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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 3 Resource Name or # (Assigned 6v rerorderl Van Dien Huse
<br />*Recorded by Leslie J. Neumann and Deborah Howell-Ardila 'Date August 13, 2008 ^D Continuation ^ Update
<br />*B10. Significance (continued):
<br />The Van Dien 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 Countv Register. September 15, 1981). The
<br />parcel chosen became the Floral Park subdivision between Seventeenth Street 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 1! 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 (2008) Floral Park maintains
<br />its identity as the premier neighborhood of Santa Ana, historically home to many affluent and prominent citizens.
<br />The Van Dien House lies in the northern section of Floral Park historically known as North Broadway Park. Bounded by
<br />Riverside Drive, Santa Clara Avenue, North Broadway, and North Flower Street, North Broadway Park, subdivided in 1923,
<br />has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The Keeper of the National Register
<br />found that `North Broadway Park reflects the City Beautiful planning movement in Southern California during the early
<br />twentieth century. The vernacular adaptations of period revival styles, curvilinear street patterns, street furniture, and
<br />landscape combine to create a cohesive and pleasant middle class suburban neighborhood environment which is unique in
<br />the early historical development of the city of Santa Ana. "~ Under the regulations implementing the California Register of
<br />Historical Resources, the Van Dien House, which is a contributor to the National Register district, has been listed in the
<br />California Register.
<br />The Van Dien House also qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 for its
<br />exemplification of the Italian Renaissance Revival style. The rectangular, regular massing beneath glow-pitched hipped
<br />roof, the wide overhanging eaves accented with carved wood brackets, and the generous use of quoining for emphasis are
<br />notable in this regard. Additional features reflecting the Italian Renaissance Revival style illustrated by the house include its
<br />use of full-length arched windows and multi-light, wood-framed casements deeply recessed within cast-stone surrounds.
<br />Additionally, the house has been categorized as `Key" because it has a `distinctive architectural style and quality."
<br />Character-defining exterior features of the Van Dien House that should be preserved include, but may not be Limited to,
<br />materials and finishes (stucco, wood, and wrought-iron); roof configuration and detailing; original windows and doors where
<br />extant; architectural details such as the styling and configuration of the balcony and ba/conefte, the use of quoining and
<br />classical capitals and pilasters.
<br />*B12. References (continued):
<br />Harris, Cyril M. American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. New York, WW Norton, 1998.
<br />Marsh, Diann. Santa Ana. An Illustrated History. 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 />`Alison Honer Dies at 84,"The Santa Ana Journal, September 21, 1981.
<br />`Builder of Honer Plaza Dies," Orange Countv Register. September 15, 1981.
<br />`History of Floral Park." http.//www.iloral-park.com/page2.html
<br />`Prominent Santa Ana Doctor Dies at 66,"Santa Ana Register. April 28, 2004.
<br />Armor, Samuel. History of Orange Countv. Los Angeles: History Record Company, 1921.
<br />Orange County Directories, 1928-1952.
<br />~ Determination of Eligibility, February 25, 1980.
<br />DPR 523E ~~4
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