HomeMy WebLinkAbout030807_ExecutiveSummary-MaharajahHouse_2221NHeliotrope.pdfEXECUTIVE SUMMARY
THE MAHARAJAH HOUSE
2221 North Heliotrope Drive
Santa Ana, CA 92706
NAME Maharajah House REF. NO.
ADDRESS 2221 North Heliotrope Drive
CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92706 ORANGE COUNTY
YEAR BUILT 1938 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Landmark
HISTORIC DISTRICT N/A NEIGHBORHOOD Floral Park
NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION B,C NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS CODE 3S
Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted
Prehistoric Historic Both
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Moderne
The Moderne style encompassed the Modernistic, Streamlined Moderne, and Art Moderne variants. An evolution of the Art Deco
style, the Streamlined Moderne flourished during the 1930s and lingered through the decade following World War II in a simplified
version. In contrast to the verticality of earlier Art Deco designs, the Streamlined Moderne emphasized the horizontal, through bands
of windows, use of decorative raised or incised horizontal lines, railings, flat canopies with banded fascia, and narrow coping at the
roofline. Other characteristics include smooth wall surfaces, usually of stucco; metal detailing; glass block windows; rounded
corners, porthole windows, and asymmetry. Incorporation of aerodynamic, transportation related imagery, especially nautical, is a
signature of the style. In common with the Streamlined Moderne, Art Moderne buildings also tended to be horizontal in emphasis, but
tended to be more clean-lined and rectilinear in their massing and detailing than their streamlined counterparts. Art Moderne designs
can be recognized by their flat roofs, smooth stucco exteriors, and use of metal casement windows that often meet at the corners of the
building.
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION:
The Maharajah 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 Art Moderne variant of the Moderne style, and under Criterion 4b, for its association with a foreign ruling family, the Holkars of
Indore, India. The house also contributes to the historic character of the Floral Park neighborhood through its age, style, scale, and
historic associations with prominent residents. Additionally, the house has been categorized as “Landmark” for its unique
architectural significance as an example of the Art Moderne variant of the Moderne style and its historic/cultural significance to City
as the “castle” of a sitting ruler. (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2).
EXPLANATION OF CODES:
• National Register Criteria for Evaluation: (From Appendix 7 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office of
Historic Preservation)
B: that are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.
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)
3S: Appears eligible for separate listing.