Long Beach Craftsman Historic District Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District Survey Long Beach, California
FINAL REPORT October 30, 2020 WJE No. 2018.2442.2
PREPARED FOR: City of Long Beach Long Beach Development Services | Planning Bureau 411 West Ocean Boulevard, 2nd Floor Long Beach, California 90802
PREPARED BY: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. 225 South Lake Avenue, Suite 500 Pasadena, California 91101 626.696.4650 tel Long Beach Craftsman Historic District Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District Survey Long Beach, California
Michelle Sandoval Michael Ford Senior Associate Senior Associate
FINAL REPORT October 30, 2020 WJE No. 2018.2442.2
PREPARED FOR: City of Long Beach Long Beach Development Services | Planning Bureau 411 West Ocean Boulevard, 2nd Floor Long Beach, California 90802
PREPARED BY: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. 225 South Lake Avenue, Suite 500 Pasadena, California 91101 626.696.4650 tel Long Beach Craftsman Historic District Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District Survey Long Beach, California
CONTENTS Chapter 1 - Background and Methodology ...... 1 Background ...... 1 Survey Methodology ...... 1 Chapter 2 - Context History of the Survey Area...... 4 Development of Long Beach ...... 4 Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District ...... 13 Study Area Description ...... 27 Primary Buildings ...... 33 Chapter 3 - Classification of Architectural Styles and Types ...... 44 Classification of Architectural Styles and Types ...... 44 Architectural Styles ...... 44 Building Types ...... 54 Chapter 4 - Survey Summary and Recommendations ...... 62 Period of Significance ...... 62 Contributing and Non-Contributing Buildings ...... 62 District Boundary ...... 65 Future Research and Considerations ...... 68 Bibliography ...... 69
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CHAPTER 1 - BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY
Background At the request of the City of Long Beach Development Services Planning Bureau, Wiss Janney Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) has prepared this summary report of the intensive survey completed at the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District (District) and proposed expansion areas. The historic district was established October 27, 1992, by City of Long Beach Ordinance No. C-7051. The City of Long Beach (City) seeks to update its existing District survey, including updates to contributing and non-contributing resource lists, re-evaluation and delineation of character-defining features, and documentation and evaluation of boundary expansions. The District boundaries and contributing resources were identified in the 1992 City ordinance. The District is located in central Long Beach and with its current boundaries, spans from the north side of East 9th Street to the south side of Hellman Street, between Orange and Walnut Avenues. The District includes a concentration of Craftsman bungalows as well as Spanish Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival, Colonial Revival, and Folk Victorian style structures constructed between 1902 and 1928. The District originally consisted of single-family homes to serve a working-class population. The original District survey identified 187 properties, of which 155 properties were determined to have contributing structures. The remaining 32 properties were listed as non-contributing because they were either built outside the period of significance or had been significantly altered. The majority of the non-contributing structures were located along Hellman Street at the south end of the District. As part of the survey update, properties outside but adjacent to the existing District boundaries were surveyed and considered for a possible expansion of the existing District. The City identified eight additional study areas adjacent to the current District boundary to be included for evaluation as part of this update. The primary area of proposed expansion is to the east and includes the east side of Walnut Avenue, and Gaviota, Rose, Gardenia, and Cherry Avenues between 7th and 10th Streets. This expansion area would extend the survey area nearly to the Rose Park Historic District. Other proposed areas of expansion include the southern half of North Toledo Walk; Hellman Street between Orange Avenue and Alamitos Avenue; a cluster of residences on Cerritos Avenue, just south of East 10th Street; an enclave of small bungalows on East 9th Street, west of Orange Avenue; the north end of Hoffman Avenue; and a few resources along East 7th and East 10th Streets. The proposed expansion areas would include a total of 276 properties. The survey included re-evaluation of all structures within the original historic district, as well as survey and evaluation of the additional 276 properties, in relation to the historic contexts and period of significance established in the original District designation.
Survey Methodology
Survey Team Professional services were performed by individuals who meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards (Federal Register Notice, Vol. 48, No. 190, pp. 44738-44739, 1983). The survey team consisted of Michael Ford and Michelle Sandoval. Ms. Sandoval served as the project manager, and both Mr. Ford and Ms. Sandoval performed the site work and developed the summary report. Ms. Deborah Slaton was the reviewer for the summary report.
Archival Research Archival research was performed to develop a context history for the District and potential expansion areas. Repositories included the Long Beach Historical Society and the Long Beach Public Library. Selected resources used to develop the context history are listed below. A complete list of references is provided in footnotes and at the end of this report.
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Historical maps and atlases of the study area, including the 1902, 1914, and 1949 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and plat maps of the region United States Geological Surveys (USGS) maps from 1902, 1904, and 1925 City Directories published between 1904 and 1929 Los Angeles Tax Assessor’s records City of Long Beach building permit records Newspaper articles reviewed at the Historical Society of Long Beach Digital photographs reviewed through the Long Beach Public Library Digital Archive and the Historical Society of Long Beach photo collection
Field Survey WJE performed an intensive-level survey of the existing District and proposed expansion areas. The survey included documentation of each lot, detailed survey of the primary structure on the site, and inventory of secondary structures on the site. For each lot, a primary structure was identified for survey. Typically, this structure was the primary structure visible from the public right of way. Where more than one potential primary building was identified, such as at corner lots with multiple street-facing structures, the more historic structure was identified as the primary structure. Secondary structures typically included detached garages and additional residential buildings. The survey included an inventory of the site features; documentation of exterior materials of all primary and secondary structures visible from the public right-of-way including sidewalks and alleys; and evaluation of character-defining features, potential previous alterations, and integrity. Each primary structure on the lot was photographed using a digital camera. Secondary structures, as visible from the public right-of-way, were also documented with digital photographs. Information obtained through the survey was compiled using a database developed in Microsoft Access. The survey team documented the existing conditions of the site, primary building, and secondary structures by selecting characteristics of the physical condition and description from a pre-programmed set of descriptors identified for purposes of this survey. The database also allowed incorporation of brief narrative descriptions to capture more unique features and conditions.
Database and Maps Mapping for the survey was prepared using QGIS.1 Baseline mapping showing roads, building outlines, businesses, and bus stops was downloaded from the Open Street Map internet site.2 Additional baseline data showing assessor parcels, building outlines, roads, hardscape features, the existing boundary of the District, and the boundary of the proposed expansion areas were provided by the Long Beach Planning Bureau. Data fields were added, which included the survey team’s evaluation of architectural style, building type, date of construction, and historic district status (contributing or non-contributing). This information was used to analyze the data and develop maps for the summary report. Information for each parcel compiled during the field survey and archival documentation is recorded in the database using Microsoft Access. The database includes the field survey data; historical information specific to each property, such as names of previous building occupants based on historic city directories; a
1 QGIS is one brand of GIS software. GIS stands for geographic information systems, a computerized methodology for organizing data geographically. 2 https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=5/38.007/-95.844.
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photograph of the primary structure on the property; and an assessment of historic significance. The database allowed the survey team to analyze data; develop California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) forms and summary survey forms; and generate property lists included in this summary report.
Reports and Submittals This summary report was prepared using Microsoft Word. The City was provided with the following materials under separate cover: digital copies of the report as a PDF file; QGIS mapping files; and Microsoft Access database file. The following items are provided as PDF file appendices to the report: Appendix A: List of all properties surveyed and status as contributing or non-contributing resources to the District Appendix B: DPR 523 series forms for each resource within the proposed District boundary Appendix C: Survey sheets of all evaluated properties
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CHAPTER 2 - CONTEXT HISTORY OF THE SURVEY AREA
Development of Long Beach In order to understand the context history of the specific survey area, an understanding of the development patterns of the City’s built environment and related historic contexts is important. A narrative history of the City of Long Beach is beyond the scope of this project; however, a brief description of the major periods of historic development adapted from the City of Long Beach Historic Context Statement, prepared by Sapphos Environmental, Inc., in 2009 is included below for reference.3
Prehistory and Western Settlement Native Americans were the earliest known occupants of the area that would become known as Long Beach. Present-day Los Angeles and Orange counties were inhabited by a tribe later known as the Gabrielino. The tribe was subsequently named after the Mission San Gabriel Archangel by the Spanish, who arrived in the area in the late eighteenth century and introduced Christianity to the indigenous peoples. The Gabrielino are thought to have been one of the two wealthiest and largest ethnic groups in aboriginal Southern California, the other being the Chumash. The prosperity of the Gabrielinos was in part due to the natural resources in the land they inhabited, which included coastal areas, offshore islands, watersheds of the Los Angeles, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana rivers, and the San Gabriel and Santa Ana mountains. In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived on Santa Catalina Island and made the first Spanish contact with the island Gabrielino. It wasn’t until 1769 that the first attempt to colonize Gabrielino territory was led by Gaspar de Portolá. The Gabrielino population began to decline rapidly after 1771, when the Spanish established the Mission San Gabriel Archangel in the area that would become present-day Montebello.
Spanish and Mexican Settlement Approximately ten years after the Spanish had settled in the area of present-day Long Beach and established the Mission San Gabriel Archangel, the Pobladores, a group of twelve families from present- day Mexico, founded a secular community in what is now downtown Los Angeles. These settlers sought to establish a farming community to relieve Alta California’s dependence on imported grain. They named the area in which they settled El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciúncula. In 1784, a Spanish soldier, Manuel Nieto, received a land grant of 300,000 acres from Pedro Fages, the Spanish governor of California, in the name of the king of Spain. The land grant given to Nieto includes the area that is present-day Long Beach. Nieto received the land grant as a reward for his military service. He raised cattle, sheep, and horses on the lands and built an adobe home on a hilltop near present-day Anaheim Road, in the west side of Long Beach. In 1804, following Nieto’s death, the land grant was passed on to his heirs, who eventually divided the land into five smaller ranchos in 1834. The five ranchos included Rancho Los Alamitos, Rancho Las Bolsas, Rancho Los Cerritos, Rancho Los Coyotes, and Rancho Santa Gertrudes (Figure 1). Rancho Los Alamitos and Rancho Los Cerritos encompassed the majority of what now comprises the City of Long Beach, with a portion of the 28,500-acre Rancho Los Alamitos on the east and a portion of the 27,000-acre Rancho Los Cerritos on the west. Today, Alamitos Avenue marks the dividing line between the latter two areas. In 1834, the Governor of Alta California, Jose Figueroa, purchased Rancho Los Alamitos from the Nieto’s oldest son for $500. In 1842, Abel Stearns, a businessman and rancher originally from New England, purchased the land. Stearns improved the adobe house built by Governor Figueroa. Stearns ran a cattle
3 Sapphos Environmental Inc., City of Long Beach Historic Context Statement, July 10, 2009.
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ranch on the land but lost the ranch in 1866 to the mortgage holder, Michael Reese, after droughts in the early 1860s affected the land. Nieto’s daughter, Manuela Cota, was given Rancho Los Cerritos in 1834. Manuela and her husband built at least two adobes structures on the land for their family, cattle, and crops. After Manuela’s death, her children sold the ranch to John Temple, an entrepreneur and merchant in Los Angeles who was originally from Massachusetts. Temple raised cattle and sheep on the rancho and maintained a lucrative business shipping hides to San Pedro harbor, located southwest of present-day Long Beach. In 1844, Temple constructed a two-story, Monterey-style adobe house on the property.
Figure 1. 1834 map outlining the five ranchos into which Nieto’s land was divided.4
American Settlement In 1848, California became a territory of the United States, and in 1850, it became the thirty-first state in the Union. During the Gold Rush, between 1849 and 1855, an influx of people came into California due to the discovery of gold. The rancho owners Stearns and Temple had a period of prosperity at the time, but were greatly affected by the droughts of the 1860s. By the 1870s, both ranchos had new owners. John Bixby leased Rancho Los Alamitos, in 1878, from the owner Michael Reese, and in 1881, Reese sold the rancho to a partnership composed of Isaias W. Hellman and John Bixby & Co. (consisting of Jotham
4 United States District Court. Diseño de los parages llamados Sta. Gertudes, Coyotes, Bolsas, Alamitos y Sierritos [map]. Scale not given. California: Southern District. Land Case 17, page 191, land case map D-971. 1834. University of California at Berkeley, Bancroft Library.
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Bixby, [Thomas] Flint, and [Lewellyn] Bixby). John Bixby transformed the property into a prosperous working ranch and dairy farm. In 1866, Temple sold Rancho Los Cerritos to the firm Flint, Bixby & Co. The Bixby family became one of the most influential families of Long Beach. By the late 1870s, members of the Bixby family owned both Rancho Los Alamitos and Rancho Los Cerritos, which continued to operate as ranches and dairy farms into the twentieth century. Eventually land was sold off and the City of Long Beach occupied the southwest corner of Rancho Los Cerritos. In the 1950s and 1960s, both ranchos were donated to the City as historic sites.
Early Settlement and Incorporation (1881–1901) In 1875, Jotham Bixby began selling lots along the Los Angeles River in the area that is now west Long Beach, which began the settlement within the area of present-day Long Beach. In 1881, William Erwin Willmore entered into an agreement with J. Bixby & Co. to develop the American Colony, a 4,000-acre piece of Rancho Los Cerritos with a 350-acre town site that was named Willmore City. The original town site was bounded by present-day East 10th Street on the north, Alamitos Avenue on the east, the Pacific Ocean on the south, and Magnolia Avenue on the west. The town site was advertised throughout several newspapers and magazines; the advertisements promoted both tourism and settlement, highlighting the good soil and beaches. Although people ventured to the area and concluded that the sites were good for settlement, only a few purchased land. By May 1884, with only twelve homes constructed and the majority of lots remaining unsold, Willmore abandoned the colony. In June 1884, the American Colony was purchased by the San Francisco real estate firm Pomeroy and Mills, which reorganized as the Long Beach Land and Water Company. The American Colony was renamed Long Beach after the area’s long and wide beaches. The expansion of national railroad networks helped spur further growth and expansion for Long Beach. As described in the City of Long Beach Historic Context Statement: In 1887, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad completed its transcontinental line to Los Angeles to the dismay of its competitor, the Southern Pacific, who had completed its line to Los Angeles in 1876. A rate war between the two railroads ensued, prompting both rail companies to cut passenger rates sharply to win passengers. Ticket prices from the Missouri Valley to Southern California dropped to a low $1 per passage, and soon, thousands of middle-class families from the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys traveled west looking for what newspaper ads promised: clean air, sunshine, fertile land, and opportunity. The railroad wars sparked unprecedented interest in Southern California, creating a land speculation fever that spread wildly during the late 1800s. From 1887 to 1889, more than 60 new towns were laid out in Southern California, although most of these consisted of unimproved subdivided lots. Prices for real estate soon increased, and new communities erupted throughout Southern California. In Long Beach, the population increase resulted in the establishment of several new settlements within the area. In 1886, John Bixby, owner and manager of Rancho Los Alamitos, laid out the Alamitos Beach town site, a colony east of Long Beach that would later comprise the communities of Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore, and Naples. While Long Beach featured Anglo-named streets aligned in a grid pattern, the Alamitos Beach town site contained Spanish-named curvilinear streets, which contoured the landscape. In addition, John Bixby planted many trees throughout the colony and established a large park along the town’s oceanfront. In Long Beach, the real estate boom of the 1880s attracted many new residents because of strong ties to religious organizations and strict prohibition rules. Like many other Southern California towns—including Pasadena, Monrovia, Riverside, Compton, and San
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Bernardino—the influx of religious Americans from the East and Midwest, who strongly supported prohibition, established a conservative trend amongst cities. In 1887, the San Francisco–based Long Beach Development Company, which had close ties to the Southern Pacific Railroad, purchased the remaining unsold lots within the American Colony, as well as an additional 800 acres of marshland and the town’s water system. On February 10, 1888, the City was incorporated, with 800 citizens and approximately 59 buildings. One of the first orders of business for the new government was to adopt Ordinance No. 8, which prohibited saloons, gambling houses, or other institutions “dangerous to public health or safety” throughout the new City.5
The Reincorporation of Long Beach The real estate boom had collapsed by 1889; however, the boom had brought a considerable population growth and increase in wealth to the Southern California region. Real estate developers continued to invest in the city and by the end of the 1880s, city development had spread to the north and east. The city was disincorporated in 1897 over debates on prohibition, which placed Long Beach under county jurisdiction; the County of Los Angeles permitted liquor sales and establishments. Under the county’s management, taxes increased and city services were discontinued. Long Beach residents were dissatisfied with the county leadership and voted to reincorporate by the end of 1897.
Early Twentieth-Century Development and Expansion (1902–1920) In the early 1900s, Long Beach’s economy was highly dependent on tourism, with seaside development as one of the main areas of economic expansion. With rising population growth, the demand for improved transportation was also increasing. Henry Huntington’s Pacific Electric Streetcar Company (Pacific Electric) provided service into and around the City by 1902. The 7th Street Line, a local commuter line run by the Pacific Electric Streetcar Company from 1910 to 1915, ran down 7th Street, immediately south of the existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District.6 The Pacific Electric, known for its red cars, transported people to and from nearby towns, and all over Southern California. While Pacific Electric service led to an increase in the volume of seasonal visitors and part-time residents, the extension of the Southern Pacific line into Long Beach and the expansion by 1904 of the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad (SPLA&SL), co-owned by Union Pacific after 1921, may have encouraged the growth of the seasonal and permanent population from points east. Pacific Electric ran numerous streetcar lines within the City of Long Beach from 1901 to 1961.
Port and Harbor Development In the early twentieth century, the economy of Long Beach diversified. Tourism remained a central industry but was rivaled by the emergence of the shipping industry. In 1906, the Los Angeles Dock and Terminal Company purchased 800 acres of marshland at the mouth of the Los Angeles River. This land had been included in the original sale of the town to the Long Beach Development Company (1887). By 1906, the marshland had been dredged and new infrastructure developed to create the Long Beach Inner Harbor. The harbor included a 1,400-foot turning basin and three channels. A 500-foot-long municipal wharf was constructed in 1911, and the harbor became the Port of Long Beach.
5 Sapphos Environmental Inc., City of Long Beach Historic Context Statement, July 10, 2009. 6 http://militantangeleno.blogspot.com/2015/11/pacific-electric-week-militants-pacific.html. Militant Angeleno website with interactive map showing Pacific Electric Railway lines.
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In 1907, John Craig relocated his Craig Shipbuilders Company from Ohio to the Long Beach harbor. His efforts were responsible for a rich history of shipbuilding at the Port of Long Beach. Beginning with his original company, operated between 1907 and 1914, Craig was associated with a legacy of ship building companies that included California Shipbuilders (1914–1918), Long Beach Shipbuilders (1918–1921), a new company called Craig Shipbuilders (1922–1939), Consolidated Steel (1939–1945), and the Long Beach Marine Repair (1939–1970). From 1907 to 1970, his companies were responsible for building approximately sixty ships that included submarines, cargo ships, tugs, dredge ships, military ships, and yachts.7 The City regained the 800 acres of marshland (now substantially improved) in 1917 after devastating floods in 1914 and 1916 led to the collapse of the Los Angeles Dock and Terminal Company. The initial success of the port led to further investment by the City. By 1926, the municipal wharf was replaced, and the channels dredged to accommodate larger ships. These improvements strengthened the Port of Long Beach’s status as a primary shipping port for the region.8 Other Long Beach Industries In addition to the tourism trade and nascent shipping industry at the harbor, many other industries helped shape Long Beach. In 1910, the California Motion Picture Company was established and began making movies at its lot at the corner of 6th Street and Alamitos Avenue. It was considered the first film studio west of Chicago, as much of the industry at the time was based in New York. The studio was bought by the Edison Company and shortly after transferred ownership again to Herbert H. Horkheimer, who owned the Balboa Amusement Producing Company (Balboa Studios). Starting in 1913, the movie studio produced silent films featuring Buster Keaton, Fatty Arbuckle, Jackie Saunders, and many others. The studio employed actors, cameramen, carpenters, and many other trades and quickly became one of the largest employers in Long Beach. Unexpectedly, Balboa Studios declared bankruptcy in 1918. The studio was bought by Long Beach Studios, which continued producing films until 1923.9 Agriculture also played a role in Long Beach’s economy. Willmore’s vision of a seaside resort town with light agricultural uses was close to a reality; however, agriculture was not as important economically in Long Beach as it was in many other Southern California cities and towns. Many small and midsized farms, ranches, and dairies thrived to the north and east of the growing downtown core. These agricultural business typically occupied undeveloped tracts of land at the perimeter of town, often sharing blocks with developing communities.
Long Beach Annexation Early development of Long Beach was concentrated along the coast and gradually spread north, first along the Los Angeles River, and then as extensions of previously-annexed and developed lands. Upon incorporation in 1897, the City of Long Beach occupied an area of approximately 2 square miles. Over the next fifteen years, the city annexed a number of adjacent smaller municipalities and territories, which more than quadrupled the size of the city overall. These included developments to the north and west as well as Alamitos Beach (1905), Carroll Park (1908), and Belmont Heights (1911) to the east. A 1.3-square-mile area of land, sandwiched between the original Long Beach city limits and the Belmont Heights community, was annexed in 1911. This included development currently within the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic
7East 7th Street History Project. Retrieved from http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/craig.htm. 8 Port of Long Beach History Timeline. Retrieved from https://www.polb.com/port-info/timeline/ 9 Ron Kessler, “Balboa Films: The First Studio Founded in California . . . by California Owners,” 2018. Retrieved from https://themoviestudios.com/hollywood-page/greater-los-angeles/balboa.
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District and proposed historic district expansion areas.10 Sanborn maps indicate that, from 1902 to 1905, Long Beach’s population tripled, from approximately 4,000 to 12,000. By 1910, the population was 17,809. This early population growth was partially attributed to annexation of adjacent municipalities. Later population growth would be attributed to migration and increasing birth rates. Between 1910 and 1920, when the city did not experience any annexations, the population tripled again to 55,593 and was the seventh largest city in the state.11 This growth was concentrated in residential areas such as the Hellman neighborhood, which had a population density more than twice that of the rest of the city.12 This trend in population growth continued until the 1930s.
Housing Development At the turn of the twentieth century, the economy of Long Beach was dominated by tourism. New construction was focused on constructing temporary and permanent buildings to handle the influx of seasonal traffic as well as new residents. With the development of the shipyards, movie industry, and oil fields, the economy of Long Beach became more diversified, which fueled the continued exponential growth of the city through development of residential neighborhoods outside of the city center. Early construction was concentrated along the coast and supported the tourism industry. Development included two- and three-story apartment buildings and single-family cottages.13 As the Port of Long Beach was created and the City’s infrastructure improved, development extended further inland, along the streetcar lines. This period of construction, between 1902 and 1920, was characterized by affordable single- family homes that evoked a simpler and less formal style of living than previous Victorian-era structures. This era of construction capitalized on California’s natural resources as well as the architectural style in vogue at the time—principally, the Craftsman style bungalow. Inspired by the European Arts and Crafts movement, the Craftsman Style was developed simultaneously in the United States by Gustav Stickley of New York and brothers Charles and Henry Greene of Pasadena. It was the latter pair who would be most influential in igniting the popularity of the style in California through their design of upscale residences such as the Gamble House in Pasadena. The design elements of these large-scale residences were refined and pared down to create the Craftsman bungalow, the primary architectural expression during this boom in development. The Craftsman bungalow was promoted through pattern books that were sold directly to homeowners and through such publications as the Ladies Home Journal. In the pattern books, the dream of a stylish and private single-family residence with large manicured lawn, which characterized the homes of the upper class, was made attainable for the middle class. The wood-framed construction of the Craftsman style bungalow was cost effective, not only because of the availability of lumber but also because construction of such structures could be performed by low-skilled labor. Pre-fabricated house kits were manufactured and sold by mail order companies such as Sears, Roebuck & Company, allowing wood components for entire houses to be shipped via railroad and assembled on construction sites.14 These factors made the single-family home cost effective. Construction costs for Craftsman bungalow typically ranged from approximately $1,500 to $3,500, although some were reportedly constructed for as little as a few hundred dollars.15
10 Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. (2013). City of Long Beach Annexations. Retrieved from http://dpw.lacounty.gov/mpm/cityannexations/. 11 United States Bureau of the Census. (1923). Fourteenth Census of the United States 1920 [Report]. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. 12 East 7th Street History Project. Retrieved from http://e7shp.org/1920-population-density/. 13 Sapphos Environmental Inc., City of Long Beach Historic Context Statement, July 10, 2009, Page 94. 14 Ibid., 97. 15 Ibid., 94.
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Houses were typically constructed by small local contractors, many of whom lived in the communities where they worked. Sometimes a developer would construct one or two residences within a tract to initiate development.16 A number of homeowners constructed their own homes, often hiring tradesmen by the day (“day workers”) to construct the building.
City Development and Growth (1921–1945) The oil industry had a significant impact on the development of the City in the first half of the twentieth century. As stated in the Long Beach Historic Context Statement: In 1921, the discovery of oil in Signal Hill by the Shell Oil Company brought radical changes to Long Beach, as the ownership, production, and sale of oil became the City’s primary economic industry. The field in Signal Hill proved remarkably rich in oil, producing 859 million barrels of oil and more than 100 million cubic feet of natural gas in the first 50 years. Speculators, promoters, and experienced oilmen descended on Signal Hill, competing for mineral leases. Although Signal Hill was an unincorporated island within the City, the building boom resulting from oil production in Signal Hill had a dramatic effect on Long Beach’s population. From 1920 to 1925, the population more than doubled due to an influx of people hoping to find work in the oil industry, growing from 55,000 in 1920 to an estimated 135,000 in 1925. The discovery of oil had created millionaires out of ordinary citizens and investors, and the effects were felt throughout the City, particularly downtown and along the shoreline.17 The city limits continued to expand through annexation. However, newly-acquired municipalities were concentrated around Signal Hill and to the north.
The Great Depression and Earthquake The stock market crash of 1929 ended the success of the 1920s and significantly decreased the demand for oil, affecting the revenues of the Signal Hill investors. The tourism industry was also affected, resulting in the closure of many hotels in the city. Apartment buildings typically used for long-term stays by tourists were deserted. On March 10, 1933, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake caused significant damage to the city, toppling masonry buildings, shaking houses and apartments off of their foundations, and damaging churches and schools (Figure 2 and Figure 3). It is estimated the earthquake caused $50 million in damages. Federal grants and loans financed the reconstruction efforts, which helped reestablish the local economy. Many of the buildings that were repaired or rebuilt during this period incorporated features of the Art Deco or Streamline Moderne styles that were popular at the time.
Postwar and Modern Development (1946–1965) After World War II, millions of veterans returned home and sought to settle away from the central city and to purchase homes. Long Beach experienced a period of extraordinary postwar growth, both in population and size. Between 1950 and 1956, the city acquired 9.8 square miles of land through sixty-nine annexations, most coming from the Los Altos area in the eastern portion of Long Beach. In addition to single-family
16 Ibid., 97. 17 Ibid., 45.
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homes, thousands of new multiple-family properties, including duplexes, garden apartments, and “dingbat” apartments, were built after the war. 18
Figure 2. Earthquake damage at 7th and Junipero, photo taken March 1933.19
18 The Stucco Box/Dingbat building type is a distinctive two- or three-story apartment building clad with stucco; see the Building Types section in Chapter 3 of this report. 19 The Winstead Brothers, Earthquake damage 7th and Junipero, 1933, image, 3.5 in. x 5.5 in, Long Beach Public Library, Long Beach, California.
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Figure 3. Earthquake damage at 10th and Gaviota, photo taken March 1933.20
20 The Winstead Brothers, Earthquake damage 10th and Gaviota, 1933, image, 3.5 in. x 5.5 in,, Long Beach Public Library, Long Beach, California. < https://lbpl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17164coll3/id/3518> accessed October 2, 2019.
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Long Beach Craftsman Historic District Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District Survey Long Beach, California
Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District
Platting and Settlement (1888–1902) The Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District and proposed expansion areas are located within the Hellman neighborhood in the central part of the city, within an area that was formerly part of Rancho Los Alamitos. As described above, the history of land ownership within Rancho Los Alamitos dates back to 1834, when the grandchildren of Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto divided the land originally granted to him into five smaller ranchos. The land was eventually sold to Isaias W. Hellman and John Bixby & Co. The land later became known as Bixby Ranch and was transformed into a working ranch and dairy farm. The area was platted by 1888 as part of the Alamitos Beach town site. The town site was designed as a development along the waterfront east of the City of Long Beach. A plat map for the community shows a defined street grid with the proposed subdivision of the land into lots for villas and farms (Figure 4).
Figure 4. 1888 map of the Alamitos Beach town site.21 The study area is outlined in red. The present-day District and proposed expansion areas are located at the far west end of the town site and are bounded by Alamitos Avenue to the west, Cherry Avenue to the east, East 7th Street to the south, and East 10th Street to the north. Orange and Walnut Avenues extend north–south across the site. The map
21 Charles T. (Charles Terraine) Healey and William F. Sweeney, Map of the Property of the Alamitos Land Company, Alamitos Beach Townsite Villa and Farm Lots, in Los Angeles Co., Cal., Scale [1:12,000], Schmidt Label & Litho. Co., April 1888, Maps, Huntington Digital Library.
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also depicts Hellman Avenue as a diagonal street that extends between Walnut and Alamitos Avenues. The plat map indicates division of the blocks into large lots for villas, eight per block. There is no indication of 8th or 9th Streets on the map. North of 10th Street, the land is platted for use as farmland. 22 Isaias W. Hellman was a real estate developer, civic leader, and banker who played an important role in the development of California. He was one of the partners of the Alamitos Land Company, which developed the land where the present-day District is located. Hellman was a German immigrant, who arrived in Los Angeles in May 1959, at the age of sixteen.23 In California, Hellman first worked in his cousin’s dry goods store, and then opened his own store where he conducted some informal banking. He eventually became a successful banker and, in conjunction with other investors, founded the Farmers and Merchants Bank in 1871.24 In addition to his involvement in banking and real estate, Hellman contributed to the development of the University of Southern California and the University of California. In 1880, Hellman and his partners, John Downey and Ozro Childs, donated 110 acres to Robert Widney and a group of Methodists who “. . . intended to start a new institution of higher learning, a place that could provide an excellent education to men and women in the southern part of the state.”25 Since at the time the best university in California was the University of California in Berkeley, more than 400 miles from Los Angeles, Hellman and his partners saw the opening of a new university in the southern part of the state as an opportunity to attract more settlers. Hellman’s involvement with the University of Southern California led the Governor of California, George C. Perkins, to ask Isaias to be a regent for the University of California in 1881. Isaias went on to serve as a regent for thirty-seven years. An archival United States Geographical Survey (USGS) map, dated 1896 and documenting a survey conducted in 1894, indicates concentrated development along the oceanfront of the original Long Beach city limits (Figure 5). In general, the 1896 map illustrates the proposed development depicted in the plat map for the Alamitos Beach town site. However, instead of the diagonal path of Hellman Street shown in the plat map, the 1896 USGS map shows an east–west road that extends between Walnut and Alamitos Avenues.26 It is unclear from the map if this is 8th Street, Hellman Street depicted orthogonally, or a previously-existing road. There are indications that two structures were present within the present-day survey area. It is presumed that one of those structures is the residence at 809 Orange Avenue (APN# 7267023033), reportedly constructed in 1895. In 1898, the land of the present-day study area was registered as the Alamitos Tract.27 By 1905, Hellman Street had been developed as a diagonal street that extended between Walnut and Alamitos Avenues (Figure 6).28 Residents of the area were listed in the 1902 City Directory and had occupations such as laborers, ranchers, or carpenters. The 1902 City Directory also includes references to 8th Street, the presence of which had not been previous indicated on maps; however, the directory does not indicate house numbers but instead provides a description of their location.
22 Ibid. 23 Frances Dinkelspiel, Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2008). 24 Ibid, 65. 25 Ibid, 105. 26 US Geological Survey, 1896. 7.5-Minute Series, Downey, California, Topographic Quadrangle. 27 Ordinance No. C-7051: an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Long Beach Designating the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic Landmark District, 1992. 28 Sanborn Map Company, Insurance Map of Long Beach, California, 1905.
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Early residents of the present-day study area, and the locations of their residences, included the following: Henry H. Abrams, laborer, 7th Street between Walnut and Cherry Avenues. B. Chubbic, carpenter, northeast corner of 8th Street and Orange Avenue. Chas. E. Coughran, real estate investor, northeast corner of 7th Street and Orange Avenue. Geo. M. Helvig, carpenter, 7th Street between Walnut and Orange Avenues. Jos. S. Howell, rancher, northeast corner of 7th Street and Walnut Avenue. Jos. Jackson, rancher, 7th Street between Walnut and Cherry Avenues. Wm. M. Kitts, engineer, 8th Street between Orange and Walnut Avenues. Mrs. Luda Lattell, 8th Street between Orange and Walnut Avenues. John H. Palmer, plasterer, 7th Street between Walnut and Orange Avenues. Geo. A. Robinson, laborer, 8th Street between Orange and Walnut Avenues. John F. Saunders, rancher, 7th Street between Walnut and Orange Avenues. Fred Schweizer, carpenter, 8th Street between Orange and Walnut Avenues. Frederick Schweizer, carriage maker, northeast corner of Hellman and Orange Avenue. Mrs. T. Thayer, 7th Street between Walnut and Orange Avenues. Ernest M. Ward, southwest corner of Orange Avenue and 10th Street. Jacob and Katie Zielke, 7th Street between Walnut and Cherry Avenues. 29
Figure 5. Portion of the USGS map, dated 1896 but from a survey conducted in 189430
29 City of Long Beach Directory 1902. (Los Angeles: Business Review Publishing Company, 1902). 30 US Geological Survey, 1896. 7.5-Minute Series, Downey, California, Topographic Quadrangle.
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Figure 6. 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance map. 31
Growth and Development (1902–1940) Starting at the turn of the twentieth century, Long Beach grew exponentially, spurred on by the tourism industry and later by its status as a port city, oil town, and movie center. Rapid development of infrastructure, such as the rail lines and housing, supported the growing population. The Alamitos Tract, which included the present-day District and surrounding area, was subdivided into smaller tracts. These included the B. A. Bridge Tract (1904), Hoffman Tract (1905), Parish Tract, and Tract 1950, which comprised the present-day Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District; the Coleman Tract, Tract 3129, George H. Walker Tract, Sparkes Subdivision, McConnell Tract, Walnut Avenue and 7th Street Tract, Tract 2989, Tract 4327, Tract 1852, James Mertz Tract, and the Pierce and Forsythe Tract, which constituted the east portion of the proposed expansion area; the Coughran Tract and Stone and Ewart 7th Street Tract, which captured properties along 7th Street; and the Long Beach Land Company’s Villa Tract, which encompassed the land in the west portion of the proposed expansion area. These tracts were in turn subdivided into smaller equal- sized lots and developed through the construction of houses. As was typical during this housing boom, structures were wood-framed and constructed by local contractors or under the supervision of their owners using day workers. Some of the contractors who constructed houses in the area included Angell & Sons, E. K. Beekly, H. F. Foote, John C. Howe (who resided at 1518 Hellman Street), and Earl Hamble (who resided at 776 Gaviota Avenue). The residence at 1333 Hellman Street (APN #7267026011) was constructed in 1902 and was one of the first structures built during this period of development. It featured stylistic elements of Victorian-era architecture. By 1905, at least eight more residential structures had been built in the area, three of which
31 Sanborn Map Company, Insurance Map of Long Beach, California, 1905.
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were constructed in the Craftsman style—the style that became the predominant within the area. These included the residences at 1350 Hellman (APN # 7266001002), 1432 East 9th Street (APN # 7267020020), and 770 Walnut Avenue (APN # 7267028021). Development was characterized by small clusters of residences along Hellman Street and Walnut Avenue, although isolated individual lots were also developed. There are twenty-three extant structures constructed between 1902 and 1910 in the study area, fifteen of which have characteristics of the Craftsman style (Figure 7). The pace of development peaked between 1910 and 1913. As depicted in the 1914 Sanborn map, the land had been divided into rectangular lots. About a third of these lots appear to have been developed with residential structures, typically a one-story structure with a porch (Figure 8).32 Residential development was typically clustered in groups of two or more houses and was concentrated along 7th Street and Rose Avenue. The community also included a small grocery store, located at 819 Hoffman Avenue (APN# 7267020031), whose owner, John J. Brennan, lived in the residence above. Development was less dense on the adjacent streets, specifically Hellman Streets and Cherry Avenue, where large undivided tracts remained. Large tracts were also located along Walnut and Gardenia Avenues, north of 8th Street. 33 These large tracts typically consisted of a single residence situated at the corner of the site and a large expanse of undeveloped land. Many of these tracts, such as the Stolberg Dairy at the north end of Cherry Avenue, served as small farms or ranches.34 There are approximately sixty-eight extant structures built between 1910 and 1913 in the study area, 95 percent of which were constructed in the Craftsman style (Figure 9). 35 During World War I, the economy of Long Beach remained strong, fueled by its growing port and shipbuilding industry which supported the war effort. However, the rate of residential development declined. This is evidenced by the number of extant residences (only twenty-one) constructed during this time period, most of which were constructed along East 9th Street (Figure 10). However, new construction rebounded strongly in the years following the war. Between 1918 and 1923, 60 percent (215 residences) of the extant structures within the study area were constructed (Figure 11), the most prolific period of development was within the Hellman neighborhood. As documented in Southwest Builder and Contractor, hundreds of permits were issued in Long Beach each month for new construction, mostly for new residences, garages, and additions.36 This era of development primarily consisted of single- family Craftsman-style bungalows but also included a wider variety of Mediterranean-influenced period styles, as well as a larger proportion of multi-story duplexes and fourplexes. Based on extant structures, approximately 60 percent of residences were constructed in the Craftsman style. Despite the boom in construction, large undeveloped tracts still remained at the corner of Hellman Street and Walnut Avenue and at the corner of Cherry Avenue and East 10th Street.37 In 1923, plans were made for the development of a bungalow court. The court, marketed as the “own your own” plan, consisted of fourteen small bungalows, including twelve single-family residences and two duplexes, of similar size and architectural style. The residences were arranged along a narrow road named
32 Sanborn Map Company, Insurance Map of Long Beach, California, 1914. 33 It should be noted that the Sanborn map also indicates Poinsettia Avenue, although according to city directories, the name of street had been changed to Gaviota Avenue by 1909. Also, Hazard Street, a street segment extending between Hellman Street and East 10th Street, had been renamed Cerritos Avenue. 34 Long Beach City Directory 1914 (Long Beach, California: Western Directory Company, 1914). 35 Comparison of the 1914 Sanborn Insurance map and map of existing residences built before 1914. 36 Southwest Builder and Contractor (Iles-Ayars Publishing Company, Inc.). Review of Southwest Builder and Contractor for years 1918 to 1923. 37 R. V. Pearsall, Pearsall’s Map of Long Beach and Vicinity (circa 1921).
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Ewart Court (renamed East 9th Street after 1925), which extended a half block west of, and perpendicular to, Orange Avenue.38 The development was the result of a partnership between the Stevens Development Company, owned by J. P. Stevens, and Howard Ewart, a developer who had successfully previously marketed own-your-own apartment buildings.39 Stevens resided in the duplex at 1185–1187 Ewart Court (APN# 7267023011) after construction was completed and until the residence was sold.40 Starting in 1924, residential development within the Hellman neighborhood began to slow, as much of the land had been subdivided and developed (Figure 12). As the Craftsman style fell out of favor, newer construction tended to be of Mediterranean-influenced period styles such as Spanish Colonial Revival and Italian Renaissance Revival. Only eighteen extant structures date to construction between 1923 and 1928, of which 75 percent were constructed in a period style other than the Craftsman style. In the 1930s, the popularity of the other period styles also declined. The last extant Craftsman style building to be constructed within the present-day District was completed by 1924 and the last period style building was constructed in 1928. Similarly, the last extant Craftsman style building constructed within the proposed expansion area was constructed in 1929 and the last period style structure was constructed in 1934 (Figure 13). The community consisted of residents with occupations typical of the working class, many of whom owned their homes. An analysis performed by the East 7th Street History Project in 2015 reviewed home ownership rates as reported in the 1920 census data and concluded that, at the time, 63 to 70 percent of residents within the present-day District reported owning their home. This is far greater than the average of 34 percent for the City of Long Beach as a whole during that time. The same study identified home ownership rates greater than 70 percent for proposed historic district expansion areas to the east and 35 to 49 percent for proposed historic district expansion areas to the west.41 Residents of the community included ranchers, plasterers, laborers, carpenters, barbers, dressmakers, clerks, salesmen, machinists, shop owners, streetcar operators, and people of many other occupations. They drove the rail cars, built the houses, ran the oil derricks, managed the local furniture store, operated the movie camera, and made the clothes that allowed the city to grow and thrive. George Stiff resided at 1502 East 8th Street (APN #7267027016) and worked as a machinist for the Craig Shipbuilding Company. Edwin C. Haden lived at 773 Cerritos Avenue (APN #7266004040) and was a photographer at the Seaside Studio, a photography studio along Pike Street that made photo postcards for tourists. Knud Stolberg resided at 811 Gaviota (APN# 726718026) with his wife Carrie and was co-owner of the Stolberg Bros. Dairy, a dairy farm located along Cherry Avenue, just south of East 10th Street. These are just a few of the examples of people who lived in the community and who, through their efforts, were a critical force in developing the economies that defined Long Beach.
38 US Geological Survey, 1925. 7.5-Minute Series, Long Beach, California, Topographic Quadrangle. 39 Long Beach Press, Sunday, February 3, 1924, section 6, p.3, col. 1 40 Long Beach City Directory 1924 (Long Beach, California: Western Directory Company, 1924). 41 East 7th Street History Project. Retrieved from http://e7shp.org/1920-homeownership/ and http://csulb- dspace.calstate.edu/handle/10211.3/206678
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Figure 7. Map of construction, 1902–1910.
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Figure 8. 1914 Sanborn Fire Insurance map, existing historic district boundary indicated with red dashed line.
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Figure 9. Map of construction, 1902–1913.
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Figure 10. Map of construction, 1902–1917.
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Figure 11. Map of construction, 1902–1923.
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Figure 12. Map of construction, 1902–1928.
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Figure 13. Map of construction, 1902–1934.
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Post-World War II Development Following World War II, the character of development within the Hellman neighborhood changed. New construction was of a Modern architectural style and tended to include more two-story apartment buildings. While the scale and materials of these structures was similar to that of the pre-World War II buildings, the design and siting were quite different. Setbacks did not align with the otherwise uniform appearance of the more historic buildings, with the new buildings positioned closer to the street. With the shallow setback, the new buildings also did not include typical site features such as mown-turf lawns, fences, driveways, and porches. Instead, they had paved yards with direct access from grade. Often these newer structures were built with the automobile in mind, incorporating garages as part of the main street-facing elevation. The buildings were constructed on previously undeveloped lots, such as those along the south and east portions of Hellman Street and at the north half of Cherry Avenue, and as replacement structures for older homes that were demolished. This wave of construction continued until approximately 1968. The 1980s introduced a new wave of development within the community, specifically along Walnut, Gaviota, Rose, Gardenia, and Cherry Avenues. Increasing land values and an aging and deteriorating building stock promoted redevelopment of these areas. Older one-story single-family houses were demolished and replaced with three-story apartment buildings, in some cases consolidating multiple lots. This type of redevelopment was typically located at the center of blocks. In 1992, the City of Long Beach created the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District to address concerns over the loss of historic buildings.42 The landmark designation was supported by design guidelines and planning documents focusing future development on the preservation of the existing historic structures and character of the neighborhood. 43
42 Ordinance No. C-7051: an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Long Beach Designating the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic Landmark District, 1992. 43 Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District Design Guidelines, City of Long Beach, http://www.longbeach.gov/lbds/planning/preservation/districts/guidelines/
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Study Area Description The existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District is characterized by its residential setting and architecture, consisting of mostly Craftsman style residences and other architectural styles typical of the early twentieth century. The residential setting is defined by the streetscape, large rectangular-shaped lots, uniform setbacks, site features and layout, and building scale. While some of these features have been altered, especially site features, the properties still convey their original setting. The proposed expansion areas have a similar architectural character and convey a similar residential feeling.
Streetscape The streetscape within the existing District consists of two-lane streets with stop-controlled intersections and street parking on both sides (Figure 14). These residential streets are asphalt-paved and have concrete curbs measuring 6 inches wide and approximately 6 inches tall. The curbs feature the building street addresses stenciled in paint in front of each residence (Figure 15). Most streets measure 36 feet wide; however, streets that do not provide through traffic across the study area (such as East 9th Street and Hoffman Avenue) measure only 30 feet wide. The typical streetscape includes a parkway and concrete sidewalk. Depending upon the street, parkways range from 3 feet 6 inches wide to 6 feet 6 inches wide, with the wider parkways located along Walnut Avenue, Orange Avenue, and East 8th Street. Parkways are divided into sections by concrete driveway aprons and concrete walks that extend perpendicular from the sidewalk to the curb. Parkways are typically mown turf and have trees, although portions of the parkway have been paved with brick or have been landscaped, likely by community members. Throughout the study areas, there are concrete sidewalks on either side of the street, between the parkway and the front yard of the residences, which measure 5 feet wide (Figure 16). Other features of the streetscape include non-original precast concrete light poles and traffic signs (Figure 17). The light poles have a metal cap and arm that extends over the street. Street signs are strapped to the light poles with metal bands. Typical street signs are metal and painted blue; however, within the existing District, the street signs are white with blue lettering and feature a graphic with the words “Craftsman Village Historic District” (Figure 18). In general, the streetscapes within the proposed expansion area have similar characteristics to those within the District. Streetscapes along Gaviota, Rose, Gardenia, and Cherry Avenues are similar to those along Hellman Street (Figure 19). Streets are typically 36 feet wide and have concrete curbs, mown-turf parkways measuring 4 feet 8 inches wide, and a concrete sidewalk. Significant distinctions between the streetscapes within the existing District and expansion areas are the aforementioned stenciling of addresses at the curb and the custom street signage within the District. There is a unique residential enclave at the west end of East 9th Street that has a streetscape consisting of a one-way street, measuring 18 feet wide, with parking along one side (Figure 20). The street has 6-inch- tall curbs, and sidewalks measuring 3 feet 6 inches wide, on either side. Houses, all of which share similar Spanish Colonial architectural design elements, are set back approximately 5 feet from the sidewalk. Two houses at the east end of the street, along Orange Avenue, are included in the existing District. North Toledo Walk also has a unique streetscape consisting of a concrete pedestrian walk, measuring approximately 6 feet wide (Figure 21). The walk extends to the south from Hellman Street and has lots that face the walk. Street signs and decorative lamp posts, measuring approximately 12 feet tall, are located along the center of the walk. The north half of North Toledo Walk is currently part of the existing District. While these two enclaves have different streetscapes than the rest of the District, they still convey a similar residential feel. East 7th Street, East 10th Street, and Alamitos Avenue bound the study area and are larger thoroughfares (Figure 22). These roads are three or five lanes wide (the center lane being a turn lane), and have higher traffic volume. They also have signal-controlled intersections. There is parking on either side of the street
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and a wide concrete sidewalk, but no parkways or trees. These roads are lined with a mixture of historic residential and apartment buildings, as well as one- and two-story commercial buildings such as auto repair shops, convenience stores, and fast food establishments. These streets serve as commercial corridors and have a distinctly different feel than the residential streets elsewhere in the study area.
Site Layout Description Lots within the study area are typically rectangular in plan and measure approximately 50 feet wide by 125 feet deep. Trapezoidal-shaped lots are located along Hellman Street, where one side of the lot follows the slightly angled orientation of the road. Smaller lots are typically located at corners, specifically at intersections where an alley meets a residential street. With a few exceptions, all of the lots within the study area have access at the rear via a concrete-paved alley (Figure 23). The alley typically provides access to garage units or secondary structures on the lot. Those lots that do not have alley access include the block south of East 8th Street and north of Hellman Street, as well as properties at the east end of Hellman Street. Each site includes a primary structure, which is typically a residential building set back approximately 20 to 30 feet from the sidewalk and is the most distinguishable building from the public right of way. In addition to the primary structure, sites typically include a small front yard, fence, driveway, and various secondary structures such as detached garages and additional residences.
Front Lawn Most of the sites within the study area have a mown-turf lawn that may include small gardens or plantings and a concrete walk extending from the sidewalk to the front porch (Figure 24). This type of front lawn is consistent with the historic appearance of the neighborhood. Within the study area, some of the front lawns have been altered and replaced with larger garden or landscaped areas, or paved with brick pavers, concrete, flagstone, or ceramic tile (Figure 25). This has diminished the historic character of the site and in some cases obscured views of the primary structure.
Fencing Many sites feature a fence that defines the street-facing edge of each lot. While not original, the most prevalent fence type consists of a masonry curb and piers (constructed of concrete masonry units or clay brick), with a wrought iron railing mounted to the curb and spanning between piers (Figure 26). Other common fence types include decorative wrought iron, chain link, vinyl picket fence, wood-framed plank fencing, and wood-framed picket fences (Figure 27). Historic fencing, if present, would have likely been wood-framed picket or plank.
Driveways Many of the lots in the study area have driveways that extend along the side of the property from the street to a detached garage. Historically, these driveways would have consisted of two strips of concrete extending perpendicular from the street and separated by mown turf (Figure 28). While some of the lots in the study area retain these driveways, most have been replaced with concrete or brick-paved drives (Figure 29). Despite these material changes, the original location and size of the drives remains consistent.
Secondary Structures The single-family lots within the study area typically also have multiple secondary structures. These additional structures include a detached garage and another secondary structure. The detached garage is often similar in materials and design to the primary residence. In addition to a vehicular door, the garage typically has a personnel door that faces either the driveway or the alley (Figure 30). The garage is usually partially obscured from view from the street by the primary residence. Typical alterations at garages
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included replacement of doors and roofing, and construction of large side or rear additions that may diminish the historic character of the structure. Secondary structures are often additional residential buildings located at the back of the lot, behind the primary residence and obscured from view from the street. These buildings, some of which are historic, are typically vernacular structures and do not have a distinct architectural style. While some of these structures are one story in height, a common secondary residence design is two stories in height with garage parking at the first floor with access from the alley, and one or two residential units above that are accessed from an exterior stair (Figure 31). At corner properties, secondary residences are sometimes located along one side of the lot and accessed from a residential cross street.
Figure 14. Overview of East 9th Street as seen from Figure 15. Stenciled address at curb along Hellman the intersection at Hoffman Avenue and East 9th Street. Street looking west.
Figure 16. Parkway and curb along East 9th Street. Figure 17. Typical street lamp within study area.
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Figure 18. Street signage within existing District. Figure 19. Overview of Rose Avenue looking north Note graphic with “Craftsman Village Historic as seen from intersection with East 7th Street. District.”
Figure 20. Overview of bungalow court enclave Figure 21. Overview of Toledo Walk as seen from along East 9th Street, west of Orange Avenue. View Hellman Street looking south. looking west.
Figure 22. Overview of East 7th Street, looking Figure 23. Typical concrete alley within study area west. provides access to garages and secondary structures.
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Figure 24. Typical mown-turf lawn. Figure 25. Paved and fenced-in front yard.
Figure 26. Typical property fence type within study Figure 27. Wood-framed fence type seen within the area. study area.
Figure 28. Common drive within study area Figure 29. Concrete-paved driveway. consisting of strips of concrete separated by dirt or mown turf.
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Figure 30. Typical historic detached garage. Figure 31. Typical secondary structure: a two-story building with first floor parking, upper floor residential space, and an exterior stair. The building is accessed from the alley.
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Primary Buildings
Architectural Character Most of the structures within the District and proposed expansion areas are of the Craftsman style and are wood-framed, have a raised concrete or brick foundation, and are clad with wood or stucco (Figure 32). These Craftsman-style buildings are characterized by low- to moderately-pitched gable roofs, open eaves, exposed wood rafters and beams, decorative attic vent, and wood trim at window and door openings. Windows are wood-framed and typically fixed, casement, or double-hung. The street-facing elevation features a covered porch that provides access to the main entrance and includes masonry piers and tapered wood columns. Many of the residences of the Craftsman style have a similar plan that includes a second entrance stoop located along the side of the building, near the rear. The entrance is accessed from the driveway and situated near the detached garage (Figure 33). Originally single-family residences, many houses with this plan have been adapted into multi-family residences with a separate rear entrance. Other architectural styles within the study area include Spanish Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival, Colonial Revival, Folk Victorian, and Pueblo Revival. As with the Craftsman style buildings, these structures are typically one-story wood-framed buildings with a raised concrete or brick foundation. They have a similar scale to the Craftsman style buildings and embody many of the same architectural features such as porches, wood-framed windows, and cladding material.
Typical Alterations Over the past many decades, alterations have been made to most of the structures within the District and proposed expansion areas. Despite these modifications, most of the structures retain their historic character and integrity. Typical alterations to structures constructed in the early twentieth-century include the following: ▪ Two-Story Additions at the Rear of the House. At approximately 2 percent of the historic residences, larger two-story additions have been made to the rear of the house (Figure 34). The additions typically have roof lines and architectural features consistent with those of the original house, although the massing has been altered. In general, these larger additions are set back far enough that they are mostly obscured from view from the public walk or street. ▪ One-Story Additions along the Side of the Building. Approximately 1 percent of historic residences have small additions constructed along the side of the building (Figure 35). These include lean-to additions and enclosures connecting the house to the previously detached garage. These additions typically have little impact on the overall appearance of the primary structure from the public way. ▪ Porch Enclosures. Approximately 5 percent of the historic residences have been altered through either full or partial enclosure of the porch (Figure 36 and Figure 37). In approximately half of these buildings, the original masonry piers and columns remain and the area between these features has been infilled. At other residences, all porch elements have been removed and the area infilled, diminishing the architectural integrity of the building. ▪ Porch Access. At a few residences, the porch entrance has been altered. Typically, porches are accessed from the walk that extends from the sidewalk. However, at a few locations, the access stair from the yard has been removed and the porch is instead accessed from the drive. Additional landscaping has sometimes been installed that emphasizes the change to the porch access (Figure 38). ▪ Window Replacements. At over 50 percent of the historic residences, at least some of the original wood- framed windows have been removed and replaced. Typically, windows have been replaced with either aluminum-framed or vinyl windows (Figure 39). In some instances, original casement, fixed, and double-hung windows were replaced with horizontal sliding or jalousie windows (Figure 40). At
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approximately 10 percent of residences, the original wood-framed fixed windows remain and the operable windows have been replaced. ▪ Roof Replacements. At nearly all of the historic buildings within the study area, the original roofing material has been removed and replaced with asphalt shingle. Many of the residences have also had rooftop solar panels applied to the south-facing slope of the roof (Figure 41). ▪ Overcladding of Stucco. Some stucco-clad buildings have been overclad with new stucco (Figure 42). The application of the additional coating has resulted in the built-up stucco being flush with the face of the wood trim at windows and door openings, or the window trim having been removed entirely. (Figure 43). In some instances, the overcoat of stucco has been applied over wood beams and decorative elements, compromising the appearance of the building. Typically, the texture of the new stucco does not always match the original finish. ▪ Overcladding of Wood Siding. Some residences with wood clapboard siding have been overclad with a non-original secondary cladding material such as a vinyl or aluminum siding or grooved plywood (Figure 44). The non-original cladding alters the character and feeling of the building; however, the original wood siding appears to remain, concealed beneath the new cladding. ▪ Surface Coating at Wood Clapboard. At approximately 1 percent of the historic residences, an elastomeric coating has been applied over the wood cladding (Figure 45). The coating has a rough texture and may have been applied as a fire retardant. Where applied, the coating was observed to be deteriorated and flaking.
Figure 32. Typical Craftsman style residence within the study area.
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Figure 33. Side rear entrance typical of the Craftsman style bungalows.
Figure 34. Typical two-story addition at rear of house.
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Figure 35. Typical side addition connecting residence to garage.
Figure 36. Enclosed porch. Note that the original porch framing and decorative elements remain and the space has been infilled with windows and walls in character with the rest of the building.
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Figure 37. Enclosed porch where only the original foundation remains.
Figure 38. A partial-height barrier with plantings obscures the view of the residence and redirects access to the side of the porch.
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Figure 39. Typical aluminum or vinyl replacement windows in residential buildings.
Figure 40. Original window (likely wood-framed fixed window) has been removed and replaced with a sliding window.
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Figure 41. Residence with a roof replacement including solar panels applied onto south-facing slope.
Figure 42. Building overclad with new stucco. The built-up stucco is now flush with the window and door trim. Note the rough and highly-textured finish of the stucco.
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Figure 43. Building overclad with stucco, with the window trim removed. The stucco abuts the window frame. Note the rough and highly-textured finish of the stucco.
Figure 44. Vinyl siding applied over existing cladding material.
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Figure 45. Elastomeric coating applied over wood cladding, likely as a form of fire protection.
Relocated Structures Two structures within the study area were identified as having been relocated to their current site from another location. In both instances, it is unclear where the buildings were originally located. The building at 1400 East Hellman Street (APN #7266001033) was constructed in 1912 and relocated from the site at 332 East 7th Street to its current site in 1948 (Figure 46). While not original to the District, the building embodies characteristics of the Craftsman style and otherwise retains its integrity. The structure at 1436 East 10th Street (APN #7267020011) was reportedly constructed in 1916 and relocated to its current site in 1955 (Figure 47). This structure does not convey a distinct architectural style and appears to have been altered through the removal of the porch and other modifications.
Building Infill While the majority of buildings within the District and proposed expansion areas were constructed in the early twentieth century, there are a number of infill buildings. The character of the infill buildings generally reflects the period in which they were constructed. Within the existing District, infill buildings were typically constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, and consist of one- and two-story apartment buildings (Figure 48). The scale of these buildings is sympathetic to the overall scale of the historic buildings and they have a similar palette of materials. However, their setback, massing, and architectural style detract from the cohesiveness of the District and are they are therefore considered non-contributing. Similar to the District, the proposed expansion area also includes buildings constructed in the 1950s and 1960s. However, there is also a distinct period of construction from the 1980s that resulted in the addition of several large three-story apartment buildings, clustered at the center of blocks along Gaviota, Rose, Gardenia, and Cherry Avenues (Figure 49). These buildings are also considered non-contributing but unlike their mid-century counterparts, affect the overall single-family residential feel of the neighborhood.
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Figure 46. The residence at 1400 Hellman Street (APN # 7266001033) was moved to the site in 1948.
Figure 47. The structure at 1436 East 10th Street (APN #7267020011) was moved to the site in 1955.
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Figure 48. Two-story buildings constructed within the District in the 1960s.
Figure 49. Three-story building constructed within the study area in the 1980s.
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CHAPTER 3 - CLASSIFICATION OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES AND TYPES
Classification of Architectural Styles and Types Buildings can be grouped into one of three categories of stylistic classification: “high style,” vernacular, or utilitarian. “High style” buildings are those that clearly relate to a defined architectural style in form and detail. Vernacular buildings are constructed by developers, builders, or carpenters based on regional customs, trends, and materials, and with a free and less-defined use of stylistic elements, often combining elements of more than one style. Vernacular structures may also include those built from pattern books or pre-fabricated self-assembled building kits. These structures usually reflect building types and architectural styles popular at the time. Utilitarian structures include detached garages, outbuildings, and sheds which, while potentially exhibiting characteristics of an architectural style, were built with an economy of materials to accommodate a specific function. Within the study area, utilitarian buildings are often obscured from view from the primary street and are located near the rear of the lot. All buildings within the study area can be categorized as either vernacular (representing a variety of styles) or utilitarian. As such, buildings do not follow the strict design criteria of an architectural style but instead incorporate design elements and features that characterize these architectural styles, especially with regard to eclectic architectural styles. The district is defined by the Craftsman style architecture. However, there are numerous other examples of eclectic architectural styles as well as examples of more contemporary architectural styles. Most of the historic residences within the study area were built by local builders and carpenters, sometimes using pre-manufactured house kits or standardized designs. As such, there is a clear architectural vocabulary apparent in the historic buildings in the study area. In some instances, these architectural features and elements can be clearly defined by an architectural style. However, buildings often exhibit characteristics and influences from more than one architectural style. For purposes of this survey, buildings for which influences of a specific architectural style could not be determined were broadly categorized as vernacular in style. The building type represents the form of the building and is separate from the architectural style. The building type can provide an understanding of the scale and massing of a structure. It may also be a characteristic of an architectural style. For utilitarian buildings and those that do not have a distinct architectural style, the building type may be a more appropriate way to categorize the structures. Most of the historic buildings within the study area are classified as the bungalow building type, although other building types are present. As described above, some houses within the survey area have undergone extensive alterations or renovations, making identification of an architectural style or building type difficult. Where there are significant alterations, an assessment was made as to the possible original style and type. The architectural styles and building types documented during the survey are described below. Discussion of each style and building type includes a general description of character-defining features, a summary of representation of the style and building type within the study area, and a photographic example within the study area.
Architectural Styles The primary architectural style within the existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District is the Craftsman style. There are also a number of period style structures within the district that were constructed within the period of significance and provide context for the district. These architectural styles of the period include Spanish Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, and Folk Victorian. Clusters of contemporary buildings, constructed after the period of significance, are located along Hellman Street and at the north end of Walnut Avenue. These buildings are primarily two stories in height and do not contribute to the historic character of the district. Table 1 provides a summary of the existing District as
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organized by architectural style. The table indicates a large concentration of Craftsman style buildings accompanied by other period style buildings (highlighted in the table below) and a small proportion of contemporary buildings (not highlighted).
Table 1 Summary of the Existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District as defined by Architectural Style. Architectural Style Period Style Properties Percentage (%) Percentage by (Yes/No) (number) Period (%)
Craftsman Yes 125 67
Spanish Colonial Revival Yes 14 7
Italian Renaissance Revival Yes 14 7 90 Colonial Revival Yes 7 5 Folk Victorian / Queen Anne Yes 4 2 Vernacular Yes 4 2 International No 1 1
Modern No 13 7 10 Neo-Eclectic No 4 2 Other (not historic) No 1 0 TOTAL 187 100 100
Within the proposed expansion area, the Craftsman style remains the most predominant architectural style. There is also a large number of structures of other architectural styles of the period including Pueblo Revival and Art Deco, two styles not observed within the existing District. However, there is a larger proportion of modern and postmodern buildings constructed outside of the period of significance, resulting in a lower proportion of Craftsman style and period style buildings. These non-contributing modern and postmodern buildings are typically two and three stories in height and are located near the center of north–south cross streets, specifically, Gaviota, Rose, and Gardenia Avenues. That said, there remain enclaves of Craftsman and period style structures along Walnut Avenue, Cherry Avenue, East 8th Street, Hellman Street, Hoffman Street, and Cerritos Avenue. Table 2 provides a summary of architectural styles within the proposed expansion areas. Craftsman style residences and those of other period style architecture are highlighted in the table below. Other, non-contributing, architectural styles are listed but not highlighted. Figure 50 provides a map of contributing architectural styles.
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Table 2. Summary of the Proposed Expansion Areas as defined by Architectural Style. Architectural Style Period Style Properties Percentage Percentage by (Yes/No) (number) (%) Period (%) Craftsman Yes 123 45 Spanish Colonial Revival Yes 42 15
Italian Renaissance Revival Yes 12 4
Colonial Revival Yes 8 3 73 Folk Victorian / Queen Anne Yes 5 2 Pueblo Revival Yes 1 0 Art Deco Yes 1 0 Vernacular Yes 10 4 International No 0 0 Modern No 56 20 27 Neo-Eclectic No 2 1 Postmodern No 15 6 Other (not historic) No 1 0 TOTAL 276 100 100
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Figure 50. Contributing Architectural Styles map.
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Craftsman (1905–1930)
The Craftsman style in California was inspired primarily by the work of Charles Greene and Henry Greene, two brothers who practiced architecture together in Pasadena, California, between 1893 and 1914. The Greenes were influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, Asian wood architecture, and their training and knowledge of wood craftsmanship. The style quickly became popular and led to the development of pattern books and pre-cut building components to be assembled by owners and builders. As a result, the one-story Craftsman style house became one of the most popular housing styles of the era. The style is characterized by low-pitched gable roofs with wide overhanging and open eaves, exposed wood rafters and false beams, and a front porch supported by tapered piers or columns. Not surprisingly, the Craftsman style is the most common architectural style within the expansion study area. Primary structures on approximately 242 of the property lots embody characteristics of the style. Typical Craftsman style buildings within the study area are of the bungalow building type, specifically, a bungalow type consisting of a front gable roof and a partial width porch with front gable. The structures often also feature decorative wood slatted attic vents, wood or stucco cladding, wood-framed double-hung and fixed windows, and brick or concrete foundations (Figure 51).
Figure 51. Note the gable roof, porch, and exposed wood Figure 52. The Italian Renaissance Revival style framing of the Craftsman style residence located at 805 residence at 1212–1214 East 9th Street features a Rose Avenue. crenellated parapet, projecting cornice, tripartite windows, and overall symmetry typical of the style.
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Italian Renaissance Revival (1890–1935) The Italian Renaissance Revival style, as its name states, was influenced by the architecture of the Italian Renaissance. Early buildings of the style were typically designed by architects and strove to capture the scale and formal appearance using symmetry, low-pitched hip roofs or flat roofs with parapets and balustrades, round arch openings, horizontal beltlines or cornices, rusticated corner quoins, and classical details such as columns and pilasters. Following World War I, vernacular interpretations became more common. There were twenty-six residences within the expansion study area identified as Italian Renaissance Revival style. The most frequent examples of Italian Renaissance Revival style structures are of the flat roof subtype. These residences have a symmetrical facade, pedimented entrances, a projecting cornice band, and a crenelated parapet (Figure 52).
Spanish Colonial Revival (1915–1945) The Spanish Colonial Revival style was influenced by architect Bertram Goodhue and his design for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, located at Balboa Park in San Diego. His work was influential to architecture in California and the southwestern United States. The style is characterized by a low-slope or flat roof clad with red clay tile and having little or no eave overhang. Buildings of the style often have arched openings, an asymmetrical facade, and are clad with stucco. There are fifty-six structures within the expansion survey area that embody characteristics of the Spanish Colonial Revival style (Figure 53 and Figure 54)
Figure 53. The Spanish Colonial Revival residence at Figure 54. The duplex at 1185–1187 East 9th Street is 1818 East 8th Street has an entrance courtyard, arched part of a bungalow court. It features arched openings and window openings, and an asymmetrical appearance an asymmetrical appearance defined by the various defined by the assemblage of roof and building forms. parapet forms.
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Folk Victorian (1870–1910) The Folk Victorian style is defined by the presence of Victorian-era decorative detailing on a simple folk house form. The detailing is typically inspired by the Italianate or Queen Anne style and is primarily applied to porches and at cornices and eaves. Six Folk Victorian buildings were identified during the survey. Within the survey area, some houses that exhibit this style also had hip roofs that are flared out at the bottom. An additional three structures were identified as having more distinct design elements and decorative features and were categorized as Queen Anne style (Figure 55). The Queen Anne and Folk Victorian style buildings were some of the first residences constructed within the neighborhood.
Figure 55. The Folk Victorian house at 1333 Hellman Figure 56. The Colonial Revival style residence at 1305 Street has decorative shingle siding at the end gable, a Hellman Street features an entrance porch supported on flared hip roof, and various wood decorative elements and columns, a boxed cornice with cornice returns at the end cladding types. gable, and an overall symmetry.
Colonial Revival (1880–1955) The Colonial Revival style references traditional American architecture and revival styles such as Georgian, Gothic Revival, and Greek Revival. Its popularity was promoted through the publications of drawings in architecture magazines. The style is characterized by a symmetrical facade, rectilinear form, gable or hip roofs, large porches, a cornice or cornice returns, and Tuscan columns. There were sixteen structures identified that embody characteristics of the Colonial Revival style (Figure 56).
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Pueblo Revival (1910–present) The Pueblo Revival style draws from historical precedents of Spanish colonial buildings and pueblos. It was most popular in the southwestern United States and is characterized by low-rise flat roof structures with parapet walls, projecting wood beams extending through walls, and stucco finishes with rounded corners. There was one structure identified as Pueblo Revival within the expansion study area. The structure is a one-story, stucco-clad, flat roof duplex with parapet walls (Figure 57).
Figure 57. The residence at 1150 Hellman Street Figure 58. The apartment building at 745 Gaviota Avenue embodies characteristics of the Pueblo Revival style. reflects the characteristics of Art Deco through its tripartite symmetry, smooth stucco cladding, streamlined lines, and sense of verticality.
Modern (1920–1940) Art Deco and other Modernist styles were influenced by the notion that traditional forms of art did not fit the ideals of an industrialized world. The concepts of Art Deco design were first visualized by Eliel Saarinen in his entry for the Chicago Tribune building competition of 1922. Although not the winning entry, his design inspired other architects. In 1925, the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (Exposition internationale des Arts décoratifs et industriels modernes)from which the style took the name Art Deco (short for Arts Décoratifs), opened in Paris. The exposition, devoted to the decorative arts, became a platform for artists, craftspeople, and architects to share their vision of contemporary art and design.44 The influence of the exposition was widespread and encouraged the use of new materials and forms in art and design. The Art Deco style utilizes geometric forms and motifs, modern materials, and smooth wall surfaces (often stucco) to accentuate the verticality of the structure. There is one building in the expansion study area that exhibits characteristics of Art Deco (Figure 58).
44 Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100306524, accessed on March 13, 2020.
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International Style (1925–present) In the decades between World War I and World War II, European architects were exploring new forms of architecture and strove to separate themselves from the historical precedents. In the 1930s, these ideas were introduced to the United States by architectural practitioners who immigrated during European unrest. This style of design came to be known as the International Style. The style is characterized by flat roofs, usually without parapet walls; steel-framed casement windows set flush with the wall cladding; unadorned wall surfaces absent of trim at window and door openings; and an asymmetrical facade. There is one building in the expansion study area that exhibits characteristics of the International Style (Figure 59).
Figure 59. The apartment building at 1511 Hellman Street Figure 60. The residence at 845–849 Orange Avenue is has steel-framed windows that wrap the corner of the of the Minimal Traditional subtype of the Modern style. building.
Modern (1935–present) Following World War II, domestic architecture was inspired by the modern styles that had been introduced in the years just prior to the war. These styles shaped the landscape of mid-century suburban development. Sub-styles included Minimal Traditional, Monterey Revival, Split Level, Contemporary, and Shed. These buildings typically have asymmetrical facades and embody characteristics of the International Style with references, through applied decorative elements, to eclectic styles of the early twentieth century. There were sixty-nine structures identified within the expansion study area of various Modern sub-styles (Figure 60).
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Neo-Eclectic (1965–present) The Neo-Eclectic style references the eclectic architectural design styles of the early twentieth century, including Italian Renaissance Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Colonial Revival. The style was most commonly used in domestic architecture. The Neo-Eclectic style offered a free and much more referential interpretation of its predecessor styles. There were six structures identified within the expansion study area that exhibit characteristics of the Neo- Eclectic style (Figure 61).
Figure 61. The residence at 1386 Hellman is a Neo- Figure 62. The apartment building at 750–766 Rose Eclectic style building that references the Spanish Avenue references elements of classical architecture. Colonial Revival style.
Postmodern The Postmodern style emerged as a movement against the formality and rigidity imposed by modern architecture. The movement was introduced by Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi in the 1960s. It references elements of classical architecture such as columns, pediments, and arches, often in a whimsical way, by playing with shape, color, composition, and scale. Postmodern examples within the expansion study area include fifteen buildings, most of which are apartment buildings (Figure 62).
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Building Types Buildings within the existing District and the proposed expansion area consist primarily of bungalows of various architectural styles. Other historic building types that date to the period of significance include duplexes, fourplexes, four-over-four, American foursquare, row houses, false front commercial structures, and courtyard apartments. Within the existing District, buildings that were not classified as bungalows were typically duplexes, fourplexes, or other non-distinct building types. The proposed expansion areas also includes duplexes and fourplexes, as well as mid-century-era building types such as apartment houses and “stucco boxes.”45 There are also a large number of podium apartments. Table 3 provides a summary of the existing District and expansion study area by building type. Historic building types are highlighted. Table 3. Summary of the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District and Proposed Expansion Areas by Building Type. Building Type Hellman Street Expansion Study Total (number) Percentage (%) Craftsman District Area (number) (number) Bungalow 137 168 305 66 Duplex 15 14 29 6 Fourplex/Sixplex 8 19 27 6 Four-Over-Four 3 2 5 1 Row House 1 1 2 0 False Front 1 0 1 0 Courtyard Apartment 0 3 3 1 Apartment House 1 21 22 5 Stucco Box / Dingbat 5 10 15 3 Podium Apartment 0 31 31 7 Other or No Type 16 7 23 5 TOTAL 187 276 463 100
45 The Stucco Box/Dingbat building type is a distinctive two- or three-story apartment building clad with stucco; see the Building Types section in Chapter 3 of this report.
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Bungalow (1905–1930) The term bungalow derived from the word bungla, an Indian word adapted by the British in the nineteenth century for a one-story house with porches. The American house form descended from the Craftsman movement, using natural materials and simple forms to create an informal domestic environment. Approximately 305 bungalow-type structures were identified in the survey, and represent various architectural styles. There are three primary types of bungalows (and many subtypes), each deriving its name from the dominant roof form: the dormer front, gable front, and flat roof types. The dormer front bungalow has a gable roof turned parallel to the front elevation and dormers. The roof extends down to form the roof of the full-width inset porch (Figure 63). Twelve dormer front bungalows were documented during the survey. A subtype of this building type is the side gable bungalow, which has the same roof orientation but does not include a dormer (Figure 64). In this building type, the porch is typically attached, as opposed to inset, and has a separate roof structure. There were fifty-five side gable bungalows identified during the survey. The gable front bungalow, sometimes called the California Bungalow, has a low-slope front-facing gable roof. Typically, the porch is recessed under the main gable roof (Figure 65). There were 199 gable front bungalows identified during the survey. A variation of this bungalow type is the double gable front bungalow, which includes a separate low-slope gable roof that extends over the partial-width front porch (Figure 66). This is the prevalent bungalow type in the survey areas. Approximately 80 percent (or 158) of the gable front bungalows were of the double gable bungalow variation. All of the buildings of this building type were of the Craftsman style. The flat roof bungalow has a low-slope roof and often features a parapet with scuppers. Buildings have a rectangular plan with attached front porch or a U-shaped plan with a center inset porch (Figure 67). Residences of this building type were typically of the Spanish Colonial Revival or Italian Renaissance Revival architectural style. There were twenty-eight flat roof bungalows identified during the survey. Other bungalow types include the hip roof bungalow. This type has a hip roof with the narrow end oriented to face the street. Examples of the hip roof bungalow typically have partial-width inset porches (Figure 68). Eleven such bungalows were documented during the survey.
Figure 63. Dormer front bungalow type. Figure 64. Side gable Bungalow type. In this example, the porch is incorporated under the main roof form. Other examples have an attached porch and roof structure.
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Figure 65. Gable front bungalow type with the porch Figure 66. Double gable front bungalow type. incorporated under the main roof structure.
Figure 67. Bungalow building type with flat roof, Figure 68. Bungalow building type with hip roof form. typically utilized with Spanish Colonial Revival and Italian Renaissance Revival style duplexes.
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Duplex (1880–1940) The duplex unit typically has the appearance and scale of a single-family unit but consists of two separate dwelling units. Different types of duplex units include the double bungalow and the two-flat. The double bungalow type consists of a one-story building divided down the middle, forming two symmetrical side-by- side units (Figure 69). There were forty one-story double bungalow type duplex buildings documented during the survey. The two-flat is a two-story duplex consisting of an upper and a lower unit. An exterior stair, integrated into the design of the building, extends along the side of the building to the upper entrance landing (Figure 70). At some locations, multiple connected two-story duplex buildings were constructed on one site, creating a block of up to eight units. Seven two-flat type duplex units were identified during the survey. Some of the original single-family buildings have been modified to be duplexes. For purposes of this study, these adapted residences were not considered to be duplexes, as that was not their historic building type. Adaption of these residences from single-family to duplex did not significantly alter the exterior appearance of the building.
Figure 69. The one-story double bungalow type duplex is Figure 70. The two-flat duplex features an exterior stair, typically symmetrical and has a porch with separate has an asymmetrical appearance, and has separate entrances on the front elevation for each unit. concealed entrances for each unit.
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Fourplex (1900–1960) The fourplex building type was developed to achieve higher-density living on a single lot. Fourplex buildings are typically two stories in height, have a symmetrical facade, and often feature a front porch or ornate entrance. They are characterized by a clustering of four entrance doors at the front porch. The buildings have the appearance of a large single-family house, allowing them to be integrated into neighborhood settings (Figure 71). There were twenty-six fourplexes identified during the survey.
Figure 71. fourplexes are typically two-story symmetrical buildings with an entrance porch and four exterior doors.
Four-Over-Four (1910–1925) A four-over-four building is typically square in plan, two-and-a-half-stories in height, and has a gable or multi-gable roof. The name is derived from the plan that includes a central hall with two rooms on either side, for a total of four rooms on each floor. There were three four-over-four structures identified in the survey area.
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Rowhouse (1820–1920) The rowhouse consists of contiguous houses or apartments, each sharing a common wall with one or more adjacent residences in the row. These residences typically have a raised foundation with a stoop at each entrance. Two rowhouse buildings were identified during the survey. Both were one story in height and oriented perpendicular to the street. A sidewalk provides access to each individual unit (Figure 72).
Figure 72. Rowhouses within the study area are typically Figure 73. This false front building was historically the one story in height and are characterized by small stoops grocery store for the neighborhood. The proprietor lived in at the entrance to each unit. the residential unit above.
False Front (1865–1900) As the name implies, false front buildings have a front facade that masks a building of lower height or roof form. The false front creates a parapet and gives the building a more imposing appearance. The false front was typically applied to commercial buildings. There was one false front building identified during the survey (Figure 73). Presently used as a residence, the Sanborn map dated 1914 indicates that it was historically a store.
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Courtyard Apartments (1910–1969) The courtyard apartment type originated from early examples of bungalow courtyards. In the predecessor examples, multiple detached building were arranged around the center courtyard. The courtyard apartment consisted of one or two multi-unit apartment buildings, typically two stories in height, oriented around a central common area. The overall plan of the complex typically consisted of a single U-shaped building, two L-shaped buildings, or a single O-shaped building. Individual units typically looked out onto the central courtyard, away from the street. Early examples often embodied characteristics of Mediterranean architecture. Three courtyard apartment types were identified during the survey and were constructed in the early twentieth century (Figure 74).
Figure 74. The courtyard building has an entrance vestibule that provides access to both sides of the symmetrical complex as well as to the center courtyard.
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Apartment Houses (1910–1960) The apartment house type is two to six stories in height and includes three or more residential units. The buildings are typically constructed with a rectangular plan to maximize lot coverage, and are oriented with the narrow end facing the street. Often there is a common building entrance that provides access to either an interior corridor or exterior common area, from which individual units can be accessed. Twenty-two apartment houses were documented during the survey. These buildings were typically constructed after World War II.
Stucco Box/Dingbat (1954–1968) The Stucco Box/Dingbat building type is a distinctive two- or three-story apartment building clad with stucco. The upper floors provide an overhang that extends above a parking area at the first floor level. Considered a building type specific to the southwest portion of the country and Hawaii, structures typically have a box- like massing and face the street, with a drive providing access to the parking spaces. The building type developed as a means to expedite multi-family construction on single lots while providing sufficient parking for each household (Figure 75). The name “dingbat” refers to the star-shaped decorations that sometimes decorate the facades of the buildings. There were fifteen examples of Stucco Box/Dingbat building types identified within the study area.
Figure 75. Stucco Box/Dingbat apartment building typical Figure 76. The podium apartment is a common building of mid-century architecture in Southern California. type for low-rise apartment buildings in residential neighborhoods. It provides parking at the lower level.
Podium Apartment (1968–present) Podium apartments are mid-rise buildings consisting of lightweight construction at the upper floors and concrete construction at the lower floors. The construction allows for an open plan at the lower floors to accommodate parking or retail space (Figure 76). There were approximately thirty-one examples of podium apartment buildings identified during the survey.
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CHAPTER 4 - SURVEY SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS The existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District is significant for its concentration of intact Craftsman style bungalows and is an example of an early-twentieth-century working-class neighborhood. The neighborhood was mostly developed between 1902 and 1928 as single-family residences. Residents of the neighborhood represented the working class community that supported the economy and industries that defined Long Beach in the early twentieth century and led to the exponential growth. The historic residences retain their character-defining features and a high degree of integrity to convey the original residential setting. Based on our archival research and survey of the existing District and expansion areas, properties contiguous to the existing District as well as those constructed up until 1934 convey a residential feel consistent with the existing District, retain their integrity, and contribute to the significance of the neighborhood. We recommend revisions to the existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District as follows: Extend the existing period of significance, currently 1902 to 1928, to encompass 1902 to 1934. Revise the existing District boundary to include East 9th Street, east of Orange Avenue; North Toledo Walk to East 7th Street; the east side of Walnut Avenue; the East 8th Street corridor between Walnut and Cherry Avenues; most of Gaviota Avenue between East 7th and 8th Streets; most of Cherry Avenue between East 7th and 8th Streets; and a section of Gardenia Avenue on the east side of the street between East 7th and 8th Streets. These recommendations are discussed in more detail, with illustrations, below.
Period of Significance The period of significance for the existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District extends from 1902 to 1928 and captures the period of original development within the existing district. However, within the expansion study area, there are eleven properties that were developed between 1929 and 1934. While not within the period of significance as defined for the existing District, all of these buildings are of a similar architectural style and scale. Buildings of this period include bungalows and duplexes of period architectural styles such as Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Italian Renaissance Revival. It is recommended that the period of significance be extended to 1934 to include historic structures of similar architectural styles that were part of the original development of the neighborhood. Based on this recommendation, structures built between 1929 and 1934 and conveying the historic character of the District are considered contributing structures and, where contiguous, were included within the proposed District boundary revision described below.
Contributing and Non-Contributing Buildings The original Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District, consisting of 187 properties, retains its character as a neighborhood of Craftsman style bungalow-type residences. These are complemented by residences of period architectural styles and similar scale and setting. Structures contributing to the District were constructed between 1902 and 1928, at the height of population growth and development of Long Beach. Non-contributing structures within the original District are of a later period of construction and architectural style. While not contributing, most of these structures are of a scale consistent with the remaining District and are not intrusive to the historic character of the District. One exception is the property at 905 Orange Avenue, Chua Phat To Gotama Temple (APN 7267023066). It was constructed after the period of significance and has a distinct siting, scale, design, and function as compared to other structures within the District.
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An additional 276 properties, extending primarily to the east and west of the original District were evaluated as part of the reevaluation and update to the Historic District. This included structures along the east side of Walnut and on both sides of Gaviota, Rose, Gardenia, and Cherry Avenues between East 7th and East 10th Streets; structures along the west end of East Hellman Street; residences on Cerritos Avenue, just south of East 10th Street; additional structures along the North Toledo Walk; bungalows along East 9th Street, west of Orange; and properties along East 10th Street, near Hoffman Avenue. The expansion study area includes a concentration of Craftsman and period style bungalows and embodies characteristics similar to the existing District, such as the residential streetscape with parkway and paved sidewalks, building setbacks, and large rectangular lots accessed from the street and from a common alley. Similar to the existing District, Craftsman style houses within the expansion area are typically gable front bungalows with gable front inset or recessed porches. Other period style houses typically have characteristics of the Spanish Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival, and Colonial Revival styles. While the overall character of the expansion area is similar to the existing District, there are portions of the study area where the historic fabric has been significantly diminished and the area does not convey a residential feeling. Multiple properties in the expansion area along Gaviota, Rose, and Gardenia Avenues have non- contributing buildings. These structures are typically multi-story contemporary buildings, replacing previously-existing historic buildings, and are located at the center of the block. The buildings are two- to three-story multi-unit apartment buildings that have a minimal setback from the sidewalk, lower level parking area accessible from the street, and are of mid-century or postmodern design. These buildings diminish the otherwise intact fabric of the neighborhood. There are also historic buildings within the existing District and proposed expansion areas that have been significantly altered and no longer retain integrity. These buildings are considered non-contributing resources to the District. Some of these alterations were implemented after 1992, the date of the original assessment of the District. Thus, the status of these buildings as contributing to the District may have changed. The map in Figure 77 summarizes the assessment of the primary building on each property as either contributing or non-contributing. Contributing buildings include those of the Craftsman style, of a contextual period style of architecture, and of a potential extension to the period of significance (described above). Non-contributing building are those that fall outside of the proposed period of significance, are not of the Craftsman style or period style architecture, or do not retain their historic character or integrity. A table of all properties within the survey area with listing of contributing or non-contributing status is included in Appendix A.
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Figure 77. Map of Potentially Contributing Buildings.
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District Boundary The study area is bounded by Cherry Avenue, a residential street, to the east. East 7th Street, East 10th Street, and Alamitos Avenue are high-traffic thoroughfares that bound the expansion study area to the south, north, and west, respectively. These are multi-lane divided roads with wide sidewalks and feature a mix of residential and low-rise commercial buildings. The scale, building types, and features of the streetscape are significantly different from the cross streets. Residences facing these streets do not convey the historic residential character of the rest of the survey area. Properties within the study area often have multiple residences: a primary residence and a secondary residence located near the back of the lot or accessed from a side street. Along East 7th Street, East 10th Street, and Alamitos Avenue, the primary residence may face these busy thoroughfares; however, the secondary residences may front one of the residential-scaled cross streets or alleys and still convey the feeling of a residential neighborhood. Based on this evaluation, we recommend a revision to the existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District to include most of the existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District as well as contiguous portions of the expansion areas with contributing structures. The existing District boundary should be adjusted to exclude the non-contributing structures at 905 Orange Avenue (APN 7267023066), which were constructed after the period of significance. Within the proposed expansion areas, the revised District boundary would include extensions along East 9th Street (Ewart Court); the east side of Walnut Street; the East 8th Street corridor between Walnut and Cherry Avenues; most of Gaviota Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets; most of Cherry Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets; a portion along the east side of Gardenia Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets; and additional properties at the south end of the North Toledo Walk. The proposed boundary was developed with the intent of including contiguous contributing buildings that convey the feeling of the existing District, while excluding clusters of non-contributing buildings, which are typically located in the middle of the blocks. Refer to Figure 78 for a graphic depiction of the proposed district boundary. Residences built within the period of significance with sufficient architectural integrity and conveying an architectural style consistent with the District but facing commercial thoroughfares such as East 7th and 10th Streets and Alamitos Avenue were not included in the revised boundary, as they did not convey the residential feel of the neighborhood. Contributing structures include Craftsman style residences as well as residences in other architectural styles constructed between 1902 and 1934. While not of the Craftsman style, buildings of other architectural styles constructed during the period of significance contribute to the setting and context and enhance the overall feeling of the neighborhood. In total, the revised district boundary and extension of the period of significance would remove one non- contributing property from the existing Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District and add 94 properties from the expansion areas. These added properties would include 49 contributing Craftsman style buildings; 36 contributing structures constructed during the period of significance (1902–1934) in period architectural styles; and 9 non-contributing buildings. A summary of the composition of the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District organized by contributing/non-contributing status for the existing district and revised district boundary is provided in Table 4.
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Table 4. Summary of Proposed Revised Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District as Described Architectural Style Contributing Status Existing District Existing District Revised District Revised District (number) By Percentage Boundary By Percentage (%) (number) (%) Contributing: Craftsman 116 63 165 59 Contributing: Period Style 39 21 75 27 Non-Contributing 30 16 39 14 TOTAL 185 100 279 100
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Figure 78. Proposed District Boundary Revision map. Note that buildings identified as non-contributing but within a potential extension to the period of significance, would be considered contributing if the period of significance were to be adjusted.
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Future Research and Considerations The portion of East 9th Street east of Orange Avenue, historically referred to as Ewart Street, is recommended for inclusion in the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District. Portions of this area are already part of the existing District. However, consideration should be given to evaluating the significance of this area as a potential historic district, separate from the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District. The buildings in this area have a unique streetscape, share an architectural style and character-defining design elements, and were developed as part of a single development plan.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY City of Long Beach Directory 1902. Los Angeles: Business Review Publishing Company, 1902. City of Long Beach Municipal Code. Ordinance No. C-7051 Designating the Hellman Street Craftsman Historic Landmark District. 1992. City of Long Beach website. http://www.longbeach.gov/lbds/planning/preservation/districts/guidelines/. Hellman Street Craftsman Historic District Design Guidelines. Accessed August 12, 2019. Dinkelspiel, Frances. Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2008. East 7th Street History Project website. http://e7shp.org/1920-homeownership. Homeownership [sic] in 1920. Accessed March 4, 2020. East 7th Street History Project website. http://e7shp.org/1920-population-density/. Population Density in 1920. Accessed March 4, 2020. Healey, Charles T. (Charles Terraine), and William F. Sweeney, Map of the Property of the Alamitos Land Company, Alamitos Beach Townsite Villa and Farm Lots, in Los Angeles Co., Cal., Scale [1:12,000], Schmidt Label & Litho. Co., April 1888, Maps, Huntington Digital Library. Kessler, Ron. “Balboa Films: The First Studio Founded in California…by California Owners.” 2018. https://themoviestudios.com/hollywood-page/greater-los-angeles/balboa. Long Beach City Directory 1914. Long Beach, California: Western Directory Company, 1914. Long Beach City Directory 1924. Long Beach, California: Western Directory Company, 1924. Long Beach Press, Sunday, February 3, 1924, section 6, p.3, col. 1. Long Beach Public Library Digital Archive website. https://lbpl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17164coll3/id/2969/rec/11. Earthquake damage 7th and Junipero, 1933, image, 3.5 in. x 5.5 in. Accessed October 2, 2019. Long Beach Public Library Digital Archive website. https://lbpl.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17164coll3/id/3518. Earthquake damage 10th and Gaviota, 1933, image, 3.5 in. x 5.5 in. Accessed October 2, 2019. Los Angeles County Department of Public Works website, City Annexations. http://dpw.lacounty.gov/mpm/cityannexations/. Retrieved March 4, 2020. Militant Angeleno website. http://militantangeleno.blogspot.com/2015/11/pacific-electric-week-militants- pacific.html. Interactive map showing Pacific Electric Railway lines. Retrieved March 4, 2020. Open Street Map website. https://www.openstreetmap.org. Retrieved March 4, 2020. Pearsall, R.V. Pearsall’s Map of Long Beach and Vicinity, circa 1921. Retrieved from the East 7th Street History Project website. Port of Long Beach website. https://www.polb.com/port-info/timeline/. Port of Long Beach History Timeline. Accessed on March 9, 2020. Sanborn Map Company. Insurance Map of Long Beach, California. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1914. Sanborn Map Company. Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1905. Sapphos Environmental Inc., City of Long Beach Historic Context Statement, July 10, 2009.
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Shipbuilding History website. http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/large/craig.htm. East 7th Street History Project. Viewed March 2, 2020. Southwest Builder and Contractor. Iles-Ayars Publishing Company, Inc. Review of Southwest Builder and Contractor for years 1918 to 1923. United States Bureau of the Census, 1923. Fourteenth Census of the United States 1920 [Report]. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. United States District Court. Diseño de los parages llamados Sta. Gertudes, Coyotes, Bolsas, Alamitos y Sierritos [map]. Scale not given. California: Southern District. Land Case 17, page 191, land case map D-971. 1834. University of California Berkeley, Bancroft Library. US Geological Survey, 1896. 7.5-Minute Series, Downey, California, Topographic Quadrangle. US Geological Survey, 1925. 7.5-Minute Series, Long Beach, California, Topographic Quadrangle.
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