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State of California—The Resources Agency Primary#
<br />DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
<br />CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
<br />by Brian Matuk
<br />*1310. Significance (continued):
<br />or ti (Assigned by recorder) Dr. Harry G. Huffman House
<br />*Date September 4, 2017 O Continuation ❑ Update
<br />The Dr. Harry G. Huffman House is located in Floral Park, a neighborhood northwest of downtown Santa Ana bounded by
<br />West Seventeenth Street, North Flower Street, Riverside Drive, and Broadway. Groves of oranges, avocados, and walnuts
<br />and 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 Il, 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 revival 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 />The Dr. Harry G. Huffman House 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, the Dr. Harry G. Huffman House has been
<br />listed in the California Register. It also qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion
<br />1 for its exemplification of the distinguishing characteristics of the English Revival style. Topped by the steeply pitched
<br />gabled roof that is a signature of the style, the house also displays a brick end chimney, and a multitude of multilight fixed
<br />and casement windows that are rectangular, round -arched, and segmental -arched. The house also contributes to the
<br />historic character of the Floral Park neighborhood through its age, style, scale, and historic association with important
<br />members of the local business and social community. Additionally, the house has been categorized as "Contributive"
<br />because itis a good example of period architecture" in its presentation of the English Revival style. All original exterior
<br />features of the Dr. Harry G. Huffman House are considered to be character defining and should be preserved. These
<br />features include, but may not be limited to: materials and finishes (stucco, brick); roof configuration, materials, and
<br />treatment, massing and composition; entry; fenestration (doors and windows); and architectural detailing (rolled eaves).
<br />Despite being owned by Dr. Harry G. Huffman, the house does not appear to rise to the level of significance under criterion
<br />4.b. Although evidence shows that Huffman has made contributions to the Orange County medical field, he is not a 'Yamous"
<br />person, as required by this criterion. Additionally, Huffman is also associated with the Van Dien House at 2402 Bonnie Brae
<br />to a similar level of significance, as he and his wife resided there for approximately the same amount of time.
<br />*B12. References (continued):
<br />City of Santa Ana Building Permits.
<br />Hawkins, G. William, The History of Orange County Medicine, 1926-1989, Orange County Medical Association.
<br />History of Floral Park." http://www.floral-park.com/page2.html
<br />Harris, Cyril M. American Architecture: An Illustrated Encyclopedia. New York, WW Norton, 1998.
<br />(See Continuation Sheet 4 of 4.)
<br />1 Determination of Eligibility, February 25, 1980.
<br />DPR 523L
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