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8tato of Caltiornla ~---The Resources Agency Primary [i
<br />I]~PARTMSNT OF PARKS AtVD RECR~AT[Ot~ HRi d
<br />CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
<br />Page 3 of __~._ Resource [Name or to {Ass'sgned by recorder) Maharajah House
<br />'Recorded by Leslie J. Haumarur, SA1C 'tJate May 25, 2003 Egl Continuatlan ^ Update
<br />"810. Signlficauca {continued};
<br />Even before the house was cans[r[rcled, Yeshwanl Rao Holkar, [he Maharajah, had captured [he publlclmaglnatton.
<br />Educalsd a[ Oxford, the Maharajah had been fravefi-rg !rr [hs United Sfatos 1n 1938, had taken Ill In l.os Angalas, and had
<br />been nursed by Marguerite tawfer Branyan, an American divorcee. They nrarrled !n 1938, following fhe death of f1~e
<br />Maharajah s firs[ wife hr 1937. In search of a safe haven prior fo fire beginning of World War 11, the Maharajah decided fo
<br />selffe his young daughter, Princess Usira, a,rd his new wife !n Santa Ana. The large home, one of several owned by fha
<br />Maharajah, was protected by high walls and by interior and exlerfor gales. According fo one accotrnt, the Maharajah's
<br />Irrs[rrrcllorrs fo Allison Honer, fha prominent Orange County builder who lived across fhe street from the property at S75
<br />West Santa Clara Avenue, were to build a modem, but not loo severe refuge. Lavishly appnln[ed, fha house cbnfalned, lr
<br />1988 when if was fhe lntema[[onal Svclety of Interior Designers Orange County Chapter Design Houss: three kedroom
<br />sidles, sigh! bafhroorns, four Jireplaces, a grand foyer, spacious h'ving room, forma! dining roam, library, solarium, k![chsn,
<br />boiler's pantry, pool house (added islet), servants' and guards' quarters, and an attached garage.
<br />Sold [o be a progressive ruler who lnst[futed many reforms, fhe Maharajah had gavemed fndore since fhe abd[callorr of iris
<br />falher In Iris favor in 1928. The Maharajah and his American Maharani returned to lrtdia following an only one-year
<br />residence in fire house, leaving Princess Uslra !n the taro of a governess In Santa Ana, where she continued to attend
<br />public schools. The palydlvorcedln 1943. The MaharoJafr married again, !o anolherAmerican, who bore h!m fourchlfdren
<br />including a rraala heir, brrf Princess Usha, as the only offspring born of an lr~d[an woman, srrcceoded her father as ruler In
<br />1961 following the death of her falher. Marguerite, who also remarried, renralnod Irt firs house until 1952. As of 1899,
<br />accorrfing to one accormt (Marsh), Princess Usha occupied one of [hs Holkar's hersdllary palaces !n India, although, other
<br />lnfomratlon (°fndore: The Holkar Dynasty") indfca[es fha[ site was stripped of fret rank and lilies by fhe !nd[an stale in 1970
<br />The Maharajah House is faceted in Floral Park, a neighborhood norihwesf of downlowrr Santa Ana bounded by Wosl
<br />Seventaenfh street, North Flower Sfreef, Riverside Drive, and Broadway. E4roves al oranges, avocados, and walnuts arrd
<br />widely scattered ranch houses characterized this area before 1920. Developer and brrlldar Allison Honer (989r 9981),
<br />credited as the subdivider and builder of a major parfian of narfhwesf Santa Ana, arrived In Santa Ana from Beaver );ells,
<br />New York !n 7922 (Talbert, pages 353-356). Before niglrflal! on fhe day of his arrival, Mr. Honer purchased a parcel of land.
<br />And that month, ire began bulldirtg custom homes in Santa Ana" (1Tppq~Counly Reglsler. September iti, 1981). The
<br />parcel chosen became fhe Floral Park subdlvisloH belwsen Seventeenth S[res[ and Santiago Creek. 'When built in the
<br />1920s, !ha Floral Park homes were the moll lavish and expensive In the area. They sold for about $45,000 each" (Orange
<br />C rn ~~ Septomber 1 S, 1981). ReVlval arclTitecturs !n a wide variety of ronrarrtlc stylos was celebratedln Ure 1920s
<br />and 7934s and Floral Park showcased examples of the English Tudor, French Norman, Spanish Colonial, and Colonial
<br />Revival The Allison Hwrer Consfrucllon Company went on fo complete such nofabfe projects as the 1935 Art Dsco styled
<br />Old Santa Ana Clly HaN, the El Toro Marina Base during World Warl1, and [l~01980 Honer Shoppi-rg Plaza. Honer~iv~d !n
<br />the nslglrhorhood ire had helped to create, at 815 West Santa Clara Avenue.
<br />!n the Tale 7920s and 7930s, anofhar builder, Roy Roscoe Russell (9881-7985), contlnuerl developing fhe groves of Floral
<br />Bark. An early Rrrssa!! project was his 1928 subdlvislon of Victoria Dries between West Ninelsenlh Street and Wes[ Santa
<br />Clara Avonue. Tho homes were quite grand and displayed various revival styles, fnclrrding Russell's owrr large, Colorrla!
<br />Revival mansion at 2009 Victoria Drive. !-r the early post World War 11 years, Floral Park conilrrrred Its davefopnrerrf as
<br />Humorous, snrailsr, single-lamlly houses ware bcr!!1. Continuing in fho Flaaf Park tradillon, [hey wars mostly revive[ in style.
<br />in the 7950s, low, horizontal Ranch Style houses completed the grawlh of Floral Park. Today (2003) floral park maintains
<br />!ts ldenllfy as the pronrler neighborhood of Santa Ana, historically hanre to many affluent arrd prominent citizens.
<br />Tl~e Maharafah House appears eligible for listing fn fhe National Reglsler of Hlsloric Places and fhe California Register of
<br />N[s[orical Resources, !t also grrafilles for listing !n fhe Santa Ana Reglsler of Historical Properties under Criterion 7 for !ts
<br />exemplilicaf[on of the Art Modeme varlenl a! the Moderne slyls and under Cri[err`on 4b forlls assoclaflan with a forslgn ruling
<br />lamlly, fha Holkars of lrrdore, India. Arclritecturalty, the house is distinguished by !!s scale, massing, frorizontal lines, use of
<br />cfraraclerfstlc fea[rrres such as comer casanrauf windows, and its fortress-like quality. The house also contdbufes fa the
<br />h!s[oric character of the f=loral Park r3efghborhaod through its ago, style, stela, and hlsbric assocfatians with prominent
<br />resldenls. Addlllonally, the fro~rse has been catsgorized as 'Landmarlr" for its unique archi[eclural sfgrrlficance as an
<br />example of the Art Moderns variant of fha Madame style and its hfstorisJcu![ural sfgrilOcancs to Cily as fhe 'castle" of a
<br />sllling ruler. Al! origins! exterior features of the Maharajah House are considered character daflnfrrg and should ba
<br />preserved. These features irtclrrds, brrf rosy not be limited fo: materials arrd finishes (stucco, wrought Iron); roof
<br />conilguraClon, materials, and frea[rnent; massing and composition; entry, doors and windows; terraces and walfod gardens;
<br />architectural detailing (banding, window grilles, canopies, entry surround); clrimnsys and fireplaces; attached garage;
<br />origlnallandscaping; and anyoriginal inferiormaferials, spaces, finishes, and fumislrtngs.
<br />Optt G23l.
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