State of California—The Resources Agency Primary#
<br />DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
<br />CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
<br />Page 3 of 4 Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 2432 North Riverside Drive
<br />*Recorded by Brian Matuk *Date September 8, 2017 171 Continuation 11 Update
<br />*B6. Construction History (continued):
<br />February 23, 1988. Second story addition
<br />August 21, 2000. Bay window addition at den; add darkroom at garage.
<br />November 29, 2012. Change out five windows, like -for -like.
<br />*B10. Significance (continued):
<br />This house was originally constructed in 1931, and was valued at approximately $4,300, according to the original building
<br />permit. While there is no architect or contractor listed in the original building permit, Samuel M. Davis was listed as the
<br />owner at the time of construction. Samuel was listed a lawyer during the period that he and his spouse Mabel K. Davis lived
<br />in the house, but was perhaps more famous for his position as the Orange County District Attorney between 1907 and 1910.
<br />The Devises resided in the house until Samuel's death in 1954. By 1956, the next occupant was Marion W. Pomeroy, an
<br />electrician, who occupied the house with his wife Gertrude Pomeroy until some time after 1964, according to city directories.
<br />The next recorded occupant is Hugh Conville, who moved into the house at some time before 1980.
<br />2432 North Riverside Drive 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 County 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 11, 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// years, Floral Park continued its development as
<br />numerous, smaller, single-family houses were built. Continuing in the Floral Park tradition, they were mostly Ievival in style.
<br />In the 1950s, low, horizontal Ranch Style houses completed the growth of Floral Park. Today (2014) Floral Park maintains
<br />its identity as the premier neighborhood of Santa Ana, historically home to many affluent and prominent citizens.
<br />2432 North Riverside Drive has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places as a
<br />contributor to a North Broadway Park historic district that is bounded by Riverside Drive, Santa Clara Avenue, North
<br />Broadway, and North Flower Street. Comprising the northern end of the Floral Park neighborhood, North Broadway Park
<br />was subdivided in 1923. The Keeper of the National Register found that: "North Broadway Park reflects the City Beautiful
<br />planning movement in Southern California during the early twentieth century. The vernacular adaptations of period revival
<br />styles, curvilinear street patterns, street furniture, and landscape combine to create a cohesive and pleasant middle class
<br />suburban neighborhood environment which is unique in the early historical development of the city of Santa Ana.'' Under
<br />the regulations implementing the California Register of Historical Resources, 2432 North Riverside Drive has been listed in
<br />the California Register. Despite the alterations and additions subsequent to its listing in the California Register, the property
<br />also qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 for its exemplification of the
<br />distinguishing characteristics of the English Revival style. Topped by the steeply pitched cross gable roof that is a signature
<br />of the style, the house also displays half timbering, brick quoining around some fenestration, and as well as multilight fixed
<br />and double -hung windows and a distinct pointed picture window. The house also contributes to the historic character of the
<br />Floral Park neighborhood through its age, style, scale, and historic association with important members of the local business
<br />and social community. Additionally, the house has been categorized as "Contributive" because it "is a good example of
<br />period architecture" in its presentation of the English Revival style. All original exterior features of 2432 North Riverside
<br />Drive House are considered to be character defining and should be preserved. These features include, but may not be
<br />' Determination of Eligibility, February 25, 1980.
<br />DPR 523L
<br />25C-34
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