HomeMy WebLinkAbout040322_Template-McMathHouse_214SBirch.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) McMath House
P1. Other Identifier:
*P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted *a. County Orange County
*b. USGS 7.5’ Quad Tustin TCA 2555 Date:
*c. Address 214 South Birch Street City Santa Ana Zip 92701
*e. Other Locational Data: Assessor’s Parcel Number: 398-281-07; HENINGERS ADD BLOCK:5 LOT 4
*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.)
A cross gable roof of very shallow pitch, prominently supported by carved beams in the overhanging eaves, keynotes the
design of this two-story Craftsman residence. Beneath the latticework vents that fill the gable ends, the upper story is
sheathed in medium clapboard and flares out slightly over the lower story, with purlins punctuating the overhang. Clapboards
of alternating heights cover the lower story, creating a horizontal banding effect. Spanning the lower story facade, the
attached porch is topped by a front gable that wraps the southeast corner of the building and is proportioned and detailed
similarly to the main gable. Tapered brick piers carrying short, paired posts support the porch roof. Brick was also used for
the porch foundation and for the chimney attached to the north elevation. The porch space in enclosed by an open railing
whose horizontal rails and vertical supports form a cross pattern. While access to the porch is located at the south end, the
building entry is more or less centered on the façade and features beveled glass lights across the top. Broadly proportioned
windows whose upper sashes contain two rows of rectangular lights are located to either side of the entry. The upper story
repeats the three-part fenestration, with paired casements in the side bays and a recessed French door in the center. A
wooden staircase leads to the upper entry and is the most obvious alteration of the house.
*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 and south elevations
March 2004
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Sources: historic
1915/Source: Les, 1979.
*P7. Owner and Address:
Patrocinio Carrillo
214 South Birch Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
*P8. Recorded by:
Leslie J. Heumann
SAIC
35 S. Raymond Ave. # 204
Pasadena, CA 91105
*P9. Date Recorded:
March 22, 2004
*P10. Survey Type:
Intensive Survey Update
*P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter “none”)
Les, Kathleen. “100-500 Blocks of South Birch Street.” Historic Resources Inventory, September 1979.
*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 *CHR Status Code_5S1_________________________
*Resource Name or #: McMath House
B1. Historic Name: McMath House
B2. Common Name: Same
B3. Original Use: Single-family Residence B4. Present Use: Single-family Residence
*B5. Architectural Style: Bungalow/Craftsman
*B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations): Constructed in 1915.
July, 1921? (illegible). Alter dwelling.
June 10, 1924. Garage.
June 29, 1932. Reroof.
June 18, 1937. Repairs and treatment.
(See Continuation Sheet 3 of 3.)
*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date:__________ Original Location:_____________________________
*B8. Related Features:
None.
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme Residential Architecture Area Santa Ana
Period of Significance: circa 1880-1946 Property Type: Single-family Residence Applicable Criteria: NR: B,C; CR: 2,3
(Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity)
The McMath House is architecturally significant as a fine example of Craftsman styling and historically notable for its
association with two prominent residents. According to previous research, it was constructed in 1915 and originally owned by
Edgar H. and Minnie M. McMath (Les, 1979). Mr. McMath was the principal of the newly opened (1913) Santa Ana
Polytechnic High School, located between Ross and Parton Streets on Walnut Street. Subsequently, this house was owned
by Horace C. Head, a well-known developer who also served as District Attorney.
(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: March 22, 2004
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
Sketch Map
(This space reserved for official comments.)
McMath House
214 South Birch Street
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) McMath House
*Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date March 22, 2004 ⌧ Continuation Update
DPR 523L
*B6. Construction History (continued):
January 17, 1939. Alterations to residence.
April 29, 1958. Remodel garage.
September 12, 1961. Addition to residence (enlarge bathroom, new cabinets in kitchen, and den).
September 22, 1965. Add stairs and patio to code.
December 27, 1976. Convert garage to workshop.
September 8, 1987. Reroof.
September 9, 1989. Return garage to original use; remove wall (kitchen), 2nd floor Notice of Violation (finaled February 23,
1994).
*B10. Significance (continued):
The McMath House is located in Heninger Park, a residential neighborhood that developed south of the original city core,
primarily between 1910 and 1930. Generally bounded by West First Street on the north, West McFadden Avenue (originally
Fairview Avenue) on the south, South Sycamore Street on the east, and South Flower Street on the west, the neighborhood
had a few homes, mostly located in the northern half, when the area was partially mapped in 1895 by the Sanborn
Company. Most of the land was agricultural in use. The City utilized the southwest corner of West First and South Garnsey
(then called Palm) for the municipal water works, and the City stables were located on the northwest corner of Palm and
West Walnut.
Brothers H. B. and Martin Heninger were responsible for developing and platting the tract following their purchase of thirty-
four acres of what was known as the Palmer Tract in 1907. The Heningers planted trees, put in sidewalks and curbs, and
paved the streets on what had been a barley field. Later they bought additional tracts of ten and eighteen acres which they
also platted and improved. These properties were known as Heninger Additions Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. In 1921, Orange
County historian Samuel Armor described the Heninger tracts as “… the finest residence section of the city, built up with fine
homes…,” adding, “ Mr. [Martin] Heninger and his brother have erected 150 houses on the property” (Armor, p. 1777). The
major landmark of the neighborhood was Santa Ana Polytechnic High School, which occupied a campus that stretched from
West Walnut to West Camille between South Ross and South Parton Streets.
The majority of homes in the area showcase the Craftsman and Colonial Revival styles, and, to a lesser extent, the other
revival styles of the 1920s. Homes range in size from one to two stories and are unified by common setbacks, the repetition
of gabled rooflines and front porches, the use of similar materials, and on some blocks, by the canopy of street trees.
Portions of South Birch Street and South Broadway, in particular, present intact Craftsman streetscapes. After replacement
of some of the earlier homes with high density apartments in the 1970s and 1980s, the City of Santa Ana recognized the
integrity of the Heninger Park neighborhood in 1986, by creating a Specific Development (SD) zoning district intended to
preserve its historic character, the second such SD in the City. (French Park was the first.)
The McMath House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1, as a structure
with the distinguishing characteristics of the Craftsman style, and under Criterion 4b, for its associations with Edgar McMath
and Horace Head, both prominent citizens of Santa Ana. Additionally, the house has been categorized as “Key” because it
“has a distinctive architectural style and quality” as an example of Craftsman styling, and because it “is associated with a
significant person . . . in the City of Santa Ana.” The strongly horizontal lines of the design, the exposed structural elements,
and the large front porch are some of the elements that make this home noteworthy. Character-defining exterior features of
the McMath House that should be preserved include, but may not be limited to: sheathing (clapboard) and materials (brick);
roof configuration and detailing; massing; windows and doors; porch configuration and detailing; chimney; and architectural
details (such as the purlins, vents, beams, and porch supports).
*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.
Santa Ana and Orange County Directories, 1901-1935.
Armor, Samuel. History of Orange County. Los Angeles: History Record Company, 1921.