HomeMy WebLinkAbout030402_Template-GeorgeHouse_2028NVictoria.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 _3_ Resource name(s) or number (assigned by recorder) George House
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted *a. County Orange County
*b. USGS 7.5’ Quad: Orange TCA 1725 Date:
*c. Address 2028 North Victoria Drive City Santa Ana Zip 92706
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor’s Parcel Number: 002-111-16 Sec 1 T 5 R 10 Lot: 107 X 170 Ft.
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.)
Framed by a pair of towering evergreen trees, this is a two-story residence in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. Crowned
by a hipped and tiled roof, the rectangular building is sheathed with stucco and trimmed with quoins at the corners. Regular
although not strictly symmetrical in composition, the façade is organized around a projecting entrance bay that is also
delineated by quoins. Centered within the bay, the entry is dramatically arched, with a quoined surround, and contains a
round-headed, paneled, oak door. Above it on the second story, a band of four, multi-paned windows is adorned by a
wrought iron balconet supported on corbels. Two bays to the south and one bay to the north of the entrance are defined by
triple casement windows on the lower story and paired windows on the upper story. The two windows closest to the entry are
set into blind arches. A large arch also defines the porte cochere that extends from the north end of the house. The entire
façade, with the exception of the porte cochere, is spanned by a terrace that is enclosed by a classical balustrade. A garage
in the rear of the property is just visible through the porte cochere and wrought iron gate and appears to complement the
house in its use of a tiled roof. Virtually unaltered, the house is enhanced by the trees, shrubs and lawn in the front setback,
through which a broken concrete path leads to the terrace and the entry.
*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
March 2003
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: historic
1928/ Source: City of Santa Ana
building permits.
*P7. Owner and Address:
Ronald Love
2028 North Victoria Drive
Santa Ana, CA 92706
*P8. Recorded by:
Leslie J. Heumann
SAIC
35 S. Raymond Ave. # 204
Pasadena, CA 91105
*P9. Date Recorded:
April 2, 2003
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey
*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 3 *NRHP Status Code_3S_________________________
*Resource Name or #: George House
B1. Historic Name: George House
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Italian Renaissance (Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Revivals)
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations):
June 5, 1929. Residence and garage. Owner, W. Roy George. $19,000.
April 28, 1933. Rebuild brick chimney.
March 8, 1999. Partial re-roof. Install new felt paper and reapply original tile.
April 18, 2002. Swimming pool/spa.
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date:__________ Original Location:_____________________________
*B8. Related Features:
Mature trees in front yard and rear garage.
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 George House is architecturally distinguished as a remarkably intact and graceful example of the Italian Renaissance
Revival style favored for larger homes during the 1920s. Its period revival design, substantial scale, and generous setback
contribute to the elegant and distinctive streetscape on North Victoria Drive. It was built in 1928 for W. Roy George at the
considerable cost of $19,000. From 1929 until his death in 1972, W. Roy George and his wife Helen resided in the house.
According to his obituary, George was a partner in the Federal Finance Company for 40 years as well as an attorney and a
former city planning commissioner. George was also active in the community, having served as president of the Downtown
Kiwanis Club and the Santa Ana Club.
(See Continuation Sheet 3 of 3.)
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 3.)
B13. Remarks:
*B14. Evaluator: Leslie J. Heumann
*Date of Evaluation: April 2, 2003
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
Sketch Map
(This space reserved for official comments.)
GEORGE HOUSE
2028 NORTH VICTORIA DRIVE
State of California The Resources Agency Primary # _____________________________________________
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # ________________________________________________
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial _____________________________________________
Page 3_ of 3_ Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) George House
*Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date April 2, 2003 ⌧ Continuation Update
DPR 523L
*B10. Significance (continued):
The George 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 George 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 Italian Renaissance Revival style. The rectangular, nearly symmetrical massing beneath a hipped
roof, the generous use of quoining for emphasis, the incorporation of arches into the design, and the balustraded terrace are
notable in this regard. The house also contributes to the historic character of the Floral Park neighborhood through its age,
style, scale, and historic association with a prominent member of the Santa Ana community. Additionally, the house has
been categorized as “Landmark” for its unique architectural significance as an example of the Italian Renaissance Revival
style that contributes to the historic streetscape of North Victoria Drive. All original exterior features of the George House
are considered character defining and should be preserved. These features include, but may not be limited to: materials
and finishes (stucco, tile, wrought iron); roof configuration and treatment; massing and composition; entry; doors and
windows; terrace; porte cochere; architectural detailing (quoins, wrought iron grille work); garage, and mature trees.
*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.
“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. Los Angeles: History Record Company, 1921.
Orange County Directories, 1928-1952.
“W. Roy George, Ex-SA Planner, Dies at 83.” (Clipping in Santa Ana History Room Pamphlet file dated February 27, 1972.)