floral Park neighborhood through its age, style, scale, and historic association with important members of the local business and social community. Additionally, the house has been categorized as “Landmark” because it has been determined eligible for the National Register, has been listed in the California Register, has “unique architectural significance” as an example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, and contributes to a district that has “historical/cultural significance to the City” as an example of the City Beautiful planning movement. All original exterior features of the Spicer House are considered to be character defining and should be preserved. These features include, but may not be limited to: materials and finishes (stucco, wood, iron); roof configuration, materials, and treatment; massing and composition; entry; doors and windows; architectural detailing (wrought iron features, entry surround.); and garage. 1 Determination of Eligibility, February 25, 1980. State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary # _____________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # ________________________________________________ CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial _____________________________________________ Page 4_ of 4_ Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Spicer House *Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date July 5, 2005 ⌧ Continuation Update DPR 523L *B12. References (continued): Harris, Cyril M. American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. New York, WW Norton, 1998. Marsh, Diann. Santa Ana, An Illustrated History. Encinitas, Heritage Publishing, 1994. 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 Dept. of the Interior, 1991. Office of Historic Preservation. “Instructions for Recording Historical Resources.” Sacramento: March 1995. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969. “Alison Honer Dies at 84,” The Santa Ana Journal, September 21, 1981. “Builder of Honer Plaza Dies,” Orange County Register, September 15, 1981. “History of Floral Park.” http://www.floral-park.com/page2.html Talbert, Thomas (editor-in-chief). Historical Volume and Reference Works Including Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens, Volume I. Whittier, Historical Publishers, 1963. Armor, Samuel. History of Orange County. 1921. Pleasants, Mrs. J. E. History of Orange County. Los Angeles: J. R. Finnell & Sons Publishing Co., 1931. Vol.. 2, page 80 and Vol. 3, page 142. Santa Ana and Orange County Directories, 1927-1941. Filename: FINAL-2348_N_North_Park_DPR Directory: M:\Historic Info\090105HRC Template: C:\My Documents\General\Forms\Myprimry.dot Title: P1. Other Identifier: Subject: Author: City of Santa Ana Keywords: Comments: Creation Date: 7/5/2005 1:19:00 PM Change Number: 10 Last Saved On: 9/12/2005 11:25:00 AM Last Saved By: Holly Soboleske Total Editing Time: 247 Minutes Last Printed On: 10/30/2006 9:08:00 AM As of Last Complete Printing Number of Pages: 4 Number of Words: 1,901 (approx.) Number of Characters: 10,842 (approx.)