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HomeMy WebLinkAbout010703_Template-RankinStore_117WFourth.pdfPage 1 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 117 W (Rankin Dept Store) 7/23/01 NAME Rankin Department Store REF. NO. 192 ADDRESS 117 West Fourth Street * CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92701 ORANGE COUNTY YEAR BUILT 1917 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Landmark HISTORIC DISTRICT Downtown Santa Ana NEIGHBORHOOD N/A NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION C NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS CODE 1B Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted USGS 7.5” Quad Date: T R ¼ of ¼ of Sec : B.M. Prehistoric Historic Both ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Italian Renaissance (Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals) DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND RELATED TO PERIOD ARCHITECTURE: The late 19th and 20th century revival of the Italian Renaissance style, also known as the Italian Renaissance Revival, was popular from the late 19th century until 1930. It was inspired by the designs of the palazzi of northern Italy and popularized by American architects McKim, Mead, and White. Utilized on public buildings and ornate homes, the vocabulary of the style also influenced the appearance of commercial buildings. Characteristic features generally include masonry construction, often with different treatments on lower and upper stories; stringcourses or beltcourses between stories; flat roofs screened by parapets or hipped roofs; cornices, dentils, pilasters, quoins, and other classical details; and a balanced, often symmetrical appearance. Taller, more elaborate buildings * See construction history Page 2 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 117 W (Rankin Dept Store) 7/23/01 often feature terracotta facade cladding or ornamentation while more modest one to three story examples utilize bricks of contrasting colors as trim. Ground floors of multi-story buildings often housed banking rooms; more modest buildings may contain storefronts with recessed entries and large plate glass display windows with transoms and bulkheads. Upper story windows are most commonly one-over-one wood framed double-hung sash. CONSTRUCTION HISTORY: (Construction data, alterations, and date of alterations) Note: Historically, this building also included the address 119 West Fourth Street. July 1921. Unspecified ($500.00). April 5, 1933. Repair earthquake damage. February 15, 1950. New elevator shaft and elevator. April 13, 1950. Alter and repair store. September 27, 1954. Alter lower level of store building. February 1, 1955. Alter store building. March 23, 1955. Alter store building. January 14, 1957. Remodel restrooms and offices. May 2, 1966. Interior partitions. July 15, 1970. Stairs for mezzanine. November 1, 1974. Repair fire damage. February 16, 1979. Interior offices and stairs. October 8, 1981. 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.) Located on the northeast corner of Fourth and Sycamore Streets, the Rankin Department Store building is a three-story commercial building with three bays facing south onto Fourth Street and five bays facing west. Blue-gray brick covers the first story and brown colored brick covers the upper levels. The most prominent feature of the design is an overhanging pressed metal cornice, fully detailed with dentils, moldings, and modillions in the soffits. Raised piers with molded terracotta bases and sculptural caps separate the second and third-story bays. Chicago Style windows appear in the upper story bays, tripartite on the second floor and divided by pilasters on the third floor. Street level bays are glazed in three parts above solid bulkheads and banded by transoms. Entries are located on both elevations. Other notable features of the building include applied decorative shields above the street level piers and ornamental brickwork on the upper piers and in the spandrels between the second and third floor windows. Although the street level glazing appears to have had some minor modifications, the upper stories are virtually intact. HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS: The Rankin Department Store was constructed in 1917, replacing three small 1888 commercial buildings. Built to house Rankin Dry Goods, a local enterprise that predated the turn of the 20th century, the building was designed by Elwing and Tedford of Santa Ana. The Rankin Department Store operated at this location, according to the building permit record, until the mid 1960s. In 1981-1982, the building was rehabilitated; the present storefront design dates from that period. 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 Page 3 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 117 W (Rankin Dept Store) 7/23/01 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 early 1900s witnessed the construction of many new business blocks or remodels along Fourth and adjacent streets, and by the 1920s Santa Ana’s downtown had expanded in all directions to include both commercial and civic development. The Rankin Department Store building is architecturally significant as one of the best-preserved examples of Italian Renaissance Revival influenced commercial architecture in downtown Santa Ana. The building well displays the characteristics of the style, including the piers and cornice derived from the classical building vocabulary and the Chicago Style windows and building divisions that bespeak a mercantile purpose. The survival of the cornice deserves special mention; many buildings of this type elsewhere in Southern California originally had such cornices but they were either lost in earthquakes or their removal was required as a precaution. The property is also noteworthy as the long time home of the Rankin Department Store, which was open for business in downtown Santa Ana for over six decades. Due to the remarkable integrity of this resource, most exterior features are considered to be character-defining and should be preserved. They include, but are not limited to: exterior finishes; bay divisions articulated by piers; original fenestration; brick and applied ornamentation; and the cornice. SUMMARY/CONCLUSION: This building was individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and listed again 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. Listed in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property, the Rankin Department Store has been categorized as “Landmark” because it “is on the national register,” “is on the state register,” “has historical/cultural significance to the City of Santa Ana,” and “has a unique architectural significance” (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2). OWNER AND ADDRESS: Page 4 of 4 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 117 W (Rankin Dept Store) 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, page 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) 1B: Is separately listed and is a contributor to a listed district.