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HomeMy WebLinkAbout96-029 - Designating a Certain Building as Historical Property for Inclusion in the City of Santa Ana Register of Historic Property· 491 RESOLUTION NO.96-029 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA DESIGNATING A CERTAIN BUILDING AS HISTORICAL PROPERTY FOR INCLUSION IN THE CITY OF SANTA ANA REGISTER OF HISTORIC PROPERTY WHEREAS, The City Council of the City of Santa Ana has provided, in Chapter 30 of the Santa Aha Municipal Code for the maintenance of the City of Santa Ana Register of Historical Property, to include such property as the City Council determines to have architectural or historical significance in accordance with the standards set forth in Section 30-2 of the said Code; and WHEREAS, designation of property as Historical Property promotes rehabilitation by allowing the application of the State Historical Building Code, and, as to property within a historical rehabilitation area, by giving eligibility for historical rehabilitation financing; and 1. The following building is found to meet the standards for designation as historical property set forth in Section 30-2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code and is hereby designated as Historical Property, to be included in the City of Santa Ana Register of Historical Property: BUILDING The Spurgeon Building LOCATION 206 West Fourth Street 2. For the above said property, the report entitled "Historical Property Description," on file in the office of the Clerk of the Council, is hereby approved and adopted as the findings justifying designation as Historical Property. The Clerk of the Council is authorized and directed to include such report, together with this resolution, in the City of Santa Ana Register of Historical Property. RESOLUTION NO. 96-029 Page 2 ADOPTED this 1st __ day of April , 1996. ~ ~ Pultd~o, Mayor ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM: Edward City Attorney Espinoza Aye Lutz Aye McGuigan Aye Mills Aye Moreno Aye Pulido Aye Richardson Aye ' 493 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY & PUBLICATION State of California County of Orange I, JANICE C. GUY, Clerk of the Council, do hereby certify the attached Resolution ~, - d~,~ y to be the original resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on Date: z~/~/Sr~ /// Clerk of th~ C~ounc'~/ City of Santa Ana/ 495 SANTA ANA HISTORIC REGISTER APPLICATION FORM Name: W.H. Spurgeon Building Location: 206 W. Fourth Street Santa Ana, CA 92701 Orange County: 059 Congressional District: California: CA 39 Classification: building Ownership: Private Status: Occupied View accessible: Yes Present use: Office building Owner of Property: CM Properties (Jay Meehan) 313 N. Birch Street, Santa Aha, CA 92701 Location of legal description: Orange County Hall of Records 630 N. Broadway Santa Ann, CA 92701 Representation on existing surveys: Downtown Santa Ana Historic District Historic Resources Survey, 1979 EIR Dr. David Gebhardt 1979 1982 ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Condition: Excellent Site: Original Alterations: Few Architectural Style: Neo-classical commercial building Architectural summary paragraph: Constructed in 1913, the Spurgeon Building is four stories in height, with an impressive ornate clock tower on the northeast comer. The first floor is dedicated to retail/storefront businesses, while the upper three floors are designated for office use. The finest cream- colored face brick covers the supporting walls of red brick. A heavy flat cornice, ornamented with carved brackets, tops the east and north sides of the building. The top three floors feature pairs of ranked windows, separated by cream-colored face brick pilasters. Decorative shields and medallions accent the top floor. EXHIBIT 1 Page 1 of 9 496 The first and second floors are separated by a dentil-trimmed beltcourse. The original appearance of the first floor has been restored through the use of new luxor glass panels, plate glass windows, black tile bulkheads, and wood-framed glass entrance doors. A few of the entrances retain the original hexagonal tile floors, with borders in a Greek key design. The back of the building is plain red brick, painted white. Architectural Description: North Facade: Facing Fourth Street, the first floor of the north facade is centered with the main entrance to the three upper floors. Cream-colored face brick covers the upper three floors and the square columns on the first floor. The first floor is dedicated to retail/storefront use. The clock tower, which dominates the northwest corner, is made of cast sheet metal and is Neo-classic in style. A semi-onion dome, centered with a flag pole, caps the tower. Balconies, bordered with balustrades featur- ing carved balusters, are featured on all four sides of the tower, below the clock works. The tower and clock works are in the process of being cleaned and restored. A wide double-hung window is centered in each of the top three floors. The first floor features a diagonally-placed entrance in the corner storefront. A square cream-colored face brick pillar supports the corner. A wide, flat cornice, accented along the bottom with carved brackets, runs from the northwest corner of the clock tower to the northwest edge of the last section of ranked windows. In this section, a shield, flanked by diamond-shaped medallions, decorates the area above the fourth floor windows. Seven identical sets of paired double-hung windows, placed between plain cream-colored face brick pilasters, form the fenestration for the top three floors. Elongated triangular-shaped decorative shields are placed between the sets of windows on the top floor. A heavy concrete sill runs along the bottom of each window. Recessed face brick panels, cen- tered with raised sections, accent the space below each window. A beltcourse, accented with dentil work, separates the first floor from the top three. New luxor glass panels form a wide frieze below the cornice. The first floor retail/storefronts, which were altered during the 1940's, 50's, and 60's, have been returned to a resemblance of their original appearance. This effect is accomplished with the use of new luxor glass panels , plate glass windows, black tile bulkheads and wood-framed glass entrance doors. A few of the original recessed entrance floors, made of small grey-green and hexagonal tiles, still exist. The main entrance to the upper floors is bordered with an impressive surround and cornice made of cast concrete. The wide two-tiered cornice is supported by ornate classical brackets at each corner. The words "W. H. EXHIBIT 1 Page 2 of 9 Spurgeon Building" are carved in the cast concrete panel above the entrance and can be seen on the original hexagonal tile floor of the deeply- recessed entryway. Double wood-framed glass doors lead to the lobby and plain glass panels accent the side walls. East Facade: The east facade faces Sycamore Street and is similar in design to the north facade. Five identical sets of paired double-hung windows are located each of the top three floors. The clock tower crowns the north end, and three storefronts with two entrances are located along the first floor. West Facade: The west facade is formed by a contiguous red brick wall with the two- story building to the west. The fourth floor of the Spurgeon Building is visible above the flat roof of the contiguous building, and features recessed double-hung windows with either square or arched lintels. The words "W. H. Spurgeon Building" are painted on the northwest corner of the wall. South Facade: The south facade faces the alley and is constructed of red brick that has been painted white. It is typically plain in design. Fourteen deeply- recessed double-hung windows, topped with arched lintels, form rows along the top three floors. Five recessed doors lead into the first floor retail spaces. The south facade is connected by a ramp, not original, to the parking structure on the south side of the alley. The W. H. Spurgeon Building possesses its integrity of location, setting, design, workmanship, materials, feeling and associations with the city of Santa Aha and William Spurgeon. It is one of the finest historic buildings of Neo-classical design in Orange County. EXHIBIT 1 Page 3 of 9 498 Period of significance: 1900-present Areas of significance: architecture, conunerce Date of construction: 1913 Architects: Metcalf and Davis of Long Beach, California Summary : The Spurgeon Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 31, 1979, is significant for: (A) its place in the broad patterns of Santa Ana history, (B) its associations with William Spurgeon, and (C) for its impressive Nco-classical architecture. Built in 1913-14 by the Spurgeon Realty Company, the building is the third on this site to have been built by Mr. Spurgeon, one of the two founders of the city of Santa Ana. It was through the foresight and de- termination of William Spurgeon that Santa Ana was to become such a successful city and the center of Orange County commerce. Mr. Spurgeon, who served in the State Legislature fo~ the 78th District, was also instru- mental in the founding of Orange County in 1889 and served as president of the first Board of Supervisors. He was the president of the first Board of Trustees for the City of Santa Aha, the first Postmaster, and as an agent for the Wells Fargo Company. He also served on the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors before Orange County was formed. Samuel Armor says in the 1911 edition of his History of Orange County with Biographical Sketches," Scarcely an enterprise hs been organized for the benefit of Santa Aha with which his name has not been identified, either directly or indirectly", and "it is a recognized fact that Santa Ana owes to no citizen more than it does to Mr. Spurgeon." The building was listed on the Nat- ional Register of Historic Places on August 31, 1979. Criterion A: William Spurgeon, at the age of 84, recalled, "The Spurgeon Building and its two-story predecessor provided office space for most of the profess- ional men in town. All the professional men of any note got their start in one or the other of the Spurgeon Buildings." Among the first tenants in 1914 were Hill and Walker Sporting Goods, Capital Security Co., Hill and Blauer Groceries, Sam Stein's Stationary, R. R. Atwood Stocks and Bonds, the U. S. Protective Life Insurance Co., and J. E. Tillotson Clothing. Some of the physicians who had offices on the top three floors included Dr. J. N. Page 4 of 9 Bartholemew M. D., Dr. C. H. Brooks M. C., Dr. J. M. Burlew M. D., Drs. Ball and Cushman, and Dr. H. S. Gordon M.D. Dentists included Dr. C. V. Doty, Dr. Rossitor, Dr. Paul, Dr. Patton and Dr. Ross. The Spurgeon Realty Co., Ellis Realty Co., prominent contractbrs McNeil and Preble, and the Scott Realty Co. The Christian Science Reading Room was also located upstairs. The building is representative of the growth and progress of Santa Aha, and illustrates the success of Mr. Spurgeon's town. His first store, in 1869, was a small two-room board-and-batten building at the corner of Fourth and West (Broadway). In 1875 he built the first of three buildings on this site. It was a two-story wooden structure. By 1882 he gave that building to the Fire Department, to be moved to Sycamore Street, and built an impressive two-story red brick store building. Thirty-one years later, he built the present four-story building clad in cream-colored face brick, and crowned with a Nco-classical clock tower. Criterion B: William Spurgeon, who founded Santa Ana in 1869, along with his partner, Ward Bradford, was frequently refered to as the "Father of Santa Ana. Unlike Bradford, who sold his half of the property and left town a few years after it was founded, Mr. Spurgeon stayed around to become in- volved in almost every endeavor in the city, accomplishing a whole string of "firsts" for the city. He built the first store, cut a road through the mustard grass, and persuaded the stage coach to come to his new town. After putting down the first artesian well, he established the first water works. Serving as postmaster and Wells Fargo Express agent, Mr Spurgeon was the force behind the incorporation of the town, and served as president of the first Board of Trustees. In the late 1880's, as a member of the Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County, he worked toward the establishment of Orange County in 1889. He served as the first Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for the new county. He was active in banking, the Chamber of Commerce, the Spurgeon Methodist Church, and almost every organization in town. He died in 1915 at the age of 86. Criterion C:. Since 1913-14 the present Neo-classical Spurgeon Building has been a landmark on the corner of Fourth and Sycamore Streets. The ornate clock tower not only provided an ornate crown for the building, but also was provided a service for the public. Many people checked their watches by the clock, and would let the Spurgeons know if the clock was slow. Prominent Long Beach architects, Metcalf and Davis designed the striking building, which was the first skyscraper in the city. The finest materials, including the relatively expensive cream-colored face brick, were used in EXHIBIT 1 Page 5 of 9 500 the construction of the building. For further details, please see the archi- tectural description. The W. H. Spurgeon Building, one of the finest historical Neo-classical commercial buildings in Orange County, has substantial significance to the City of Santa Ana, and richly deserves to be included on the City of Santa Ana Historic Register. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 31, 1979, and retains its integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. Bibliography: Dimmit, Richard Armor. Samuel Pleasants, Adelina (1931) Swanner, Charles The Spurgeon Story Orange County Public Library (1971) History of Orange County . California Los Angeles (1911) History of Orange County. California Vol 1, Los Angeles Santa Ana. A Narrative of Yesterday 1870-1910. Claremont, CA Saunder Press 1953 Talbert, Thomas Historical Volum0 and Reference Works Vol. 3 Whittier CA (1963) Sleeper, James Turn the Rascal~ Out California Classics (1973) Lewis Publishing Co. Illustrated History of Southern California 1890 Orange County Directory 1915 Bradford, Ward Biographical Sketches in the Life of Major Ward Bradford, Fresno, CA (1890's) Guinn, James Historical anal Biographical Record of Southern California Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill 1902 EXHIBIT 1 Page 6 of 9 501 PHOTOGRAPHS: Taken: March 11, 1996 Photographer: Diann Marsh Location of negatives: 321 E. Eighth St. (ORIG'fNAL ON FILE IN Santa Aha, CA 92701 co~wamx~Y DEVELOPMENT AGENCY) 1. This view of the building, taken from the northeast, shows the Fourth Street facade on the right and the Sycamore Street facade on the left. The Fourth Street facade, shown from the northwest, features the cen- tered main entrance that leads into the lobby for the upper three floors. The center section of the Fourth Street facade, taken from the north, shows the bracket-decorated cornice above, the rows of paired recess- double-hung windows, the dentil-trimmed beltcourse, and the first floor main entrance and storefronts. Taken from the east, this photo shows depicts the west end of the Fourth Street facade. Note the dentil-trimmed beltcourse, the metal rolled security fence and the luxor glass panels above the storefronts. These panels, which were installed when the building was restored, , are very similar to the original. The main entrance to the upper floors is located in the center of the first floor of the Fourth Street facade. A massive cast concrete two- tiered cornice, accented with elaborate cast concrete brackets, caps the main entrance. The wide side panels are also made of cast concrete. the deeply-recessed entryway leads to a pair of wood-framed glass entry doors. Plain plate glass panels are located in the side walls. The original hexagonal tile floor, with "W. H. Spurgeon Building" enscribed in the center, decorates the entryway floor. 6. A view of the Sycamore Street facade, taken from the east. Note the repeat of the design features of the Fourth Street facade. A detail of the fourth floor of the Sycamore Street facade, taken from the east, shows the wide cornice and brackets at the roof line, the recessed windows, and the decorative shields and medallions at the fourth floor level. 8. The south end of the Sycamore Street elevation, taken from the east, EXHIBIT 1 Page 7 of 9 features the first floor retail storefronts. The luxor glass panels, plate glass windows and black tile bulkheads, although new, exhibit the original appearance of the first floor. A view of the Sycamore Street facade, taken from the east, depicts the recessed entrance of the center store on this facade. The detnry has the original hexagonal tile floor with Greek key design. Note the dentil design of the beltcourse. 10. The Sycamore Street facade, as seen from the northeast. The clock tower dominates the corner. 11. A closeup of the clock tower, as seen from the north. Note the wide double-hung windows centered in each floor, and the cast concrete medallions and shield below the clock tower. 12. The corner storefront, taken from the northeast. The luxor glass panels, plate glass windows, black tile bulkheads, and wood-framed doors are similar to the original. The square face brick-clad pillar supports the diagonally-placed entrance at the northeast corner. 13. A detail of one of the recessed storefront entrances on the Sycamore Street side depicts the original hexagonal tile floor with Greek key design. 14. The south, or rear, facade, taken from the southeast. The red brick has been painted white. Recessed windows, topped with arched lintels, line the top three floors. Note the pedestrian bridge on the left side of the photo. EXHIBIT 1 Page 8 of 9 EXHIBIT 1 Page 9 of 9 .504 DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY ~er. No. HABS .. HAER _. NR UTM: A6/~926~7~4400 C~/4~9640/~7~4]00 2D SHL ~ Loc e 6/419840/37343q'O-- D 6/419490/37~4]00 IDENTIFICATION 1. Common name: Fourth Street Commercial Core D~strict 2. Hi~loric name: , . ~me 3. Street or rural address; Citx. Santa Ana Zip 92701 County Oranqe 4. Parcel number; - 5. Present Owrler: ~ultip]e Address;. ...... City, Zip Ownership is: Public Private x 6. Present Use: commercial Originat use: same DESCRIPTION 7a. Ar~itectural style: varied period styles from 1B77 - 1934 7b. Briefly describe the present phys~al de~cr~t~n of the site or structure and describe any m~jor alterations from its original condition: The majority of buildings are two-story, commercial enterprises with 1920's period facades. A half dozen day office buildings extend up to six stories, but their detailing and architectural design Js oriented to the pedistrian scale of the surroundings. The bui]dings exhibit the variety of commercial uses associated with a town center. Architectura]ly, the distric is of brick construction from two major growth periods; the boom of the late ]8BO's and the growth period of 1909-25. The est and west extremes of the area contain single and two-story pioneer period brick commercial establishments from the 1880-]900 period. Most of the store fronts have been periodically modernized, but many unique features remain. Examples exist of simple, classical cornices and pressed metal entabla- tures partially covered by a 1950's period sign. Many bui]dings have intact 1890 transoms with operating ventilating louvers. The center of the district dates primari]y to the 1915-30 period. Along Fourth Street [he basic brick structures are most probably 1888 and late, but there have been such significant alterations and modifications that the front facades are larqely of the ]920's period. Attach Photo(s) Here The materials used in building vary dramatically. ~hiie most. buildings are a basic rectangle of brick, also present are buildings with stucco, coursed ashlar, terra cot[a, cast cement and decorative glazed brick. The buildings are largely in good condition though most have some degree of store front a]terstions. Construction date: Estimated Factual ] 877- ] 9~ A 'chitect various 10. Builder various 11. 12. Ap~)rox. property size (in f~t) Frontage Depth m &pprox. mcremge Date(s) of eez:losed photogr~:~h (s) January-May 19RD 5O5 Condition: Excellent x Good x .. Fair x_._.. Deteriorated 16. 17. 19. ! ! I i o. I I Alterations: various ~tol'e front alterations Surroundings: (Check more than one if neces~.ary) Open lend . Relidential __lnduslrial Commercial x Other: X No longer in existence __ Scallered b~ildings .. Den~ly built*up Is the I~ructure: On its original site? ~ Moved? Lk~krmw~? Related features: SIGNIFICANCE Briefly ~tate historical and/or architectural importance (include dates, events, end perrins esr~)ciated with the site.) The Fourth Street Commercial Core District was the commercial center of Orange County from the founding of the city in 1869 unti) the ear)y 1950's when urban spraw] and the development of shopping centers drew the residents away from center city activities. The historical seat of Orange County government was and is a part of the district. The fratenal organizations, retail and commercia] establishements that comprised the urban lactic of a rural agricu]tura) county are still located in the district. The buildings that housed the first agricu]tura] merchants, the county newspapers and the holels which greeted newly arrived immigrants still stand with modern day uses. Much of the historic architecture of the )880's and ]900's stil] remains, a]though often covered with "modern" )950'S facades. The bui)[ remants of ear]y Souther California history remains to be recognized and renovated. Over l~ major archJtecturaJ styles are present in some form in the' district. EmbeJlishmenLs and design features characteristic of each are present on one building or another. Main theme of the historic resource: {If more than one is checked, number in order of importanca.] Architecture ] Arts & Leisure Economic/Industrill ? Exploration/Settlement __ __ Government Military Religion .... Social/Education Source~ (Lbt books, document, sorveys, personal interview~ and ~eir ditek). 'City Directories Building Permits Sanborn Maps various )oca] history books Dm*~rm~red ~Y 1980 8¥(flome) Kath]een tea O~lnizltlo~ £N¥~or~nent~] ~n~]ifinn ~r~: 206 ~. 4th Street Suite.S6 ~ ~ 5ante Aaa .Zip'9270] Locational ~ketch map (draw end label site and ~rroundlng ~¢eet$, reeds, end prominent landmork$): NORTH Threlt~ to site: None known Privlte development Zoning , Vendllism . Public Works projecl ethel: located within ~edeveloDment brojec[ ares 506 Continuation P ge ~ of q~ ~$0~ 507=. Continunt~c~ page~oF ~ 30. 202-212 W, Fourth St. 1913 Spurgeon Bldg. A four-story brick, ceramic faced office building with ground leve~ retail store bays. The str~e fronts and transom have been altered with a variety of 2950's period moderniz~t!onz. Ea upper story contains seven paired double-hung windows with large corner windows set for- ward from the building. A simple extended cornice in a c~assic~l Y~rmet tots the recessed body of the building end decorative stylized symbols are placed between top floor windows. A strange large ornate clock tower and dome looms above the corner at 4th end Syc~uore. This is the third Spurgeon Building located on this site. The building was constructed by the founder o£ Santa Aha, William "Billy" Spurgeon. The f~rst building was 1875, the second was 1886, and the present building was constructed in 1913. This was the prominent location in town f¢.r many years, and most of the doctors and lawyers had offices in the building at one time or another. The corner store on the third building was the Wh~e Cross Drugstore located in good proximity to upstairs doctors. At 208 was F. C. Blaver & Co., a grocery business until 1929 when the present Santa Aha Book ~tore moved from E. Fourth. F. C. Blaver was in business from 1912 to 1929 and was a fashionable orders only establishment. The Roper~arks book store at 210 was at this location from before 1900 to 1914 when it became Sam Stein stationary. Sam Stein stayed ~til 1924 when he moved to th~ 300 block of W. 4th. The present book store continues an 80-year tradition in this location. Asher Jewelry was at street level from 1924 until the 1950;s when Ashley Jewelers continued the business. Of note in the 1930's was the location of W£1green Drug Company in the old White Cross Drug location.