25D - 1914 NORTH VICTORIA DRIVE - Laserfiche WebLink

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State of California -The Resources Agency Primary # DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION IiRI # CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial Page 3 of 4 Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorded Anton Segerstrom House *Recorded by Leslie J. Heumann, Peter C. Moruzzi, SAIC *Date January 27, 2003 O Continuation ^ Update *P3a. Description (continued): red brick surround and illuminated by a pair of copper sconces. Deeply recessed within abarrel-vaulted vestibule, the solid wood entrance door boasts original hardware and a small, center arched door light. Red brick was also used for the shallow porch steps, porch pavement, to define garden beds in front of the house, and for a chimney with paired terra-cotta chimney pots that emerges from the roof along the south elevation. A double car garage, perhaps altered in 1976, is located on the northwest corner of the property. The garage has a hipped, wood shingle roof and two square wood doors, each with a herringbone pattern. Along the north edge of the property, the driveway, spanned by anon-original iron gate attached to the house, leads to the rear garage. A curving brick and concrete entrance path branches off of the driveway. The front setback is carpeted with grass and punctuated by a large, mature pine tree near the southeast corner. Other than the garage and iron gate, the house appears original and in excellent condition. *B10. Significance (continued): forty acres in what is now Costa Mesa. Anton Segerstrom was a rancher and a key player in the family agricultural business, which specialized in the large-scale production of lima beans and development of a high yield dairy herd. Following World War ll, the family branched into commercial and industrial ventures, and, with the construction of South Coast Plaza Town Center, became one of the most successful land developers in the county. The Segerstrom interests also built the first high rise in Santa Ana, the United California Building at the corner of 10th and Main. Building permits show that the Segerstrom family owned this residence until at least 1976. Both Anton, who died in 1963, and Ruth, who died in 1997, were active in city and county charities and organizations. Ruth Segerstrom, a board member of the Bowers Museum, the American Red Cross, and fhe National Cancer Society, and a former president of the Santa Ana Ebel Club, was said to have been most proud of her role in the family's contributions to the founding of the South Coast Repertory Theater and Arts Center. The Anton Segerstrom House is located in Floral Park, a neighborhood northwest of downtown Santa Ana bounded by West Seventeenth Street, North Flower Street, Riverside Drive, and Broadway. Groves of oranges, avocados, and walnuts and widely scattered ranch houses characterized this area before 1920. Developer and builder Allison Honer (1897-1981), credited as the subdivider and builder of a major portion of northwest Santa Ana, arrived in Santa Ana from Beaver Falls, New York in 1922 (Talbert, pages 353-356). "Before nightfall on the day of his arrival, Mr. Honer purchased a parcel of land. And that month, he began building custom homes in Santa Ana" (Orange Countv Register, September 15, 1981). The parcel chosen became the Floral Park subdivision between Seventeenth Street and Santiago Creek. "When built in the 1920s, the Floral Park homes were the most lavish and expensive in the area. They sold for about $45, 000 each" (Orange Countv Register. September 15, 1981). Revival architecture in a wide variety of romantic styles was celebrated in the 1920s and 1930s and Floral Park showcased examples of the English Tudor, French Norman, Spanish Colonial, and Colonial Revival. The Allison Honer Construction Company went on to complete such notable projects as the 1935 Art Deco styled Old Santa Ana City Hall, the Et Toro Marine Base during World War ll, and fhe 1960 Honer Shopping Plaza. Honer lived in the neighborhood he had helped to create, at 615 West Santa Clara Avenue. In the late 1920s and 1930s, another builder, Roy Roscoe Russell (1881-1965), continued developing the groves of Floral Park. An early Russell project was his 1928 subdivision of Victoria Drive between West Nineteenth Street and West Santa Clara Avenue. The homes were quite grand and displayed various revival styles, including Russell's own large, Colonial Revival mansion at 2009 Victoria Drive. In the early post World War 11 years, Floral Park continued its development as numerous, smaller, single-family houses were built. Continuing in the Floral Park tradition, they were mostly revival in style. In the 1950s, low, horizontal Ranch Style houses completed the growth of Floral Park. Today (2003) Floral Park maintains its identity as the premier neighborhood of Santa Ana, historically home to many affluent and prominent citizens. The Anton Segerstrom House appears eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources. It also qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Property under Criterion 1 for its exemplification of the Tudor Revival style. The use of decorative half-timbering, the barrel vaulted entry, the second story overhangs, and the incorporafion of varied and picturesque window types are notable in this regard. The house also contributes to the historic character of the Floral Park neighborhood through its age, style, scale, and historic association with a prominent Orange County family. Additionally, the house has been categorized as "Landmark" for its unique architectural significance as an example of the Tudor Revival style that contributes to the historic streetscape of North Victoria Drive. All original exterior features of the Anton Segerstrom House are considered character defining and should be preserved. These features include, but may not be limited to: materials (wood and brick) and finishes (stucco); roof configuration and treatment massing and composition; entry porch; doors and windows; architectural detailing (exposed beam-ends, copper sconces); and brick chimney. DPR 523E Page4of5 25D-9