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2 <br />1 <br />4 <br />7 <br />9 <br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />Smith House <br />2539 French Street <br />Santa Ana, CA 92706 <br />NAME Smith House REF. NO. <br />ADDRESS 2539 French Street <br />CITY Santa Ana ZIP 92706 ORANGE COUNTY <br />YEAR BUILT 1952 LOCAL REGISTER CATEGORY: Contributive <br />HISTORIC DISTRICT N/A NEIGHBORHOOD Park Santiago <br />CALIFORNIA REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION C/3 CALIFORNIA REGISTER STATUS CODE 5S3 <br />Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted <br /> Prehistoric Historic Both <br />ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: Minimal Traditional <br />During the Great Depression through the immediate postwar years, the Minimal Traditional home rose in popularity as the <br />preferred style for middle-class housing in the United States. This basic house type fulfilled both aesthetic and social <br />needs: in terms of aesthetics, the form represented a stripped-down version of the historic-eclectic styles popular in the <br />1920s, in particular the Tudor and English Revival styles. In social terms, the Minimal Traditional home satisfied <br />requirements in square footage and plan by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which launched a campaign in <br />this period to expand home ownership. The Minimal Traditional home served as the prototype used by the FHA in its <br />efforts to codify and manufacture “a standard, low-cost, minimum house that the majority of American wage earners could <br />afford” (Greg Hise, Magnetic Los Angeles, p. 57). Minimal Traditional homes are typically rectangular in plan and one- <br />story in height, often with a front-gabled wing and prominent attached chimney. In contrast with the English and Tudor <br />Revival styles the one-story version sometimes mimics, the Minimal Traditional home is capped with a low or intermediate <br />pitch roof with a hipped or side gable. Sheathing materials include stucco, brick, or wood, often accompanied by stone <br />veneer accents. Fenestration generally consists of multi-light casement, double-hung, and picture windows with wood <br />frames. The eaves and rakes of the Minimal Traditional home are typically shallow (in a departure from the later Ranch <br />House style, which they often resemble). Although they have little applied ornament, many Minimal Traditional homes <br />often display decorative wood shutters and porch-roof supports. <br />SUMMARY/CONCLUSION: <br />The Smith House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 as an intact <br />example of a Minimal Tradtional-style home in Santa Ana. The recommended categorization is “Contributive” because it <br />is a good example of the Minimal Traditional style and history and character of the neighborhood. (Santa Ana Municipal <br />Code, Section 30-2.3). <br />EXPLANATION OF CODES: <br /> California Register Criteria for Evaluation: (From California Office of Historic Preservation, Technical Assistance <br />Series # 7, “How to Nominate Resources to the California Register of Historical Resources,” September 4, 2001.) <br />3:It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or <br />represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values. <br /> It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the <br />work of a master, or possesses high artistic values. <br />5S3:Appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. <br />  <br />    <br />