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HomeMy WebLinkAbout031029_Template-RossMcNealHouse_1020NBaker.pdfPage 1 of 5 cm\historic\templates\Baker N 1020 (Ross-McNeal House) 11/20/01 NAME Ross-McNeal House REF. NO. 195 ADDRESS 1020 North Baker Street CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92703 ORANGE COUNTY YEAR BUILT 1879 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Landmark HISTORIC DISTRICT N/A NEIGHBORHOOD Washington Square NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION A, B, C NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS CODE 3S Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted USGS 7.5” Quad Date: T R ¼ of ¼ of Sec : B.M. Prehistoric Historic Both ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Italianate (Late Victorian) DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND RELATED TO PERIOD ARCHITECTURE: The Italianate (Late Victorian) style is chiefly identified by its window treatment: tall, relatively narrow, double-hung sash, with flat, arched, or flattened arch heads often emphasized by hood moldings. Other typical features include low hipped or flat roofs, bracketed cornices, and, particularly in residential examples, a square tower or cupola. In commercial usages, a raised pediment bearing the name or date of the building is not uncommon. A variety of siding materials are used, usually with stringcourses between stories and sometimes with wall planes framed by quoins. Used for both residential and commercial buildings from the mid 19th century through the 1890s, the Italianate style was adapted to “Main Street” commercial buildings and simplified, becoming the “commercial vernacular” of the era (Whiffen, 99). Page 2 of 5 cm\historic\templates\Baker N 1020 (Ross-McNeal House) 11/20/01 CONSTRUCTION HISTORY: (Construction data, alterations, and date of alterations) (All permits for 1020 North Baker Street) January 20, 1942. Addition to porch. December 1, 1949. Remodel residence. July 19, 1950. Remodel and convert residence into four-unit apartment. June 4, 1986. Demo existing garage. July 25, 1986. Remodel existing building (four-unit apartment). RELATED FEATURES: (Other important features such as barns, sheds, fences, prominent or unusual trees, or landscape) Reproduction fence, mature trees, landscaping. DESCRIPTION: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, settings, and boundaries.) Framed by mature trees, this two-story residence reflects the influence of Italianate (Late Victorian) architecture. Shiplap siding covers the structure. The treatment of the multi-gabled roof, with enclosed soffits and horizontal cornice returns, is derived from the Italianate style. Asymmetrically massed, the façade features a front-gabled, projecting wing on the north and an attached, one-story porch on the south. A cant bay is attached to the lower story of the projecting wing and is fenestrated with two-over-two double-hung sash. The proportions of these windows, quite tall and narrow, are echoed by the pair of windows centered above the bay on the second story. Some windows are glazed with casements, an alteration. Window surrounds are restrained in design, with corbeled sills and slightly molded lintels. Although the house was converted into apartments in 1950, it retains the appearance of a single-family home. It is likely that some of the current design dates to a remodel at the same time; a historic photo illustrates a balcony-topped porch wrapping the entire east and most of the south elevations. A flat-roofed garage in the rear of the property is of recent construction. HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS: This house was constructed in 1879 by Elizabeth Ross, widow of Jacob Ross, Sr. C. R. Marks, a New York architect, assisted Mrs. Ross with the design. Jacob and Elizabeth Ross are remembered as the first Anglo settlers in the territory that was to become Santa Ana. They emigrated from Illinois with their five children, three of whom were grown and married at the time, in 1865, settling first in northern California. In search of available farmland, Jacob Ross traveled to Southern California in 1868 and purchased a portion of the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana from the Yorba family. He added to his holdings in 1869 with two additional purchases, one of which, a 74-acre tract he acquired from the Yorba heirs, he was persuaded to sell to William Spurgeon in 1869 for the purpose of founding a town. Jacob Ross died in 1870; his wife and children became prominent members of the community that they had pioneered. The Rosses’ only daughter, Christianna, married Samuel T. McNeal, a farmer and businessman, in 1882. They settled in this house and raised a family. The McNeals retained ownership of the house through most if not all of the 20th century, dividing it into apartments in 1950. The property was restored by Fred McNeal in the late 1980s and recognized with an award by the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society. RESOURCE ATTRIBUTES: (List attributes and codes from Appendix 4 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office of Historic Preservation.) HP2. Single-family Property Page 3 of 5 cm\historic\templates\Baker N 1020 (Ross-McNeal House) 11/20/01 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.) The area that would become Santa Ana lies between two of the missions established by the Spanish rulers of Mexico, Mission San Gabriel, founded in 1771, and Mission San Juan Capistrano, dating to 1776. Mexico assumed control of Alta California in 1822 and secularized the missions in 1834. Prior to the Mexican takeover, the Spanish rulers began a practice of granting grazing rights to large tracts of land to soldiers and other supporters. This resulted in the creation of the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, a vast holding of 62,516 acres encompassing most of present day Santa Ana, which was granted to Jose Antonio Yorba and Juan Peralta in 1810. By mid century, the Yorba and Peralta families had been joined as landowners by many other “Californios” and by some of the American settlers who began to trickle into the southern part of the state. The early 1860s witnessed a series of disasters, storms and floods followed by drought, which forced these landowners to sell much of their land in search of debt relief. Jacob and Elizabeth Ross came to California from Illinois in search of such an opportunity. With their purchases of portions of the Yorba lands in 1868 and 1869, the Ross family became the first permanent Anglo residents of Santa Ana and put themselves in the position of selling the land that would become the townsite to William Spurgeon in 1869. The Rosses went on to play an active role in the settlement of the community. Their extensive property located northwest of what was to become downtown Santa Ana included most of the neighborhood now known as Washington Square. They farmed the land, gradually selling it in response to development opportunities, but retained the large parcel containing the Ross-McNeal House. The Ross-McNeal House is historically significant for its association with the pioneer Ross family. It is architecturally significant as one of the oldest homes in Santa Ana, and with its generously sized lot and landscaped setting, provides an illustration of what Santa Ana looked like during its agricultural early years. Character-defining exterior features of the Ross-McNeal House that should be preserved include, but may not be limited to: roof configuration and detailing, original fenestration, bay window, and original or replanted landscaping elements. SUMMARY/CONCLUSION: Listed in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property, the Ross-McNeal House has been categorized as “Landmark” because it “has historical/cultural significance to the City of Santa Ana” because of its association with the pioneer Ross family and as one of the oldest extant buildings in Santa Ana (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2). In addition, the Ross-McNeal House appears to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest extant family home associated with the pioneer settlers of Santa Ana. OWNER AND ADDRESS: Page 4 of 5 cm\historic\templates\Baker N 1020 (Ross-McNeal House) 11/20/01 RECORDED BY: (Name, affiliation, and address) Leslie J. Heumann Science Applications International Corporation 35 S. Raymond Avenue, Suite 204, Pasadena, CA 91105 DATE RECORDED: October 29, 2001 SURVEY TYPE: (Intensive, reconnaissance, or other) Intensive Survey Update REPORT CITATION: (Cite survey report and other sources) Les, Kathleen. Historic Resources Inventory 1020 N. Baker, May 1980. 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. 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. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969. Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society Newsletter (no date, circa 1988). EVALUATOR: Leslie J. Heumann DATE OF EVALUATION: October 29, 2001 EXPLANATION OF CODES: • National Register Criteria for Evaluation: (From Appendix 7 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office of Historic Preservation) A: that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. 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. Page 5 of 5 cm\historic\templates\Baker N 1020 (Ross-McNeal House) 11/20/01 Santa Ana History Room Photo reproduced in Marsh, Santa Ana An Illustrated History, page 52.