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cm\historic\templates\Broadway 323 N (Moore Bldg)
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NAME Moore Building REF. NO. 182
ADDRESS 323-325 North Broadway and 222 West Fourth Street *
CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92701 ORANGE COUNTY
YEAR BUILT 1923 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Key
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Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted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: Commercial Style (Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival elements)
DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND RELATED TO PERIOD ARCHITECTURE:
The Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival style, as its name implies, encompasses two major subcategories. The Mission Revival
vocabulary, popular between 1890 and 1920, drew its inspiration from the missions of the Southwest. Identifying features include
curved parapets (or espadana); red tiled roofs and coping; low-pitched roofs, often with overhanging eaves; porch roofs supported by
large, square piers; arches; and wall surfaces commonly covered in smooth stucco. The Spanish Colonial Revival flourished between
1915 and 1940, reaching its apex during the 1920s and 1930s. The movement received widespread attention after the Panama-
California Exposition in San Diego in 1915, where lavish interpretations of Spanish and Mexican prototypes were showcased. Easily
recognizable hallmarks of the Spanish Colonial Revival are low-pitched roofs, usually with little or no overhangs and red tile roof
coverings; flat roofs surrounded by tiled parapets; and stuccoed walls. The Spanish vocabulary also includes arches, asymmetry,
balconies and patios, window grilles, and wood, wrought iron, tile, or stone decorative elements.
* See construction history
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cm\historic\templates\Broadway 323 N (Moore Bldg)
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The Commercial Style achieved maturity in large Eastern and Midwestern cities, most notably Chicago, where the demands for office
and retail space in downtown areas led to the development of multi-storied buildings distinguished by an emphasis on windows over
wall surfaces and a relative lack of ornamentation. Dating from 1875 to 1930, commercial buildings generally have straight fronts
and level skylines, sometimes marked by an overhanging cornice. The regular fenestration pattern, usually consisting of repetitive
groupings of unadorned, rectangular windows, provides the primary characteristic of the facades. Chicago windows, with broad,
fixed central lights flanked by narrower, operable side sash, are often employed. Piers and spandrels may be in the same plane as the
windows, or spandrels may be recessed, with the result that neither horizontal nor vertical lines achieve dominance (Whiffen, 183-
189).
CONSTRUCTION HISTORY: (Construction data, alterations, and date of alterations)
Note: Historically, this building also included the address 224 West Fourth Street.
July 29, 1925. Alteration.
April 17, 1941. Alteration.
October 25, 1946. Cigar stand.
May 2, 1947. Remodel store building.
May 2, 1949. Remodel storefront.
August 11, 1970. Interior alterations.
December 28, 1983. Commercial alteration.
August 3, 1984. Seismic rehab.
November 3, 1993. Permit existing walls at entry & reception.
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.)
Located at the southeast corner of Fourth Street and Broadway, the Moore Building is a four-story office and retail building with an
eclectic design. Raised piers divide the brown brick public elevations into three bays on the north (Fourth Street) and eight bays on
the west. With the exception of the central bay on the north which features tripartite sash, each bay contains a pair of one-over-one
double-hung sash windows. The central bay is further emphasized by a raised parapet suggestive of an espadana and by a tiled hood
which projects over the fourth floor window. A similar parapet and hood highlight the building entry bay, located third from the south
end on the west elevation. Slightly raised and rounded parapets top the end bays on the west. Terracotta ornament and trim adorns
the parapets and the window lintels and sills. A flagpole rises above the north elevation. Below a terracotta beltcourse and a plain
brick frieze, the street level storefronts are the only parts of the building, which exhibit any modifications. Stucco facing has been
added and deep canopies have been suspended from the building over the sidewalk. Above the canopies, the glass brick transom
windows are in place. Piers framing the west entry and marking the southwest corner are remnants of the original design.
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS:
The Moore Building was erected in 1923 on the site of G. W. Moore’s feed and fuel business. H. Newton Thornton of Santa Ana was
the architect (Thomas, 7:11). Early tenants of the Moore Building included the E. T. Mateer Drug Company and Vandermast’s (prior
to their move to 122 West Fourth Street) (Les).
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RESOURCE ATTRIBUTES: (List attributes and codes from Appendix 4 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office
of Historic Preservation.)
(HP 7) 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 Moore Building is significant as one of several multi-story office and retail buildings constructed on and around Fourth Street
during the 1910s and 1920s, evidence of the maturing of the downtown commercial district and the growing prosperity of Santa Ana.
Combining the parapet treatment and tiled hoods of the Mission Revival style with the straightforward, window-driven design of the
Commercial Style, the building is a fine example of regional eclecticism. A high degree of integrity characterizes all but the street
level storefronts, which appear to date to 1940s remodeling activity. Character-defining exterior features which should be preserved
include, but may not be limited to: exterior finishes, including brick and terracotta; parapets; bay divisions and piers; fenestration;
tiled hoods; and architectural ornament and trim. This building contributes to the last remaining historically intact intersection in the
City.
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 “Key” because it has a “distinctive
architectural style and quality,” and “is characteristic of a significant period in the history of the City of Santa Ana” (Municipal Code,
Section 30-2.2(2)).
OWNER AND ADDRESS:
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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.
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.