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HomeMy WebLinkAbout060508_Template-LarsenWahlbergHouse_2018NGreenleaf.pdfState of California ¾ 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) Larsen-Wahlberg House P1. Other Identifier: *P2. Location: oNot for Publication nUnrestricted *a. County Orange County *b. USGS 7.5’ Quad TCA2555 Date: *c. Address 2018 North Greenleaf Street City Santa Ana Zip 92706 *e. Other Locational Data: Assessor’s Parcel Number 002-081-36 *P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.) Rectangular in plan, this one-story residence displays characteristics typical of the English Revival style. Capped with a medium -pitched cross-gabled roof, the roof line terminates in rolled edges, meant to suggest thatching. The focal point of the façade is a projecting, front-gabled wing, whose uneven rake extends on the south side to shelter a small arched window, screened behind spindlework . Centered beneath the gable apex, a large arched picture window is fram ed by scored plaster, meant to resemble quoined masonry. An arched vent consisting of horizontal louvers pierces the apex of the front and side gables. Placed at the intersection of the front- and side gable d wings, the south -facing wood entry is elevate d three steps and recessed within a thin wood frame. An arched panel, within which a small window opens, characterizes the entry door. Extending south, the side-gabled wing fenestration consists of a large picture window and a tripartite window composed of two casements flanking a center fixed sash. Windows are shallowly recessed, with thin wood frames. This fenestration pattern is echoed on the south elevation, which displays a band of five casement and fixed-pane windows, enclosed in wood frames. Shallow eaves and exposed rafters (somewhat hidden by a newer gutter) mark the roof line of the side gable. An attached chimney is located on the north elevation, which displays wood-framed windows in a variety of configurations. Located southwest of the residence, the one-story garage features a row of four side-hinged, wood garage doors. Alterations to the property include application of a non -original stucco finish to the residence and parapet of the garage. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property *P4. Resources Present: nBuilding oStructure oObject oSite oDistrict oElement of District oOther P5b. Photo: (view and date) East elevation May 2008 *P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources: nhistoric 1930/City of Santa Ana Building Permits *P7. Owner and Address: Barton Beach and Diane L. Willis 2018 N. Greenleaf St. Santa Ana, CA 92706 *P8. Recorded by: L. Heumann and D . Howell -Ardila Sapphos Environmental, Inc. 133 Martin Alley Pasadena, California 91105 *P9. Date Recorded: May 8, 2008 *P10. Survey Type: Intensive Survey Update *P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter “none”) *Attachments: oNone oLocation Map oSketch Map nContinuation Sheet nBuilding, Structure, and Object Record oArchaeological Record oDistrict Record oLinear Feature Record oMilling Station Record oRock Art Record oArtifact Record oPhotograph Record o Other (list) DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information P5a. Photo State of California ¾ The Resources Agency Primary #__________________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#______________________________________________ BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD Page 2 of 4 *CHR Status Code _5S1__________________________ *Resource Name or #: Larsen-Wahlberg House B1. Historic Name: Larsen-Wahlberg House B2. Common Name: Same B3. Original Use: Single -family Residence B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence *B5. Architectural Style: English Revival *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed 1930 April 1, 1930. Residence and garage constructed for $5,450. February 14, 1994. Reroof residence with tear-off, new composition shingles, $8,400 . *B7. Moved? n No o Yes o Unknown Date:______ Original Location:_ ____________________ *B8. Related Features: Garage. B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown *B10. Significance: Theme Residential Architecture Area Santa Ana Period of Significance: circa 1895-1965 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: NR: C; CR: 3 (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity) The Larsen-Wahlberg House is architecturally significant as a relatively intact example of the English Revival style and is of cultural interest for its association with Harold Edward Wahlberg. According to the original building permit, dated April 1, 1930 , the residence and garage were constructed for Lars C. Larsen at a cost of $5,450. Larsen worked as a pharmacist in the early 1930s and as a painter from circa 1937 to 1945. He resided in the home with his wife Nellie until his death in 1947. Mrs. Larsen remained in the residence for several more years, until selling the property to Harold Edward Wahlberg and his wife Bertha in 1950. From 1918 to 1953, Harold Wahlberg served as farm advisor for Orange County, a position run under the auspices of the University o f California College of Agricultu re and the United States Department of Agriculture. Born in Seattle, Washington, in 1890 and raised on a farm, Wahlberg studied horticulture at Oregon State University at Corvallis. After graduating, he moved to Yolo County, California, where he establish ed and ran a 1,200 -acre farm. In 1918, after contracting malaria, Wahlberg moved to the warmer, drier climes of Orange County, where he accepted the post as farm advisor. Over the course of his 35-year career as farm advisor, Wahlberg conducted numerous cost analysis studies relating to the agricultural sciences, including topics related to citrus, walnut, and avocado crops, publishing results, as well as tips for farmers, in local newspapers such as the Santa Ana Register, Orange County Farm News , as well as the Los Angeles Times. In the early 1930s, Wahlberg led studies on the introduction of the avocado in Orange County as well as the negative impact of the Santa Ana winds to local crops. Wahlberg’s solution of planting windb reaks to shield fruit and trees from the Santa Ana winds proved effective, and during his first several years as farm advisor, tree windbreaks expanded from approximately 10 miles to 1,100 miles. From circa 1922 to 1950, spanning most of Wahlberg’s tenure a s farm advisor, he and his wife resided at 619 South Broadway in Santa Ana. In 1950, three years before retiring, Wahlberg purchased 2018 North Greenleaf. After Mrs. Wahlberg passed away in 1985, Harold Wahlberg remained in the residence until his death at the age of 99 in 1989. The Wahlbergs’ heirs sold the residence to Barton Beach in 1991, who as of 2008 still resides in the property with his wife Diane Willis. (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 3 of 4.) B13. Remarks: *B14. Evaluator: Leslie J. Heumann *Date of Evaluation: May 8, 2008 Sketch Map (This space reserved for official comments.) 2018 N. Greenleaf St. 002-081-36 State of California ¾ The Resources Agency Primary # _____________________________________________ DEPARTMENT O F PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # ________________________________________________ CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial _____________________________________________ Page 3_ of 4_ Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Larsen-Wahlberg House *Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann and Deborah Howell -Ardila *Date May 8, 2008 x Continuation o Update DPR 523L DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information *B10. Significance (continued): Santa Ana was founded by William Spurgeon in 1869 as a speculative town site on part of the Spanish land grant known as Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. The civic and commercial core of the community was centered around the intersection of Main and Fourth Streets. Stimulated by the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad and incorporation as a city in 1886, and selecti on as the seat of th e newly created County of Orange in 1889, the city grew outwards, with residential neighborhoods developing to the north, south, and east of the city center. Agricultural uses predominated in the outlying areas, with cultivated fields and orchards dotted with widely scattered farmhouses. The Larsen-Wahlberg 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; Floral Park showcased examples of the English Tudor, French Norman, Spanish Colonial, and Colonial Revival styles. 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 create, at 615 West Santa Clara Avenu e. 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 (2008), Floral Park maintains its identity as the premier n eighborhood of Santa Ana, historically home to many affluent and prominent citizens. The Larsen-Wahlberg House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 for its exemplification of the distinguishing characteristics of the English Revival style. Typical features of this style illustrated by the house include its asymmetrical composition; multi -gabled roof with rolled eaves; casement windows ; and its overall emphasis on verticality. Additionally, the house has been categorized as “Key” because of its association with Harold Wahlberg, a pioneer in the avocado -growing industry. Character-defining exterior features of the Larsen-Wahlberg House that should be preserved include, but may not be limited to , materi als and finishes (wood); roof configuration and detailing; original windows and doors where extant; attached chimney; architectural details such as the rolled wood shingles on the eaves and scored plaster quoining surrounding the picture window on the façade. B12. References (continued): Armor, Samuel. History of Orange County. Los Angeles: History Record Company, 1921, p. 1306. Franklin, Don. “NW Santa Ana History: Roy Russell & Son, Builders.” Unsourced article from the Santa Ana History Room, Historic House File, circa 1995. 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. McGuinnes, Liz. “A Fruitful Career: Mosquito Bite Changed a Life .” Los Angeles Times, September 24, 1980, part V, pp. 1 and 8. 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. Santa Ana and Orange County Directories, 1932 -1954. (See Continuation Sheet 3 of 4.) State of California ¾ The Resources Agency Primary # _____________________________________________ DEPARTMENT O F PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # ________________________________________________ CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial _____________________________________________ Page 4_ of 4_ Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Larsen-Wahlberg House *Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann and Deborah Howell -Ardila *Date May 8, 2008 x Continuation o Update DPR 523L B12. References (continued): Wahlberg, Harold E. “The Farm Bureau of Orange County,” History of Orange County, California , ed. J.E. Pleasants, vol. I., pp. 264-79. Los Angeles, CA: J.R. Finnell & Sons Publishing Company, 1931. ———. "Pencil's a Farm Tool Now." Los Angeles Times, April 16, 1933. Available on ProQuest Historical Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Accessed May 8, 2008. ———. "Why Bow to Winds: They Cost Us More Than Windbreaks." Los Angeles Times, April 22, 1934. Available on ProQuest Historical Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Accessed May 8, 2008. ———. "Walnut 'Low Down' : Cost Factors Pegged and Analyzed." Los Angeles Times, June 3, 1934. Available on ProQuest Historical Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Accessed May 8, 2008. ———. "High Land Cost Threatens Southland Walnut Industry: Orange County Farm Adviser Says Production Expense Greater than that in Northern Groves." Los Angeles Times, July 17, 1939. Available on ProQuest Historical Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Accessed May 8, 2008. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780 . Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969. “Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Wahlberg Celebrate 60th Wedding Anniversary,” Santa Ana Register, August 16, 1980. “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.