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HomeMy WebLinkAbout010703_Template-OCSavings&TrustBldg_116WFourth.pdfPage 1 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 116 W (OC Savings & Trust Bldg) 7/23/01 NAME Orange County Savings and Trust Building REF. NO. 186 ADDRESS 116-120 West Fourth Street CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92701 ORANGE COUNTY YEAR BUILT 1911 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Contributive HISTORIC DISTRICT Downtown Santa Ana NEIGHBORHOOD N/A NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION C NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS CODE 1D Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted USGS 7.5” Quad Date: T R ¼ of ¼ of Sec : B.M. Prehistoric Historic Both ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Classical Revival DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND RELATED TO PERIOD ARCHITECTURE: The Classical Revival encompasses movements in American architecture ranging from Thomas Jefferson’s philosophical use of classicism during the late 18th and early 19th centuries through the sober Neoclassicism and exuberant Beaux Arts exercises of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Stimulated by archaeological investigations and provided with further impetus by exhibitions such as the Colombian Exposition at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, the style reached Southern California during the later period. In its most Page 2 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 116 W (OC Savings & Trust Bldg) 7/23/01 literal manifestations, the style was based on specific buildings of antiquity. More commonly, the architectural vocabulary of ancient Greece and Rome was applied to contemporary building types and techniques. Identifying features include low-pitched gable or hipped roofs, sometimes hidden by solid or balustraded parapets; classical entablatures; use of columns, capitals, and bases displaying the classical orders; front doors with sidelights and transom; elaborate door and window surrounds; and a balanced, symmetrical appearance. Although used for a range of building types, the Classical Revival of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was most effectively utilized for monumental public buildings, institutional buildings, and financial institutions. CONSTRUCTION HISTORY: (Construction data, alterations, and date of alterations) 116: April 27, 1927. Alterations (Orange County Bank, 116 ½). April 5, 1933. Repair earthquake damage (Bank of America). July 16, 1936. Alterations to Bank of America. March 31, 1943. Remodel business building (Bank of America). March 3, 1952. Alteration to business building. July 14, 1970. Remodel storefront. August 25, 1982. Seismic and architectural rehab. July 6, 1989. Replace window display case and extend glass area. 118: August 25, 1982. Seismic and architectural rehab. 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.) A one-time “temple of finance,” the Orange County Savings and Trust Building preserves unaltered its Classical Revival design on the upper of its two stories. The rusticated façade, executed in terracotta, is divided into three bays by two colossal order, fluted Corinthian columns in antis. An elaborate entablature surmounts the columns, consisting of a molded architrave, a frieze of incised cartouches and circles, and molded and denticulated cornice. Foliate modillions alternate with rosette-patterned coffers in the cornice soffit, and a row of antefixes adorns its upper edge. A flagpole is centered on the ridge of the tiled shed roof which crowns the façade. Stepped parapets frame the roof, rising from the end piers, which are ornamented with lions’ heads. Three pairs of double-hung sash windows, embellished with floral patterned hoods accented with keystones and separated by embellished, rusticated pilasters, are recessed behind the columns. The original tripartite organization of the façade is all that remains of the original street level elevation. Remodeled several times, with the critical alteration-taking place in 1952, it is composed of display windows and recessed entries paved with terrazzo. The transom zone has been stuccoed. In 1984, it was reported that the original terracotta cladding and transom detail were still intact beneath the alterations (Thomas, 7:10). HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS: The Orange County Savings and Trust Building was constructed in 1911. An eminent architectural firm of Los Angeles, Train and Williams provided the design. This building housed a bank from 1888 to 1952. At the time of construction, C. E. French served as president of the Orange County Savings and Trust Company and George Minter and J. W. Towner were among the Board of Directors. By 1930 the building housed the Bank of Italy, which became the Bank of America shortly thereafter. Page 3 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 116 W (OC Savings & Trust Bldg) 7/23/01 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: 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 first bank in Santa Ana had opened in 1881, and as Santa Ana grew in population and prosperity, several more banks opened their doors in the downtown area. The Orange County Savings and Trust Building is architecturally significant as an example of a highly recognizable building type, the Classical Revival bank or “temple of finance.” Intended to convey permanence and solidity, such buildings sought to use their architecture to awe and impress and inspire trust. Although altered on the lower story, the integrity of the upper story effectively conveys the original appearance and function of the building. Character-defining exterior features of the property, which should be preserved, include but may not be limited to: terracotta cladding; roof configuration and tile; columns; cornice; original architectural ornament and detailing; original fenestration; and three bay façade composition. 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. The property is included in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property and has been categorized as “Contributive” for its contribution to “the overall character and history” of downtown Santa Ana and as a “good example of period architecture” that “has not been substantially altered” (on the upper story) (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2(2)). OWNER AND ADDRESS: Page 4 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 116 W (OC Savings & Trust Bldg) 7/23/01 RECORDED BY: (Name, affiliation, and address) Leslie J. Heumann Science Applications International Corporation 35 S. Raymond Avenue, Suite 204, Pasadena, CA 91105 DATE RECORDED: July 3, 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. 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 Department of the Interior, 1991. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969. EVALUATOR: Leslie J. Heumann DATE OF EVALUATION: July 3, 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.