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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 4 Resource Name or# (Assigned by recorder) Whitten House
<br /> *Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date October 1, 2003 Cal Continuation 0 Update
<br /> *B10.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 Whitten House is located in Wilshire Square, a neighborhood located south of the city center and bounded by West
<br /> 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 Rower, 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 VN/shire Square, according to a count of addresses fisted 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 VWi/shire 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 II.
<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 1942, marked
<br /> the recovery from the Great Depression and the war preparation years, and resulted in another 171 homes. The post World
<br /> War Il 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 Whitten House qualifies for lisfing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1, as a building with
<br /> the"distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style or period." it is a well-executed illustration of the horizontal
<br /> massing and detailing, materials, and exposed structural features associated with the Craftsman era. Additionally, the
<br /> house has been categorized as"Key"for its distinctive architectural style and quality as an example of the Craftsman style.
<br /> Character defining exterior features of the Whitten House that should be preserved include, but may not be limited to:
<br /> materials and finishes(wood, clapboard, stucco);roof configuration and treatment;massing and composition;original doors
<br /> and windows;porch and porte cochere;and architectural detailing(porch supports, beams and braces, window surrounds).
<br /> DPR 6234
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