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State of California —The Resources Agency Primary #
<br />DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
<br />CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
<br />Page 3 of 5 Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Levengood-Bist House
<br />*Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date October 1, 2003 0 Continuation ❑ Update
<br />*810. Significance (continued):
<br />Santa Ana was founded by William Spurgeon in 1869 as a speculative town site on part of the Spanish land grant known as
<br />Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. The civic and commercial core of the community was centered around the intersection of
<br />Main and Fourth Streets. Stimulated by the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad and incorporation as a city in 1886, and
<br />selection as the seat of the newly created County of Orange in 1889, the city grew outwards, with residential neighborhoods
<br />initially developing to the north, south, and east of the city center. Agricultural uses predominated in the outlying areas, with
<br />cultivated fields and orchards dotted with widely scattered farmhouses.
<br />The Levengood-Bist House is located in Wilshire Square, a neighborhood located south of the city center and bounded by
<br />West McFadden Avenue on the north, West Edinger Avenue on the south, South Main Street on the east, and South Flower
<br />Street on the west. This area remained agricultural in use into the early twentieth century, the landscape dotted with walnut
<br />and orange groves. The 1912 plat map of Santa Ana showed South Main Street and Fairview Avenue (now McFadden
<br />Avenue) as the only streets in the area, with the majority of the property held by a few landowners: N. Palmer, H. K.
<br />Hanson, O'Brien, and Lewis.
<br />Development of Wilshire Square began circa 1923, when newspaper advertisements for newly subdivided lots costing
<br />between $635.00 and $1,875.00 boasted 'five foot sidewalks, curbs, electricity, gas, sewer, city water and ornamental trees"
<br />(Santa Ana Register, April 12, 1923). By 1923, all of Flower, Garnsey, Van Ness, Ross, and Borchard and portions of the
<br />remaining streets had been laid out. Lathrop Junior High School, designed by architect Frederick Eley in 1921 (demolished
<br />circa 1970), was constructed on the southwest corner of Fairview and Main and became an anchor of the neighborhood. In
<br />1925, over 65 homes had been built in Wilshire Square, according to a count of addresses listed in the city directories. A
<br />1927 map indicated that the area was zoned for single-family residences, except the east side of Sycamore, which was set
<br />aside for "courts and apartments," apparently as a buffer for the "neighborhood business" zone on South Main Street. By
<br />1930, maps of the City showed that, with the exception of a gap between Borchard and Edinger Avenues on Birch,
<br />Broadway, and Sycamore, all the streets in Wilshire Square were in place. Mapped by the Sanborn Company between
<br />1931 and 1940, the neighborhood was substantially developed prior to the beginning of World War tl.
<br />Built in three phases, Wilshire Square primarily showcases the revival architectural styles popular during the first phase,
<br />circa 1923 to 1931, when 326 homes were built: variations of the Tudor Revival, the Spanish Colonial Revival, and the
<br />Colonial Revival. A handful of Craftsman bungalows completed the picture. A second phase, from 1935 to 194Z marked
<br />the recovery from the Great Depression and the war preparation years, and resulted in another 171 homes. The post World
<br />War 1I building boom added 91 homes, many in the newly popular California Ranch style. Enhanced by the canopies of
<br />mature trees that line many of the streets, Wilshire Square developed as a middle class neighborhood of white and blue
<br />collar workers. Homes were both owner and speculator built, and, regardless of style, are unified by their one-story height,
<br />scale, common setbacks, and the placement of detached garages in the rear of each property. Retaining these qualities
<br />today (2003), the neighborhood was recognized for excellence in urban design by the Orange County Chapter of the
<br />American Institute of Architects in 1997.
<br />The Levengood-Bist House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1, as a
<br />building with the 'distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style or period." The combination of stucco walls and tiled
<br />roof and treatment of the patio with its rustic wood posts exhibited on the house are typical features of the Spanish Colonial
<br />Revival and demonstrate that the style could be used effectively on both large as well as relatively modest homes.
<br />Additionally, the house has been categorized as "Contributive" because it "contributes to the overall character and history" of
<br />Wilshire Square and "is a good example of period architecture" as an illustration of the Spanish Colonial Revival style.
<br />Character defining exterior features of the Levengood-Bist House that should be preserved include, but may not be limited
<br />to: materials and finishes (stucco, wood, tile); roof configuration and treatment; massing and composition; original doors
<br />and windows; porch; and architectural detailing (porch posts, brackets, and beam).
<br />In July and August 2024, the original 2003 DPR forms were supplemented with the results of new research and analysis
<br />completed by James Williams, on behalf of the City of Santa Ana (City). Specifically, the property was reevaluated to assess
<br />its historical significance, due to associations with former residents Lisa and Brian Bist, who acquired the property in 2003,
<br />per City planning records. in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the Bists were highly involved in
<br />neighborhood activism and local politics in Santa Ana, which activities are summarized briefly below. Except where noted
<br />otherwise, the following accounting of their accomplishments and contributions is based principally on the oral testimony of
<br />current Historic Resources Commission (HRC) Commissioner Alberta Christy, HRC Chair Tim Rush, and Guy Ball, an
<br />associate of the Bists. Mr. Williams briefly interviewed each of these individuals in June and July 2024, in addition to
<br />reviewing testimony provided by Commissioner Christy at the HRC's May 8, 2024 hearing. The oral interviews were
<br />supplemented with desktop research, as cited below.
<br />DPR 523L
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