HomeMy WebLinkAbout020210_ExecutiveSummary-SmithFrankHouse_916NFrench.pdfcm\historic\templates\French N 916 ES (Smith-Frank House)
7/1/02
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
SMITH-FRANK HOUSE
916 North French Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
NAME Smith-Frank House REF. NO.
ADDRESS 916 North French Street
CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92701 ORANGE COUNTY
YEAR BUILT 1902 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Landmark
HISTORIC DISTRICT French Park NEIGHBORHOOD French Park
NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION B, C NATIONAL REGISTER STATUS CODE 1D
Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted
Prehistoric Historic Both
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Colonial Revival, Prairie Style
The most universal of all American domestic building styles, the Colonial Revival has been popular since the 1876 Centennial
celebration in Philadelphia stimulated a patriotic interest in the American architectural past. Whether drawing upon Georgian,
Federal, or Dutch Colonial prototypes, Colonial Revival buildings feature rectangular building plans and designs which are usually
symmetrical, or at least highly regular and balanced, in composition. Roofs are commonly side-gabled, hipped, or gambreled,
sometimes accented with dormers. Porches, one or two stories in height, are often included, mostly as central focal points, and
frequently incorporate classical elements such as columns, pilasters, and entablatures. Doorways are adorned with classical surrounds
and pediments; sidelights, transoms, and fanlights are not uncommon. Windows are typically double-hung sash, with multiple lights
in the upper sash. French doors and Palladian windows are also utilized. Depending on location, Colonial Revival buildings have
wood, brick, or stucco exteriors (McAlester, 320-326).
The Prairie Style is named after the Prairie School, a group of architects centered in Chicago at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Primary amongst them was Frank Lloyd Wright, under whom Prairie School designs reached their apex. Echoing the uninterrupted
horizontal lines of the American prairie, Prairie Style homes—it was largely a domestic movement—are usually characterized by
broadly pitched hipped roofs with deep overhangs; two stories in height, often with one story wings; front porches with massive porch
roof supports; and detailing which emphasizes the horizontal.
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION:
The Smith-Frank House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 (as the George Smith House) as a contributor to
the French Park Historic District. Under the regulations implementing the California Register of Historical Resources, the building is
also listed in the California Register. It also qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property under Criterion 1, as
representative of the distinguishing characteristics of the vernacular Colonial Revival style with Prairie Style elements of the early
twentieth century, and under Criterion 4b, for its associations with George Smith and the Frank family, prominent citizens of Santa
Ana. Additionally, the Smith-Frank House has been categorized as “Landmark” because it “is on the national register,” “is on the
state register,” and “has a unique architectural significance” as a vernacular Colonial Revival style building of the early twentieth
century (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2).
cm\historic\templates\French N 916 ES (Smith-Frank House)
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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)
1D: Contributor to a listed district.