Item 09 - Fairview Street Improvement Project

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Architectural History Evaluation historical resources, the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties, and the Historic Resources Commission to oversee the City of Satna Ana's Historic Preservation Program (City of Santa Ana 2020). 2.3 Minimal Traditional (c. 1935-1950) The subject property is an example of the Minimal Traditional style, which was a nationally prevalent style that emerged during the Great Depression. Minimal Traditional homes were designed to be simplistic, economical, and able to be produced at a mass scale.The prevalence of the style was the result of federal policies. Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the National Housing Act in 1934, creating the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The Minimal Traditional-style house was explicitly preferred in FHA guidelines for homeowners to secure FHA-insured home loans.The style continued to be popular through World War II and the postwar housing boom due to the increased use of factory-produced materials, the ability to be quickly mass-produced and deployed, and the general rejection of excessive, material-intensive Craftsman, Victorian, or Period Revival styles. The popularity of the Minimal Traditional style faded by the mid-1950s because the effects of the Great Depression and war-time fiscal conservativism were forgotten (Architectural Resources Group 2019; California Department of Transportation 2011; McAlester 2018). The character-defining features of the Minimal Traditional style include the following: Small scale One-story or one-and-a-half stories in height Low- or intermediate-pitched gable roof with little to no eave overhang Typically features double-hung windows with either multi-pane or simulated multi-pane Window placement occasionally includes two windows set near the building corner Exterior cladding materials may include vertical and horizontal wood boards, shingles, brick veneer, and board-and-batten siding Minimal, limited architectural decoration, usually American Colonial Revival in character Roof dormers are rare, except on Cape Cod-style Minimal Traditional houses May have an attached or detached garage 2.4 Historic Roads Context North Fairview Street is associated with the historic roads context. During the second half of the 19th century, a period of rapid railroad development in the United States, public roads in California and other western states became neglected and degraded. By 1900, "the nation with the greatest railway system in the world had the worst roads" (Johnson 1990). Interest in road building revived around the turn of the century when farmers and ranchers, many disillusioned with high railroad rates, began asking county officials for better surface roads.They were joined by millions of bicyclists who called for smoother roads in town and in the countryside.Joining forces, farmers, ranchers, and bicyclists organized local, state, and ECORP Consulting, Inc. January 2025 Fairview Street Widening Project 2024-088.03 9-102