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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) Carden House
<br />*Recorded by Leslie J. Neumann, Peter C. Moruzzi, SAIC *Date February 1, 2003 x^ Continuation ^ Update
<br />*P3a. Description (continued):
<br />with corbeled caps. Brick was also used for the shallow steps leading to the entry and for the vestibule pavement. On the
<br />north side of the property, a concrete driveway leads fo a detached three-car garage with a roof design and exterior frnish
<br />comparable to the main house. The grounds are extensively landscaped with a broad front lawn, clipped hedges, a curving
<br />entry path, and mature trees. The house appears original and is in excellent condition.
<br />*B10. Significance (continued):
<br />Clarence W. Jordan, president of Great Western Cordage, Inc., and Grace S. Jordan occupied the house. Directories and
<br />building permits indicate that Dr. Hiram M. and Ruth R. Currey were owners from 1945 until at least 1956.
<br />The Carden House is located in Floral Park, a neighborhood northwest of downtown Santa Ana bounded by West
<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" (Orange County Register. September 15, 1981). The
<br />parcel chosen became the Floral Park subdivision between Seventeenth Sfreef and Santiago Creek. "When built in the
<br />1920s, the Floral Park homes were the most lavish and expensive in the area. They sold for about $45,000 each" (Orange
<br />County Register. September 15, 1981). Revival architecture in a wide variety of romantic styles was celebrated in the 1920s
<br />and 1930s and Floral Park showcased examples of the English Tudor, French Norman, Spanish Colonial, and Colonial
<br />Revival. The Allison Honer Construction Company went on to complete such notable projects as the 1935 Art Deco styled
<br />Old Santa Ana City Hall, the EI Toro Marine Base during World War ll, and the 1960 Honer Shopping Plaza. Honer lived in
<br />the neighborhood he had helped to create, at 615 West Santa Clara Avenue.
<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 Sfy/e houses completed the growth of Floral Park. Today (2003) Floral Park maintains
<br />ifs identify as the premier neighborhood of Santa Ana, historically home to many affluent and prominent citizens.
<br />The Carden House appears eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of
<br />Historical Resources. It also qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 for its
<br />exemplification of the Tudor Revival style. The Carden House displays signature elements of the Tudor Revival style
<br />including asymmetrical arrangements of building features; a cross gabled roof,• decorative half-timbering; a tall, multiple-
<br />stack brick chimney; Tudor arched openings; and picturesque windows of diamond patterned lights. The house also
<br />contributes to the historic character of the Floral Park neighborhood through its age, style, scale, and historic association
<br />with members of the local business and professional communities. Additionally, the house has been categorized as
<br />"Landmark" for its unique architectural significance as an example of the Tudor Revival style that contributes to the historic
<br />streetscape of North Victoria Drive. All original exterior features of the Carden House are considered character derrning and
<br />should be preserved. These features include, but may not be limited to: materials (wood and brick) and finishes (stucco);
<br />roof configuration and treatment; massing and composition; entry; doors and windows; architectural detailing (bargeboards,
<br />half-timbering); brick chimney; and original detached garage.
<br />DPR 523E Page 4 of 5
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