C - 01-24-19_HPPA 202-208 WEST FOURTH STREET

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Page 3 of 5 cm\historic\templates\Fourth 202 W (Spurgeon Bldg) 8/21/01 RELATED FEATURES: (Other important features such as barns, sheds, fences, prominent or unusual trees, or landscape) None DESCRIPTION: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, settings, and boundaries.) One of the most recognizable buildings in Santa Ana by virtue of its corner clock tower, the Spurgeon Building occupies the southwest corner of Fourth and Sycamore Streets. Of brick construction, the building is divided into nine bays on the north (Fourth Street) elevation and seven bays on the east elevation. Glazed display windows and storefronts, with solid bulkheads and transoms of small, square panes of glass, occupy the street level bays. Building entries are located on each elevation and are distinguished by rusticated surrounds. A decorative, projecting cornice circles the building above the ground floor. On the upper stories, the raised end bays each contain single one-over-one double-hung sash and the slightly recessed interior bays each contain paired sash. Projecting sills and paneled spandrels embellish the fenestration. At the fourth floor level, the tops of the piers are ornamented with raised brick and tile arranged in a fork-like motif. Square panels punctuate the frieze above the fourth floor. Sandwiched between the end bays, the overhanging cornice is detailed with dentils, bracketed soffits, and a patterned fascia. Rising above the northeast corner of the building, the clock tower suggests the influence of the Second Empire style, with elaborate arches containing clock faces on four sides surmounted by a cupola and flagpole. Other than relatively minor storefront alterations, the Spurgeon Building retains a high degree of integrity. HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS: The Spurgeon Building was constructed in 1913 by William Spurgeon, the founder of Santa Ana, using a design provided by architects Metcalf and Davis of Long Beach. It was the third Spurgeon Building on the site, having been preceded by smaller structures erected in the1870s and 1880s. For many years it was not only the tallest building in Santa Ana, but also one of the most prominent addresses in downtown, much favored by doctors and lawyers. Appropriately, the corner retail tenant was the White Cross Drugstore; Walgreen’s took over the space in the 1930s. William Spurgeon is not only remembered as the founder of Santa Ana, but also as one of its most prominent citizens. Spurgeon was elected to the state legislature, was one of the prime movers in the movement to establish Orange County, and served as chairman on the new county’s Board of Supervisors. His business and civic interests ranged from his general merchandise store, first opened on Fourth Street in 1869, to the founding of Santa Ana’s first church (the Methodist Episcopal Church, now the Spurgeon Memorial Methodist Church) in 1870 and the establishment of a stage coach stop followed by the formation of the Santa Ana and Newport Railway. Spurgeon died in 1915. There was a campaign led by Tim Rush, local preservationist, to restore the operation of the clock in 1999. RESOURCE ATTRIBUTES: (List attributes and codes from Appendix 4 of Instructions for Recording Historical Resources, Office of Historic Preservation.) (HP 7) 3+ story Commercial Building RESOURCES PRESENT: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other MOVED? No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location: C-17