HomeMy WebLinkAbout040603_ExecutiveSummary-WelbonHouse_731SBirch.pdfEXECUTIVE SUMMARY
WELBON HOUSE
731 South Birch Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
NAME Welbon House REF. NO.
ADDRESS 731 South Birch Street
CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92701 ORANGE COUNTY
YEAR BUILT 1915 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Key
HISTORIC DISTRICT N/A NEIGHBORHOOD Heninger Park
CALIFORNIA REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION 3 CALIFORNIA REGISTER STATUS CODE 5S1
Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted
Prehistoric Historic Both
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Bungalow/Craftsman
Closely related to the English Arts and Crafts Movement, American Craftsman architecture was popularized by The Craftsman
magazine and architects such as Charles and Henry Greene of Pasadena. It drew from the wood building traditions of Japan and
Switzerland as well as the medieval themes favored by the Arts and Crafts philosophers. Craftsman architecture stressed honesty of
form, materials, and workmanship, eschewing applied decoration in favor of the straightforward expression of structure. A new
appreciation of nature was evident in horizontal lines that reached out to embrace the landscape and the incorporation of capacious
porches into building plans. Primarily a residential style, Craftsman architecture can be identified by low pitched gable and hipped
roofs with exposed rafters and beams in deep overhangs; wood lap or shingle siding and an occasional use of stucco; extensive use of
stone or brick as a secondary material; horizontal emphasis apparent in roof lines, headers, and battered porch supports; and broadly
proportioned wood framed windows, often clustered in bands. Craftsman homes were built from circa 1902 until the early 1920s.
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION:
The Welbon House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1, as a bungalow with the
distinguishing characteristics of the Craftsman style. Additionally, the house has been categorized as “Key” because it “has a
distinctive architectural style and quality” as a very intact and nicely detailed example of a one and a half story, Craftsman bungalow
(Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2).
EXPLANATION OF CODES:
• California Register Criteria for Evaluation: (From California Office of Historic Preservation, Technical Assistance Series # 7,
“How to Nominate Resources to the California Register of Historical Resources,” September 4, 2001.)
3: It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents
the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values.
California Register Status Code: (From California Office of Historic Preservation, December 8, 2003.)
5S1: Individual property that is listed or designated locally.