HomeMy WebLinkAbout030402_Template-LAWestHouse_2117NVictoria.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) L. A. West 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 Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted *a. County Orange County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 2117 North Victoria Drive City Santa Ana Zip 92706
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor’s Parcel Number: 399-11-16; Coles North Santa Ana TR Block: B Lot: 6 & 7, S 32 Ft.
Lot 8 of Said Blk B-Ex S 44Ft & E 204 Ft-
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.)
This sprawling two-story, 6,500 square foot home is an outstanding example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style.
Asymmetrical in composition, the building is finished with stucco and capped by hipped, gabled, and shed roofs covered in
red clay tile. Located in the approximate center of the façade, the entry is deeply recessed within a flat-headed opening
outlined by a stepped surround. Three terra cotta paved stairs lead to the elaborately carved and paneled wood door.
Wrought iron sconces illuminate the opening. A shed roof shades the entry and continues south atop a one-story wing
pierced by large arched windows. North of the entry, a patio is enclosed by shrubbery and a low stucco wall. Above it, a
wooden balcony with turned balusters rests on decoratively carved beams. A porte cochere with a large, round-headed
opening occupies the northernmost bay. A variety of window types, shapes, and treatments was utilized, including two round
windows and two covered with pierced stucco grilles. Wrought iron grilles protect some windows. A broad, stuccoed
chimney rises from the ridgeline of the south wing. In the rear of the property, a one-story garage continues the Spanish
theme, with a tiled roof and stucco siding. The house appears virtually unaltered from the street and is complemented by an
expansive lawn and a variety of trees and shrubs.
*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
1929/ Source: The Register,
September 18, 1982.
*P7. Owner and Address:
Lang 1994 Trust
2117 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 4 *NRHP Status Code_3S_________________________
*Resource Name or #: L. A. West House
B1. Historic Name: L. A. West 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): Constructed in 1929.
June 22, 1934. Lath House.
December 9, 1983. Bath addition.
December 14, 1983. A/C.
January 16, 1984. Rebuild exterior stairway.
March 29, 1999. Detached Entertainment Room with bathroom, 448 square feet; attached patio cover.
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date:__________ Original Location:_____________________________
*B8. Related Features:
Mature landscaping, 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: B, C
(Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity)
The L. A. West House is architecturally significant as an exceptional example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, one of
the best in Santa Ana. Its period revival design, substantial scale, and generous setback contribute to the elegant and
distinctive streetscape on North Victoria Drive. The house was built in 1929 for attorney Leonard A. West and his wife,
Mamie H. West. Born in Kentucky in 1872 and educated in Indiana, West arrived in Santa Ana in 1907. He opened a law
office and practiced alone until 1930, when he entered into a partnership with B. Z. McKinney. West was elected district
attorney of Orange County three times, serving from 1910 until 1921. Active in many fraternal organizations in the city, West
was also chairman of the board of trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
(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: April 2, 2003
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
Sketch Map
(This space reserved for official comments.)
L. A. WEST HOUSE
2117 NORTH VICTORIA DRIVE
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) L. A. West House
*Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date April 2, 2003 ⌧ Continuation Update
DPR 523L
*B10. Significance (continued):
The West family occupied the house until 1982, selling it complete with the original Barker Brothers furnishings to Carl
Lundquist and Gary Conway that year. Featured in a local home tour shortly thereafter, the house was described in an
article in the The Register on September 18, 1982. Highlights include a two-story entry hall with exposed trusses and
beams, tiled floors and a tiled staircase with Mexican tile risers and wrought iron railings, a step-down living room, formal
dining room, outdoor tiled fireplace, five bedrooms, and five baths finished in various combinations of colored tiles. Original
hardware and lighting was also in place at the time.
The L. A. West 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 L. A. West 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 and under Criterion 4b for its association with a prominent member of
the community. The signature use hand troweled stucco exteriors and red clay tile roofs in combination with the wood work
of the roof and balcony, the asymmetrical massing incorporating patios in the front and rear, the incorporation of arcades
and arched openings, and the employment of such Moorish influenced features as pierced stucco grilles and tiled staircases
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 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 L. A. West House are
considered character defining and should be preserved. These features include, but may not be limited to: materials and
finishes (stucco, tile, wood, wrought iron); roof configuration, materials, and treatment; massing and composition; entry,
doors and windows; patios and balcony; porte cochere; architectural detailing (archways, grilles); chimney and fireplaces;
garage; original landscaping; and original interior materials, spaces, finishes, and furnishings.
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) L. A. West House
*Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date April 2, 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.
“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.
Pleasants, Mrs. J. E. History of Orange County, California, volume 3. Los Angeles: J. R. Finnell & Sons, 1931.
Orange County Directories, 1928-1952.
“Fantasy building spree left its mark on OC.” The Register, September 18, 1982.