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NAME Cowles House REF. NO. 143
ADDRESS 820 North French Street and 320 East Ninth Street
CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92701 ORANGE COUNTY
YEAR BUILT 1925 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Key
HISTORIC DISTRICT French Park NEIGHBORHOOD French Park
NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION A, C NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS CODE 1D
Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted
USGS 7.5” Quad Date: T R ¼ of ¼ of Sec : B.M.
Prehistoric Historic Both
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Mission / Spanish Colonial Revival
DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND RELATED TO PERIOD ARCHITECTURE:
The architectural style terminology is adapted from the National Register Bulletin 16A.
The Mission/ Spanish Colonial revival style was prevalent between 1915 – 1941. These homes were modeled after the houses of
Italy, Spain, and North America along the Mediterranean Ocean, easily identifiable by their red tile roofs and white stucco walls. The
style is also characterized for arched openings and windows often recessed, closely related to the outdoors through the use of porches,
terraces, and courtyards, use of decorative iron work or color and plain tiles, and limited number of openings.
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CONSTRUCTION HISTORY: (Construction data, alterations, and date of alterations)
Year built: 1925
Convert residence
to duplex: June 22, 1951
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.)
The structure represents a distinctive Mission / Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style and quality that includes the following
features: A trio of multi-paned arched windows, fronted with a narrow decorative balcony. Clad in its original light mustard yellow
color stucco, the structure is crowned with a red-clay-tile-clad roof. Its split level design facilitated its conversion to a duplex in 1951.
The red-brick-clad steps lead to the main covered entryway on the front (east) facade) which is topped by an intricately shaped arched
opening. A second long narrow arched opening faces north while the second stairway is flanked by stucco-clad piers. A trio of multi-
paned windows to the west of the stairway is faced with a wood balcony with plain wood balusters, while the underside is decorated
with carved brackets. Six 12-light windows form a row along the north side of the second floor of the two story section. The original
paired garage doors, located next to the sidewalk are accented with two rows of multi-paned windows. A matching stucco-clad wall
begins at the northwest corner of the house and surrounds the back yard.
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Edward and Florence Moore built the original single-family house with a built in two-car garage. Born in Lawrence County, Illinois,
on September 25, 1852, Mr. Moore came to California in 1904. He and his wife purchased eighty acres of peat land and raised celery,
barley, and corn. By 1931 Carl C. Cowles, a prominent local attorney and his wife, Helen, purchased and lived at the property
through the late 1960’s. Carl C. Cowles was also the owner that converted the single-family dwelling into a duplex in 1951.
RESOURCE ATTRIBUTES: (List attributes and codes from Appendix 4 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office
of Historic Preservation.)
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(HP3) Multiple family dwelling
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.)
This example of residential architecture during the City of Santa Ana’s early formation years is located in French Park Historic
District. This single-family residence was built during the height of the development of French park, a residential district advertised
as the “Nob Hill” of Orange County. French Park was home to many businessmen, doctors, banker, attorneys and civil servants from
1880 to the early 1940’s. This house is in excellent condition, in unaltered state, on its original site.
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION:
This house has a distinctive architectural style with distinctive red-clay-tile-clad gabled roofs, arches and arcades at entrances, arched
and multi-paned windows clad the facades of the home and an east facing wood balcony with plain wood balusters.
OWNER AND ADDRESS: Steven A. Cate & Catherine C. Cate
820 North French Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
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RECORDED BY: (Name, affiliation, and address)
Irma Hernandez
City of Santa Ana, Planning Division
20 Civic Center Plaza, M-20, Santa Ana, CA 92702
DATE RECORDED: July 6, 2000
SURVEY TYPE: (Intensive, reconnaissance, or other)
Reconnaissance
REPORT CITATION: (Cite survey report and other sources)
National Register of Historic Places Application for French Park District
Santa Ana Architectural Style Guide; Taking a Close Look at Historic Santa Ana
Historic French Park: Its Architectural Legacy and Design Guidelines
REFERENCES: (List documents, date of publication, and page numbers. May also include oral interviews.)
City of Santa Ana Building Division Records
Orange County Assessors Office
EVALUATOR: DATE OF EVALUATION:
EXPLANATION OF CODES:
• National Register Criteria for Evaluation: (From Appendix 7 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office of
Historic Preservation)
A: that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.
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.