HomeMy WebLinkAbout040308_ExecutiveSummary-MitchellHouse_212EBerkeley.pdfEXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MITCHELL HOUSE
212 East Berkeley Street
Santa Ana, CA 92707
NAME Mitchell House REF. NO.
ADDRESS 212 Berkeley Street
CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92707 ORANGE COUNTY
YEAR BUILT Circa 1898 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Key
HISTORIC DISTRICT N/A NEIGHBORHOOD Madison Park
CALIFORNIA REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION 3 CALIFORNIA REGISTER STATUS CODE 5S1
Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted
Prehistoric Historic Both
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Folk Victorian/Pyramidal Roof Variant
The spread of the Folk Victorian style in the United States, from circa 1870 to 1910, was made possible by the establishment of the
railroad system, which facilitated the widespread distribution of lumber and woodworking machinery, as well as the mass-production
of Victorian detailing fashionable in the late nineteenth century. The five principal subtypes vary in roof configuration, following
National Folk house forms, and include front-gabled, side-gabled, and pyramidal forms. Based on the vernacular National Folk house
form, the Folk Victorian generally features a simple house form with applied Victorian detailing (usually Italianate or Qu een Anne,
and less commonly Gothic Revival). Folk Victorian residences are easily distinguished from the high-style Victorian residences they
emulate in their use of simple massing, symmetrical façades, and the absence of textured, asymmetrical wall surfa ces. Identifying
features include use of decorative detailing around the porch and cornice line, including Queen Anne-style turned spindles, beveled or
turned porch supports, and lace-like spandrels. Porch balusters and friezes often display turned spindles or posts. Roof-wall junctions
are either boxed or open; when boxed, they are frequently lined with carved brackets. In California, the Folk Victorian style was
replaced in the early twentieth century with the rise of the Craftsman Bungalow and various historic revival styles (McAlester, 309 –
317).
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION :
The Mitchell House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 for its exempli fication of
the distinguishing characteristics of a Folk Victorian residence. Additionally, the house has been categorized as “Key” because it “has
a distinctive architectural style and quality” as an example of the Folk Victorian style (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2).
EXPLANATION OF CODES:
· California Register Criteria for Evaluation: (From California Office of Historic Preservation, Technical Assistance Series # 7,
“How to Nominate Resources to the California Register of Historical Resources,” September 4, 2001.)
3: It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the
work of a master, or possesses high artistic values.
· California Register Status Code: (From California Office of Historic Preservation, December 8, 2003.)
5S1: Individual property that is listed or designated locally.