HomeMy WebLinkAbout030102_Template-WellsHouse_2020NVictoria.pdfState of California 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) Wells House
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted *a. County Orange County
*b. USGS 7.5’ Quad TCA 1725 Date:
*c. Address 2020 North Victoria Drive City Santa Ana Zip 92706
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor’s Parcel Number 002-101-02; ORANGE GROVE TR LOT S 73.17 FT N 146.34 FT
W 169.5 FT .
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.)
This rectangular, two-story Spanish Colonial Revival residence faces east and is capped with a medium-pitched, side-gabled
red tiled roof with shallow eaves. The house is symmetrical except for a one-story side wing with a shed roof located on the
south end of the building. Carved rafters are visible beneath the eaves of the shed roof. Smooth stucco finishes the
exteriors. Towards the rear, the roof has a flatter pitch to cover the west-facing rooms. Façade windows are narrow, multi-
pane casements that are deeply recessed on both floors. An arched window centers the south elevation. North elevation
windows are narrow casements that are nearly flush with the surrounding wall. The deeply recessed entrance is topped by
(See Continuation Sheet 3 of 4.)
*P3b. Resource Attributes: (list attributes and codes) HP2. Single-family Property
*P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other
P5b. Photo: (view and date)
East elevation
January 2003
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: historic
1928/Source: City of Santa Ana
Building Permits
*P7. Owner and Address:
Melinda W Elguindy
2020 North Victoria Drive
Santa Ana, CA 92706
*P8. Recorded by:
Leslie J. Heumann, Peter C. Moruzzi
SAIC
35 S. Raymond Ave. # 204
Pasadena, CA 91105
*P9. Date Recorded:
February 1, 2003
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey Update
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter “none”)
None.
*Attachments: None Location Map Sketch Map Continuation Sheet Building, Structure, and Object Record
Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record
Artifact Record Photograph Record Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
P5a. Photo
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #__________________________________________
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#______________________________________________
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
Page 2 of 4 *NRHP Status Code_ 3S_________________________
*Resource Name or #: Wells House
B1. Historic Name: Wells House
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations):
March 8, 1928. Residence and garage. Owner, George Wells. $12,500.
June 30, 1944. Reroof.
January 31, 1957. Detached studio room for Gifford Teeples. $2,800.
March 15, 1957. Plastering for G. Teeples.
December 8, 1982. Reroof.
March 8, 1988. Reroof garage.
September 29, 1992. Install soffit in kitchen.
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date:__________ Original Location:_____________________________
*B8. Related Features:
Detached garage, mature pine and redwood trees.
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Residential Architecture Area Santa Ana
Period of Significance: circa 1888-1953 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: C
(Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity)
The Wells House significant as a fine example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style in terms of its execution and integrity. Its
period revival design, substantial scale, and generous setback contribute to the elegant and distinctive streetscape on North
Victoria Drive. According to the original building permit, the house was constructed in 1928 at a cost of $12,500 for George
R. and Helen E. Wells. George Wells was associated with the firm of Wells and Bressler. The Wells’ resided at the address
from 1929 until at least 1941, according to Orange County directories. From 1945 until at least 1957, records show that
Gifford L. Teeple, USAC (in 1945), and his wife Olive owned the house.
(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 4 of 4.)
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Leslie J. Heumann
*Date of Evaluation: February 1, 2003
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
Sketch Map
(This space reserved for official comments.)
Wells House
2020 North Victoria Dr.
State of California The Resources Agency Primary # _____________________________________________
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # ________________________________________________
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial _____________________________________________
Page 3_ of 4_ Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Wells House
*Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, Peter C. Moruzzi, SAIC *Date February 1, 2003 ⌧ Continuation Update
DPR 523L
*P3a. Description (continued):
an elaborate cast stone panel in low-relief featuring a cartouche bordered by scroll and floral designs. Slender apertures
with window grilles flank the entrance. The entry door is solid wood with a small, rectangular center opening covered by a
decorative iron grille. A concrete driveway near the north side of the property leads to a detached, two-car garage with
stucco finish and a tile roof similar in style to the main house. A pair of tall, square pedestals on either side of the driveway
near the house mark where a gate may have once stood. Enormous, mature pine and redwood trees obscure much of the
house from the street, dominating the front yard. Other landscaping consists of ivy, low hedges, and an arc of lawn. The
house appears original and in excellent condition.
*B10. Significance (continued):
The Wells 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 and Floral Park showcased examples of the English Tudor, French Norman, Spanish Colonial, and Colonial
Revival. 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 to create, at 615 West Santa Clara Avenue.
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 (2003) Floral Park maintains
its identity as the premier neighborhood of Santa Ana, historically home to many affluent and prominent citizens.
The Wells House appears eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of
Historical Resources. It also qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 for its
exemplification of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Notable in this regard are the materials, massing, deeply recessed
windows, and Churrigueresque-inspired entry ornamentation. The house also contributes to the historic character of the
Floral Park neighborhood through its age, style, scale, and historic association with members of the local business
community. Additionally, the house has been categorized as “Landmark” for its unique architectural significance as an
example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style that contributes to the historic streetscape of North Victoria Drive. All original
exterior features of the Wells House are considered character defining and should be preserved. These features include,
but may not be limited to: materials (wood) and finishes (stucco); roof configuration, materials and treatment; massing and
composition; porch; doors and windows; architectural detailing (decorative relief, carved brackets, window grilles); and
original garage.
State of California The Resources Agency Primary # _____________________________________________
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # ________________________________________________
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial _____________________________________________
Page 4_ of 4_ Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Wells House
*Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, Peter C. Moruzzi, SAIC *Date February 1, 2003 ⌧ Continuation Update
DPR 523L
*B12. References (continued):
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 Dept. of the Interior, 1991.
Office of Historic Preservation. “Instructions for Recording Historical Resources.” Sacramento: March 1995.
Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969.
“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
Talbert, Thomas (editor-in-chief). Historical Volume and Reference Works Including Biographical Sketches of Leading
Citizens, Volume I. Whittier, Historical Publishers, 1963.
Armor, Samuel. History of Orange County. 1921.
Orange County Directories, 1930-1941, 1945.