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<br />State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #
<br />DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
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<br />CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
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<br />Page ......L of......L Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Mosher House
<br />*Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann *Date November 30, 2004 lBJ Continuation 0 Update
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<br />*810. Significance (continued):
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<br />The Mosher House is located in Floral Park, a neighborhood northwest of downtown Santa Ana bounded by East
<br />Seventeenth Street, North Flower Street, Riverside Drive, and Broadway. Groves of oranges, avocados, and walnuts and
<br />widely scattered ranch houses characterized this area before 1920. Developer and builder Allison Honer (1897-1981),
<br />credited as the subdivider and builder of a major portion of northwest Santa Ana, arrived in Santa Ana from Beaver Falls,
<br />New York in 1922 (Talbert, pages 353-356). "Before nightfall on the day of his arrival, Mr. Honer purchased a parcel of land.
<br />And that month, he began building custom homes in Santa Ana" (Oranae Countv Register, September 15, 1981). The parcel
<br />chosen became the Floral Park subdivision between Seventeenth Street and Santiago Creek. "When built in the 1920s, the
<br />Floral Park homes were the most lavish and expensive in the area. They sold for about $45,000 each" (Orange Countv
<br />Reaister, September 15, 1981). Revival architecture in a wide variety of romantic styles was celebrated in the 1920s and
<br />1930s and Floral Park showcased examples of the English Tudor, French Norman, Spanish Colonial, and Colonial Revival.
<br />The Allison Honer Construction Company went on to complete such notable projects as the 1935 Art Deco styled Old Santa
<br />Ana City Hall, the EI Toro Marine Base during World War /I, and the 1960 Honer Shopping Plaza. Honer lived in the
<br />neighborhood he had helped to create, at 615 West Santa Clara Avenue.
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<br />In the late 1920s and 1930s, another builder, Roy Roscoe Russell (1881-1965), continued developing the groves of Floral
<br />Park. An early Russell project was his 1928 subdivision of Victoria Drive between West Nineteenth Street and West Santa
<br />Clara Avenue. The homes were quite grand and displayed various revival styles, including Russell's own large, Colonial
<br />Revival mansion at 2009 Victoria Drive. In the early post World War /I years, Floral Park continued its development as
<br />numerous, smaller, single-family houses were built. Continuing in the Floral Park tradition, they were mostly revival in style.
<br />In the 1950s, low, horizontal Ranch Style houses completed the growth of Floral Park. Today (2003) Floral Park maintains its
<br />identity as the premier neighborhood of Santa Ana, historically home to many affluent and prominent citizens.
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<br />The Mosher House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property under Criterion 3 for its exemplification
<br />of the distinguishing characteristics of the Spanish Colonial Revival style. Notable design elements in this regard include the
<br />materials used-stucco, tile, wood, and wrought iron; the incorporation of a patio and turret-like bay; and the use of arches of
<br />various configurations. The house also contributes to the historic character of Floral Park through its age, style, and scale.
<br />Additionally, the house has been categorized as "Contributive" because it "contributes to the overall character and history" of
<br />Floral Park, and, as an intact and representative example of a Spanish Colonial Revival home, "is a good example of period
<br />architecture." Character-defining exterior features of the Mosher House that should be preserved, include, but may not be
<br />limited to: materials and finishes (stucco); roof configuration and detailing; massing; original windows and doors,; chimney;
<br />architectural details such as the vents, wrought iron features, roof brackets and patio wall; and garage.
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<br />*812. References (continued):
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<br />Harris, Cyril M. American Architecture: An Illustrated Encvclooedia. New York, WW Norton, 1998.
<br />Marsh, Diann. Santa Ana. An Illustrated Historv. Encinitas, Heritage Publishing, 1994.
<br />McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.
<br />National Register Bulletin 16A. "How to Complete the National Register Registration Form." Washington DC: National
<br />Register Branch, National Park Service, US Dept. of the Interior, 1991.
<br />Office of Historic Preservation. "Instructions for Recording Historical Resources." Sacramento: March 1995.
<br />Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969.
<br />"Alison Honer Dies at 84," The Santa Ana Journal, September 21, 1981.
<br />"Builder of Honer Plaza Dies," Oranae County Reaister. September 15, 1981.
<br />"History of Floral Park." http.l/www.f1oral-park.com/page2.html
<br />Talbert, Thomas (editor-in-chief). Historical Volume and Reference Works Includina Bioloaical Sketches of Leadina Citizens.
<br />Volume I. Whittier, Historical Publishers, 1963.
<br />Santa Ana and Orange County Directories, 1929-1932.
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<br />DPR 523L
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<br />25C'48
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