Item 33 - Historic Property Preservation Agreements

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RESOURCES PRESENT: Building ❑ Structure ❑ Object MOVED? ® No ❑ Yes ❑ Unknown ❑ Site ❑ District ® Element of District Date: Original Location: ❑ Other STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, geographic scope, and integrity.) Santa Ana was founded by William Spurgeon in 1869 as a speculative townsite on part of the Spanish land grant known as Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. Early growth and development was stimulated by the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1878 and the Santa Fe Railroad in 1886. By the end of the 1880s, Santa Ana's downtown business district was defined by five city blocks of brick commercial buildings on 4th Street, with the heart of the city at the intersection of 4th and Main Streets. (Thomas, 8:1) By the turn of the century and into the 1920s, older building facades were being updated and renewed by remodeling, a practice that intensified following the 1933 earthquake. The Gilmaker Block is an 1888 building that either was extensively remodeled or rebuilt by architect Edwin C. Thorne in 1920. The building has architectural significance as an appropriately rehabilitated example of the brick vernacular commercial style that was prevalent on smaller commercial building in towns across the west. As a result of the rehabilitation, the building illustrates many of the characteristics of this building type, including the use of glazed brick to define traditional building features; brick construction; recessed entrances flanked by large display windows; glazed transoms; and an overall balanced appearance. AIthough altered, the Gilmaker Block effectively conveys its style and period of construction. Character -defining exterior features which should be preserved include, but are not limited to: brick exterior; glazed brick trim; parapet; bay divisions articulated by piers; and architectural ornamentation. MMARY/CONCLUSION: This building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as a contributor to the Downtown Historic District, following completion of a certified rehabilitation. Under the regulations implementing the California Register of Historical Resources, the building is also listed in the California Register. As a well -articulated example of a building type prevalent during the first quarter of the 20`h century, the Gilmaker Block satisfies Criterion I for inclusion in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property. Additionally, the property has been categorized as "Key" because it has a "distinctive architectural style and quality" and "is characteristic of a significant period in the history of the City of Santa Ana" (Municipal Code, Section 30-2.2(2)). OWNER AND ADDRESS: Bruno and Raquel Ledwin P. O. Box 7677 Laguna Niguel, CA 92607 cmUstoriclterMIateslFoulh 302 W 2/20l01