25C - 506 S. BIRCH ST. - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

State of California - The Resources Agency Primary # DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial Page ~ of ~ Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) Crane House *Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, SAIC *Date March 22, 2004 IRI Continuation 0 Update *810. Significance (continued): The Crane House is located in Heninger Park, a residential neighborhood that developed south of the original city core, primarily between 1910 and 1930. Generally bounded by West First Street on the north, West McFadden Avenue (originally Fairview Avenue) on the south, South Sycamore Street on the east, and South Flower Street on the west, the neighborhood had a few homes, mostly located in the northern half, when the area was partially mapped in 1895 by the Sanborn Company. Most of the land was agricultural in use. The City utilized the southwest corner of West First and South Garnsey (then called Palm) for the municipal water works, and the City stables were located on the northwest corner of Palm and West Walnut. Brothers H. B. and Martin Heninger were responsible for developing and platting the tract following their purchase of thirty- four acres of what was known as the Palmer Tract in 1907. The Heningers planted trees, put in sidewalks and curbs, and paved the streets on what had been a barley field. Later they bought additional tracts of ten and eighteen acres which they also platted and improved. These properties were known as Heninger Additions Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. In 1921, Orange County historian Samuel Armor described the Heninger tracts as "... the finest residence section of the city, built up with fine homes...," adding, "Mr. [Martin] Heninger and his brother have erected 150 houses on the property" (Armor, p. 1777). The major landmark of the neighborhood was Santa Ana Polytechnic High School, which occupied a campus that stretched from West Walnut to West Camille between South Ross and South Parton Streets. The majority of homes in the area showcase the Craftsman and Colonial Revival styles, and, to a lesser extent, the other revival styles of the 1920s. Homes range in size from one to two stories and are unified by common setbacks, the repetition of gabled rooflines and front porches, the use of similar materials, and on some blocks, by the canopy of street trees. Portions of South Birch Street and South Broadway, in particular, present intact Craftsman streetscapes. After replacement of some of the earlier homes with high density apartments in the 1970s and 1980s, the City of Santa Ana recognized the integrity of the Heninger Park neighborhood in 1986, by creating a Specific Development (SO) zoning district intended to preserve its historic character, the second such SO in the City. (French Park was the first.) The Crane House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1, as a structure with the distinguishing characteristics of the American Foursquare subtype of the Prairie Style. Additionally, the house has been categorized as "Key" because it "has a distinctive architectural style and quality" as a largely intact and characteristic example of the American Foursquare subtype of the Prairie Style. The hipped roof, echoed by the central hipped dormer and pent roof of the porch, is a signature feature of this uniquely American building type, and the treatment of the porch beams and rafter tails add an element of originality to the design. If the porch supports were restored appropriately, the Crane House would be eligible for categorization as "Landmark." Character-defining exterior features of the Crane House that should be preserved include, but may not be limited to: sheathing (clapboard) and materials (brick, original and restored); roof configuration and detailing; massing; windows and doors; porch configuration and detailing; and architectural details (such as the beams, rafter tails, and belt course). *812. References (continued): Harris, Cyril M. American Architecture: An Illustrated Encvclopedia. New York, WW Norton, 1998. Marsh,Diann. Santa Ana. An Illustrated Historv. Encinitas, Heritage Publishing, 1994. McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. National Register Bulletin 16A. "How to Complete the National Register Registration Form." Washington DC: National Register Branch, National Park Service, US Dept. of the Interior, 1991. Office of Historic Preservation. "Instructions for Recording Historical Resources." Sacramento: March 1995. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969. Santa Ana and Orange County Directories, 1901-1935. Armor, Samuel. Historv of Oranae County. Los Angeles: History Record Company, 1921. DPR 523L 2S.c48