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State of California—The Resources Agency
<br />DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
<br />CONTINUATION SHEET
<br />by Brian Matuk
<br />*B10. Significance (continued):
<br />Primary #
<br />HRI # _
<br />Trinomial
<br />or # (Assigned by recorder) Finch House
<br />*Date September 6, 2017 ❑x Continuation ❑ Update
<br />The Finch House 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 />Countv 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 (1581-1965), 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 11 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 Finch House qualifies for listing in the Santa Ana Register of Historical Properties under Criterion 1 for its
<br />exemplification of the distinguishing characteristics of the Craftsman style. Additionally, the house has been categorized as
<br />"Contributive" because it "is a good example of period architecture" in its presentation of the Craftsman style. All original
<br />exterior features of the Finch House are considered to be character defining and should be preserved. These features
<br />include, but may not be limited to: materials and finishes (siding, stone, wood); roof configuration, materials, and treatment;
<br />massing and composition; fenestration (doors and windows); and architectural detailing (exposed rafters, purlins, and stone
<br />pattern at piers).
<br />*1312. References (continued):
<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 />Marsh, Diann. Santa Ana, An Illustrated Histo y. Encinitas, Heritage Publishing, 1994.
<br />McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York., Alfred A. Knopf, 1984,
<br />National Register Bulletin 16A. "How to Complete the National Register Registration Form." Washington DC: National
<br />Register Branch, National Park Service, US Dept. of the Interior, 1991.
<br />Office of Historic Preservation. "Instructions for Recording Historical Resources." Sacramento: March 1995.
<br />Pleasants, Mrs. J. E. History of Orange County, Los Angeles: J. R. Finnell & Sons Publishing Co., 1931, Vol.. 2, page 80
<br />and Vol. 3, page 142.
<br />Santa Ana and Orange County Directories, 1921-1960.
<br />Santa Ana History Room Collection, Santa Ana Public Library.
<br />Talbert, Thomas (editor-in-chief). Historical Volume and Reference Works Including Biographical Sketches of Leading
<br />Citizens, Volume 1. Whittier, Historical Publishers, 1963,
<br />Whitten, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969.
<br />DPR 523L
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