HRC FULL PACKET 2012-06-28 - Laserfiche WebLink

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HR-2012-01 ~RML June 28, 2012 Page 2 Project ©escription On May 6, 2004, the McGowan House was individually listed on the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties and categorized as Landmark {Exhibit 2). Mr. and Mrs. Sherman were the owners at that time. Prior to designating the McGowan House, a neighborhood wide survey was performed, and the City nominated severs[ properties to be added to the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties. Planning staff invited property owners of all eligible sites in the Park Santiago neighborhood to came to a meeting on January 7, 2004 to discuss the possible benefits andlor restrictions of historic designation. This meeting was also advertised in the Neighborhood Newsletter; however, the Sherman's did not attend and did not send a letter in opposition, Additionally, historic designation necessitates a public hearing which entails sending public notice, and notifying the property owners of the potential historic property. Although historic designation does not require owner consent for listing, the Commission has often considered the property owner's wishes in deciding whether or not to list. In this case, the Commission could not have known the owner's wish as no communication was received. The structure was originally built circa 1886 in the Folk Victorian architectural style. In 1938, the heirs of Allen and Lucy McGowan remodeled the front facade of the residence in the Colonial Revival, Classic Box variant while retaining its original Folk Victorian details on the remaining three elevations. The Colonial Revival farmhouse represents the mast popular eclectic architectural home style with numerous variant styles constructed throughout the country from 1876 until the mid-1950`s. The McGowan House's distinctive design features are its rectangular shape, hipped roof with boxed eaves, wide shiplap siding, fluted pilasters, six-overWsix wood windows, asymmetrical recessed entry framed by an unadorned pediment, as well as sidelights and fanlight above the door. A mare recent two-story addition, 1988, combined bedroom/bath and family room expansion with an exterior wood stairwell to the second floor at the rear of the structure. The addition meets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Additionally, the applicants have requested approval of Historic Exterior Modification Application No. 2010-03 for exterior modifications to the structure. The McGowan House qualified for the Landmark category for its historic and cultural significance representing the rural farm houses that once dotted the landscape of the Santa Ana Valley. The McGowan House, constructed circa 1886, is presumed to be the first farmhouse built in this area. Mr. and Mrs. McGowan arrived in Santa Ana with their two children from Texas just after 1900, and they began a cattle ranching business because of the large size of their parcel. The property was originally part of the Dericot Tract, surveyed in 1881. This property extended west to Main Street and was eventually bisected by the Southern Pacific Railroad, forcing Mr. McGowan to turn to fruit crops over raising cattle. This was also in keeping with the trend at the time. Mid-century survey maps indicate the Santa Ana Freeway alignment paralleled the railroad right-of--way, further reducing the size of the original ranch acreage. Although the majority of the 20 East Santa Clara households listed in the 1905 city directory were ranchers or orchard owners, few of the original farmhouses in the City's northeast section have survived the residential development surge from 1920 through mid-century.