Landmark Assessment Report

Date: July 9, 2020 For: Stephanie Reich, Design and Historic Preservation Planner Subject: 1626 California Avenue From: Amanda Duane, Associate Architectural Historian ______Executive Summary

The property at 1626 California Avenue is occupied by a single-family residence that was moved to its present location in 1923. The property was most recently identified in the 2018 Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) Update as appearing eligible for recognition as a Structure of Merit for representing the development history of the Wilshire Montana and Mid-City neighborhoods in Santa Monica. The current property owner filed a Demolition Application with the City of Santa Monica (City) in October 2019 to replace windows totaling more than 25% of the street-facing wall. As part of the interim demolition permit review process for properties over 40 years of age, the Landmarks Commission moved at an initial hearing on February 10, 2020 that there was credible evidence in the record for a second hearing. As a result, GPA Consulting (GPA) has been retained by the City of Santa Monica (City) to prepare this Landmark Assessment Report to determine if the property is eligible for designation, and if so, under which criteria.

GPA evaluated the property under the six Santa Monica Landmark criteria as well as the Structure of Merit criteria. As a result of this analysis, GPA concludes that the property does not appear to be significant under any local criteria, and therefore does not appear to be eligible for designation as a Santa Monica Landmark. The subject building does not appear to merit recognition as a Structure of Merit either. The property was previously identified as a potential Structure of Merit for its association with residential development in the Wilshire Montana and Mid City neighborhoods of Santa Monica during the 1920s. However, further analysis has revealed that the property was moved to its present location and that its ubiquity precludes it from representing a significant pattern of development as an individual resource. In addition, 1626 California Avenue is unlikely to represent part of a larger historic district due to the variety of styles, build dates, and property types in the vicinity.

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Figure 1: 445 Georgina Avenue, view looking south. GPA Consulting, March 30, 2020.

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the residence at 1626 California Avenue as a Santa Monica Landmark in response to a Demolition Application received by the City of Santa Monica in October 2019. The residence is located on California Avenue between 17th Street and 16th Place in the City of Santa Monica (see Figure 2). Now described as Mid-City or Wilshire Montana, this area was part of the original 1875 Township that spanned between Montana Avenue to the north, Colorado Boulevard to the south, 20th Street to the east, and Ocean Avenue to the west.1 The property is adjacent to the Green Acres Tract and ostensibly shares a development history with this nearby area. The property comprises one legal parcel (Los Angeles County Assessor’s Parcel No. 4281-004-002).

1 The area in which the property is located was not identified as being within a specific tract in the 2018 HRI; however, it is immediately adjacent to the Green Acres Tract. The Green Acres Tract is bounded by Washington Avenue to the north, 21st Street to the east, Wilshire Boulevard to the south, and 17th Street to the west.

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Figure 2: 1626 California Avenue indicated with black outline. Base image courtesy of LA County GIS.

The property was identified in the 2010 HRI as appearing eligible for recognition as a Structure of Merit as an example of the combination of the Craftsman and Colonial Revival styles. The property was identified in the 2018 HRI as appearing eligible for recognition as a Structure of Merit for representing the early development of the Wilshire Montana and Mid-City neighborhoods.

Amanda Duane was responsible for the preparation of this report. She fulfills the qualifications of a historic preservation professional outlined in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 61. Her resume is included as Attachment A. Methodology

In preparing this report, GPA performed the following tasks:

1. Reviewed existing information, including the 2018 Historic Resources Inventory Update and the Demolition Application.

2. Conducted a field inspection of the property on March 30, 2020. Digital photographs of the exterior of the residence were taken from the public right-of-way during this field inspection.

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3. Conducted research into the history of the property. Sources referenced included building permit records, city directories, newspaper archives, genealogical databases, and historic maps.

4. Reviewed and analyzed ordinances, statutes, regulations, bulletins, and technical materials relating to federal, state, and local historic preservation designations, and assessment processes and programs to evaluate the property for significance as a Santa Monica Landmark.

5. Evaluated the property under the Santa Monica Landmark and Structure of Merit criteria.

Historic Context2

Single-Family Residential Development (Overview)

Despite Santa Monica’s significance as an early recreational destination, residential development was essentially dormant until the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad in 1887, which spurred the initial residential building in “South Santa Monica” (a.k.a. Ocean Park). Although 1887 represented a building boom, by 1892, the full-time population of Santa Monica was only 2,000 people.

The arrival of the first electric streetcar on April 1, 1896, and the later establishment of the “Balloon Route” from downtown Los Angeles, spurred further investment in Santa Monica real estate. A number of new subdivisions were opened during the first five years of the 20th century, and between 1900 and 1903 the resident population jumped from 3,057 to 7,208. By 1911, five electrical railway lines served Santa Monica with travel times of 30 to 50 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. The completion of major roadways to the area only increased its popularity as the automobile became a factor in Southern California growth. By 1916, building permits in the city totaled $169,000 “…almost entirely representing the building of homes for the medium class” with the construction of an average bungalow costing between $1,500 and $3,000.

During the 1920s, Santa Monica witnessed a substantial population and building boom. By 1923, it was estimated that 1,500 people per month were moving to Santa Monica. Between 1921 and 1925, over 40,000 people moved to the city. Although previously known as a recreational destination, the subdivision of tracts away from the amusement zones were changing the city from a “summer cottage” environment to one where ”[b]eautiful homes of foreign and domestic architecture give the community a decidedly residential atmosphere.” Boulevard and infrastructure improvements along Wilshire, Santa Monica, Pico, and Beverly (Sunset) supported these changes. By 1926, Santa Monica boasted 11,000 homes.

2 The following, unless otherwise noted, is excerpted from Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory Update Survey Report (Santa Monica: City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development, August 9, 2019).

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Catalogue and “kit” homes were popular during this period and several purveyors, such as Sears Roebuck and Company, Aladdin, and Pacific Ready Cut Homes, were erected on parcels throughout the city. In 1922, 175 Pacific Ready Cut homes alone were built in Santa Monica. As a result, in October of 1922, the company opened a new office in Santa Monica under salesman James H. Jewett. By 1924, the office was located at 531 Santa Monica Boulevard.

Even after the stock market crash of 1929, residential construction in Santa Monica continued, and in 1931 a shortage of homes was reported. One of the key drivers of this shortage was growing enrollment at the nearby University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The shortage continued well into the late 1930s, this time driven by the expansion and influx of workers for the Douglas Aircraft plant. However, during World War II the cessation of building and shortage of building materials experienced around the country was felt in Santa Monica as well. Between 1943 and 1944, only 203 new dwelling units were added to the city’s housing stock.

Since much of Santa Monica had been built out prior to the war, single-family residential development during the post-World War II period was largely confined to some unimproved parcels in the Sunset Park area, along with infill development throughout the city, which often replaced existing buildings. The steady demand for housing also meant that only a fraction of the postwar construction in the city was single-family residences. In the 1964-65 fiscal year, for example, only nine new dwelling units out of 1,243 were traditional houses. The completion of the Santa Monica Freeway in 1966 cemented the city’s new role as a commuter suburb for other parts of Los Angeles. Although residential development in general escalated, single-family residences continued to be the exception: between 1967 and 1968, only ten out of 1,414 residential building permits were single-family homes.

Original Township

The township grid of more than 150 blocks reached from Montana Avenue on the north, to Railroad Avenue (present-day Colorado Avenue) on the south, to 20th Street on the east, to Ocean Avenue on the west. Each block consisted of 24 lots bisected by an alleyway. Nine months after the original land auction, Santa Monica had a population of 1,000 people “living in about a hundred hastily constructed houses and 75 tents.” Despite the town fathers’ plans to make Santa Monica the Port of Los Angeles, permanent residential development was slow in the years leading up to the turn of the 20th century. What residential building there was in Santa Monica was primarily concentrated within the blocks of Washington Avenue on the north, 7th Street on the east, Oregon Avenue (Santa Monica Boulevard) on the South, and Ocean Avenue on the West. The area south of Santa Monica Boulevard was more commercial in nature, with a cluster of small homes east of 2nd Street on Utah (Broadway) Avenue, and Railroad (Colorado) Avenue. Santa Monica’s small commercial “downtown” centered on 3rd Street.

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A review of the 1880 U.S. Census reveals that the residents were primarily working class, with occupations in the nascent tourism industry, along with trades people, retailers, and railroad industry workers. True to Southern California migration patterns they were typically either from the Midwest or were European immigrants. There was also a small population of Chinese immigrants employed in service positions as cooks and washers. Sanborn maps from the period show these dwellings to be primarily modest, one-story houses. By 1891, a small cluster of Chinese laundries was located off Railroad (Colorado Avenue) between 4th and 5th Streets. Larger residences were built by early pioneers in what is now downtown, along Ocean Avenue, and in the northern part of the township (in the present-day Wilshire Montana neighborhood and discussed in the next section). Construction in the eastern part of the township was generally slower to develop.

The arrival of the Pacific Electric cars in 1905 sparked a period of renewed residential development within the grid of the early township. Santa Monica architects C.C. Cross & Son were the designers and builders of numerous small cottages during the 1910s. In 1912, three new lumberyards were established in the city to accommodate the building activity.

The 1918 Sanborn maps of the area confirm “the ubiquity of motorcars with the appearance of detached automobile garages located at the rear of numerous residential parcels with access from rear alleys.” Within the township, modest single- family residences were still the dominant building type. However, large one- and two-story residences were erected on multiple parcels and prominent corner lots, indicating that wealthy residents (many of them permanent) had established themselves in Santa Monica. These houses represent a variety of period architectural styles including Queen Anne, Eastlake, and the occasional Mission Revival. During this period, it is important to note that Nevada Avenue (present- day Wilshire Boulevard) was primarily a residential street lined with Craftsman style homes and bungalows. The last remaining evidence of Wilshire Boulevard as a residential street is located at 913 Wilshire Boulevard.

The boom of building activity in Santa Monica during the 1920s and 1930s resulted in a variety of architectural styles in the homes constructed. Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and other period revival styles joined the Craftsman bungalows and Queen Anne cottages constructed in the early 20th century. Minimal Traditional, Streamline Moderne, and Early Modern styles began to appear during the 1930s as well. By the time the United States entered World War II, the original township was largely built out.

Green Acres Tract

The Green Acres Tract, which is bordered by Washington Avenue on the north, Wilshire Boulevard on the south, 21st Street to the east, and 17th Street to the west, consists of ten blocks of one and one-half acre lots that were marketed to individuals to build “fine residences.” The tract was subdivided by three of Santa

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Monica’s most important early residents: W.S. Vawter (1845-1917), an early developer of South Santa Monica (Ocean Park); Thomas Horace (T.H.) Dudley (1867-1934), Chairman of the Board of City Trustees at the turn of the 20th century, Mayor of Santa Monica from 1907 to 1916, and organizer of the Ocean Park Bank; and J.J. Davis (1866-1954), pioneer oilman and an investor in the Palisades Tract.

Development of the Green Acres Tract was initially slow. 1918 Sanborn Maps do not cover most of the Green Acres Tract, indicating that most of the parcels were undeveloped by that time. Only five houses along Wilshire Boulevard were constructed by that time. Newspaper reports spoke of “a costly bungalow being erected for Frank Compton” in 1906. Currently, the oldest known extant residence in the area is 1035 21st Street (1910; J.B. Longley, builder). During the building boom of the 1920s, the large lots were often re-subdivided, and many single-family residences, bungalow courts, and small apartment buildings were constructed during this time. Construction in the tract continued through the 1940s and primarily consisted of small-scale multi-family properties and modest houses.

Craftsman

Craftsman architecture grew out of the late-19th century English Arts and Crafts movement. A reaction against industrialization and the excesses of the Victorian era, the movement stressed simplicity of design, hand-craftsmanship, and the relationship of the building to the climate and landscape. Craftsman architecture developed in the first decade of the 20th century as an indigenous California version of the American Arts and Crafts movement, incorporating Southern California’s unique qualities. Constructed primarily of stained wood, with wide overhanging eaves, balconies, and terraces extending the living space outdoors, the style embodied the goals of the Arts and Crafts movement. The Craftsman bungalow dates from the early 1900s through the 1920s. The bungalow’s simplicity of form, informal character, direct response to site, and extensive use of natural materials, particularly wood and stone, was a regional interpretation of the reforms espoused by the Arts and Crafts movement’s founder, William Morris. Craftsman bungalows generally have rectangular or irregular plans, and are one to one-and- a-half stories tall. They have wood clapboard or shingle exteriors and a pronounced horizontal emphasis, with broad front porches, often composed with stone, clinker brick, or plastered porch piers. Other character-defining features include low-pitched front-facing gable roofs, and overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails. As opposed to smaller developer-built or prefabricated bungalows, two-story Craftsman houses were often commissioned for wealthy residents and designed specifically with the homeowner’s needs and the physical site in mind. They generally feature a low-pitched gable roof, wide overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails, and windows grouped in horizontal bands. A high- style Craftsman house is distinguished by the quality of the materials and complexity of design and may feature elaborate, custom-designed woodwork, stained glass, and other fixtures. By World War I, the Craftsman style declined in

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popularity and was largely replaced by Period Revival styles. The Craftsman bungalow continued to be built into the 1920s, but was often painted in lighter colors, stripped of its dark wood interiors, or blended with characteristics of various revival styles.

Character-defining features include:

• Horizontal massing • Low-pitched gable roof with rolled or composition shingle roofing • Wide overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails, outriggers, or knee braces • Exterior walls clad in wood shingle, shake, or clapboard siding • Projecting partial- or full-width, or wrap-around front porch • Heavy porch piers, often of river stone or masonry • Wood sash casement or double-hung windows, often grouped in multiples • Wide front doors, often with a beveled light • Wide, plain window and door surrounds, often with extended lintels • Extensive use of natural materials wood, brick or river stone)

Kit Homes

The term “bungalow” refers to a specific type of house: a one or one-and-a-half story house with a low, horizontal profile.3 While some bungalows were designed by architects, many more were derived from plan books and catalogues. Salesmen produced books and pamphlets full of simplified plans and elevations in a variety of styles, encouraging readers to write in for more detailed drawings.4 One such book, Henry L. Wilson’s The Bungalow Book, was published in 1910. Wilson offered a complete set of plans for ten dollars. The plans consisted of “…a foundation and cellar plan, floor plans, four elevations and all necessary details; and a complete set of specifications.”5 The plans were highly specific, going into so much detail as to include the exact position of electrical or plumbing fixtures and cross-sections of trim profiles.6

Manufacturers in the early 1900s took this concept a step further and introduced the “ready-cut” bungalow. Building materials were factory-produced in mass quantities and shipped by freight car to the homeowner, with the promise that a carpenter could put the pieces together “in a day.”7 Materials were ordered from catalogs full of different house designs with romanticized names such as “The Sunshine” or “The Pasadena.” The two most popular of these many catalog companies, the Aladdin Company and the Sears, Roebuck and Company, were based in the Midwest.8

3 Robert Winter, American Bungalow Style (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996), 10. 4 Teresa Grimes, “Architecture and Engineering: Arts and Crafts Movement, 1895-1930,” Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement (City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources, June 2016), 6. 5 Henry Lawrence Wilson, The Bungalow Book: Floor Plans and Photos of 112 Houses, 1910, 5th ed., 1910, reprint (New York: Dover Publications, 2006), 5. 6 Ibid. 7 Winter, 23. 8 Ibid.

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A third company, Pacific Ready-Cut Homes, dominated the Southwestern market.9 Pacific Ready- Cut Homes (first known as Pacific Portable Construction Company) was founded in 1909 as a joint venture between Francis Barker and William Butte. Francis Barker began his career in 1898 as a lumber manufacturer in New England and later became President of the Springfield Construction Company in Massachusetts. After moving to Los Angeles in 1908, Barker bought a factory and the equipment to manufacture prefabricated houses. William Butte worked in Steubenville, Ohio as a manager at a roofing company and before that, a paper mill. He moved to Los Angeles in 1907 and discovered Barker’s factory. Soon after, the Pacific Portable Construction Company was incorporated.10

In the beginning, Butte and Barker had six employees that could produce one house per week. The pieces of the house—floors, walls, ceilings, roof—were manufactured and nailed together, stains and paints were applied, hardware was installed, and windows and doors were hung into place. These pieces were then shipped by train to the work site and could be “assembled” with relative ease. Between 1909 and 1915, Pacific Ready-Cut sold 5,000 houses.11

After World War I, Butte constructed a new ten-acre production plant, increasing production from one house a week to fifteen. Between 1921 and 1923, production doubled, but Pacific’s peak year was 1924 with 4,000 bungalows produced and sold. By 1925, Butte had a thousand employees producing a complete house every twenty minutes. Pacific sold over 40,000 homes in total, making it the third-largest manufacturer of ready-cut homes in the United States.12 However, after 1925, the demand for housing steadily declined. During the Great Depression, Pacific still sold houses, but production had been scaled back to just thirty employees. Housing demand did not increase again until after World War II. Butte died in 1936; his eldest son kept Pacific in operation until 1942 when he sold the company and enlisted in the U.S. Army.13

The bungalow’s popularity in southern California, including Santa Monica, was the result of a number of factors: high-demand, land prices, and affordability. Demand for housing was high during the 1920s as jobs were being created in industries such as film production, oil exploration, and the aircraft industry. The supply of land was both plentiful and inexpensive, and, combined with the average $3,00 cost of a prefabricated bungalow, a new home was accessible to most.14

Industrial Development

An account from a long-time neighbor indicates that the house was originally located near the intersection of Broadway (formerly Utah Avenue) and 26th Street.15 This area was a few blocks away from two early-twentieth century brickyards, the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company No. 2

9 Grimes, 6. 10 Carolyn Patricia Flynn, “Pacific Ready-Cut Homes: Mass-Produced Bungalows in Los Angeles, 1908-1942” (M.A. Thesis, University of California Los Angeles, 1982), 7-8. 11 Ibid., 9. 12 Ibid., 32. 13 Ibid., 51. 14 Grimes, 5; Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, 102. 15 Ruthann Lehrer, email correspondence with Steve Mizokami et al., February 10, 2020.

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and Simons Brick Company No. 4, located at 23rd Street and Colorado and 23rd Street between Michigan and Delaware avenues, respectively.16 The manufacture of building materials was an important aspect of Santa Monica’s early economy, and after World War I, the production of decorative building materials became a focus as agricultural and film-related operations waned.17 Gladding, McBean and Co took over the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company site in 1926, producing items such as wire-cut bricks, quarry tiles, and roof tiles until the early 1950s.18 Review of historic maps did not indicate any dedicated workers’ housing nearby.

Property History

As discussed above, the house at 1626 California Avenue was relocated to its current location from the vicinity of Broadway and 26th Street in 1923 according to a personal account. The long- time owners, Delmer and Florence Humphrey (see Criterion 2 below), were listed in a 1921 Santa Monica City Directory at the address 2460 Santa Monica Boulevard. 2460 Santa Monica Boulevard is approximately a block from Broadway and 26th Street, suggesting that this could potentially be the original address for the bungalow. However, there were no permits available to confirm this. There were no permits on file associated with the address of 2460 Santa Monica Boulevard, nor were there any 1920s residential permits for the address range between 2450 and 2470. In addition, no original construction or relocation permits were found for 1626 California Avenue.

Property Description

The house at 1626 California Avenue is a single-family residence moved to this location in 1923. The one-story bungalow is rectangular in plan with a projecting porch. The low-pitched cross- gabled roof is covered in composition shingles and has open eaves with exposed rafter tails and knee braces. The exterior is clad in horizontal wood clapboards.

The primary elevation faces north toward California Avenue. The front entrance is centered beneath a projecting porch. The concrete porch is supported by three Tuscan columns and a beam serving as a dentilled entablature. The porch is accessed by a set of concrete steps with a metal handrail. The east side of the porch is enclosed with a wood-paneled windbreak with divided-light glazing in the upper half. The porch beam abutting the front elevation overlaps the window headers. The entrance is likely non-original and consists of a partially glazed wood door with three narrow rectangular lights. The door is flanked by two one-over-one double-hung wood windows with wood surrounds. At the east and west ends of the north elevation, there is a tripartite grouping of one-over-one double-hung wood windows within a wood surround.

There are three windows on the east elevation, two are one-over-one double-hung wood windows and one is a vinyl sliding window. There are two windows on the west elevation, and a small porch on the south (rear) elevation.

There is a mature tree in the parkway between the property and the street. The front of the property is a grass lawn. A concrete path is centered in the front yard and leads directly to the

16 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, 239. 17 Ibid., 244-245. 18 Ibid., 261.

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porch. A concrete driveway at the edge of the property leads to a detached garage at the southeast corner. The garage has a side-gabled roof clad in composition shingles. Its exterior is clad in wood clapboards. There is a wood tilt-up door on its north elevation. The rear yard has several mature shrubs and is partially paved in cement.

The property appears to be in overall fair to good condition, with most elements appearing just to require repainting. Alterations to the property documented in available building permits include re-roofing and termite treatment in 1948 and 1949, respectively. In 1994, a permit was filed for foundation work following the Northridge Earthquake. Apart from select windows replaced with vinyl, the property appears to be intact. Evaluation for Local Landmark Designation

Per §9.56.100(A) of the Santa Monica Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance (adopted in 1976 and later amended in 1987, 1991, and most recently 2015), a property merits consideration as a Landmark if it satisfies one or more of six statutory criteria. The following discussion considers the significance of 1626 California Avenue under each criterion.

Criterion 1: It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history.

Available information suggests that the house at 1626 California Avenue was moved to its present location in 1923 from either 2460 Santa Monica Boulevard or the general vicinity of26th Street and Broadway, an area near the Boehme & Crossier subdivision established in 1904. The property’s features and characteristics are typical of a simplified Craftsman bungalow built in the 1920s. In addition, possible physical evidence of a relocation is found in the porch, where the porch beam against the house unusually covers window headers on the front elevation.

The present location of the house was historically part of the original township. This area is now referred to as Wilshire Montana or Mid-City. In the 1920s, Santa Monica experienced a major population and building boom. Between 1921 and 1925, the population increased by more than 40,000. Residential construction and infrastructure improvements also increased to keep up with demand. By 1926, there were eleven thousand houses in Santa Monica, a number of which were kit and catalog homes. Nearly two hundred Pacific Ready Cut homes were constructed in Santa Monica 1922 alone, prompting the company to establish a local office.

As outlined in the Residential Development Registration Requirements in the 2018 HRI, property types that are ubiquitous, like the subject property, are typically significant for representing a trend or pattern of development as part of a potential historic district, and rarely convey this history alone. Properties may be found individually eligible under this criterion if they have a specific association with a major event or trend, have a direct association with a specific event in history, or represent Early Residential development—such as a beach cottage or a rare remaining example of housing in an area that underwent major changes during later development.19 Research did not reveal any specific association between the subject property and a historic event or important trend, such as pivotal residential development or construction activity.

19 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, 102-103.

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The original location of the house, near 26th and Broadway, was developed in a piecemeal fashion through a series of small subdivisions.20 It was also in proximity to two brickyards that were active in the first half of the twentieth century and represent an important part of the city’s economy and industrial output. This could suggest an association with the industrial history and working-class populations of Santa Monica; however, the exact address is unknown, and this possibility could not be substantiated in fact. In addition, this house was relocated. Moved properties are typically not considered significant for their association with historic trends, as the associations tied to the original location and setting are lost in the relocation. As such, even if the property had not been moved, it is unlikely that it would represent a significant development pattern or trend as an individual resource based on the above discussion. Therefore, 1626 California Avenue does not appear to be eligible under Criterion 1.

Criterion 2: It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy interest or value.

The residence at 1626 California Avenue is a modest bungalow with Craftsman and Colonial Revival influences. Thousands of this type of house were constructed throughout Southern California during the building booms of the early 1920s, often as a kit or catalog home. As such, the property does not possess special aesthetic or artistic interest or value and does not appear to be significant under Criterion 2.

20 Ibid., 49.

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Criterion 3: It is identified with historic personages or with important events in local, state, or national history.

The earliest occupants of the subject property in Santa Monica City Directories were Delmer and Florence Humphrey.21 The Humphreys are listed together in available directories until 1954. Delmer passed away in 1956.

Around the turn of the century, Delmer (sometimes Dell) worked as a cargo delivery driver and clerk in Los Angeles. By the time the couple lived at 1626 California Avenue, Delmer was working as a painter. In the 1930 census, at which time he would have been about 58 years old, he was listed as retired. However, in a 1936 city directory, he is listed as a special officer for the Santa Monica Police Department. In the 1940 census, his profession is listed as “special police.” Research did not reveal his role at the police department; however, the 1993 survey form for the property describes him as a photographer. It is possible, but not confirmed, that Delmer was a police photographer. Less information was uncovered about Florence; in the 1930 census, she was listed as a homemaker. The couple also owned a duplex next door (1620-1622 California Avenue) one unit of which was occupied by their daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.22

Research did not reveal any evidence to suggest that the Humphreys were historic personages. Research also did not reveal any evidence of association with an important historic event. Therefore, 1626 California Avenue does not appear to be significant under Criterion 3.

Criterion 4: It embodies the distinguishing characteristics valuable to a study of a period, style, method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship, or is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type valuable to such a study.

The residence at 1626 California Avenue is an example of a simple Craftsman bungalow built after World War I. Bungalows constructed during the end-stages of the style’s popularity were often painted in lighter colors and incorporated elements of revival architectural styles—in this case, Colonial Revival. The craftsmanship found on the house is not outstanding in any way, and in some places, could be considered poor (as seen on the porch window headers), and this simple and frequently seen combination of architectural features is commonplace throughout Southern California. As such, the subject property does not appear to be significant under Criterion 4.

Criterion 5: It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a notable builder, designer, or architect.

Research did not reveal the name of the architect, if any, or the builder. An interview with a neighbor of the long-term former residents suggests that the house was a catalog or kit house. These affordable houses were mass-produced in simple, popular designs and assembled throughout Southern California and the United States. As such, the residence does not have

21 The following, unless otherwise noted, was derived from research in the digital collections of Ancestry.com conducted in January 2020, including city directories, census data, draft registration cards, and birth, marriage, and death records. 22 Ruthann Lehrer, email correspondence with Steve Mizokami et al., February 10, 2020.

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significance under Criterion 5, as a notable builder, designer, or architect is unlikely to have been involved in its design or construction.

Criterion 6: It has a unique location, a singular visual characteristic, or is an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community, or the City.

The residence is located on California Avenue in a portion of the Original Township that is now referred to as Wilshire Montana or Mid-City. It is surrounded by single- and multi-family residences ranging from one to two stories in height. The location of the subject property is not unique. The building is a common type and style and is therefore does not possess a visual characteristic that is singular within the City, nor is it a familiar visual feature of the city. Therefore, 1626 California Avenue does not appear to be significant under Criterion 6.

Summary

1626 California Avenue does not appear to be eligible for listing under any of the Santa Monica Landmark Criteria. The property is further evaluated for listing as a Structure of Merit below. Evaluation for Structure of Merit Designation

Per §9.56.080 of the Santa Monica Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance, an improvement may be designated a Structure of Merit if the Landmarks Commission determines that it merits official recognition for possessing at least one of two characteristics. The following discussion considers whether the property at 1626 California Avenue possesses these characteristics.

A: The structure has been identified in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory.

The property at 1626 California Avenue was individually identified in the 2018 Historic Resources Inventory Update. It was assigned a status code of 5S3* for “[appearing] eligible for listing as a Santa Monica Structure of Merit. The property conveys patterns of residential development that shaped the Wilshire Montana and Mid-City neighborhoods of Santa Monica in the early decades of the twentieth century. Constructed in 1923, it is an example of a residential building from this formative period of neighborhood growth. The building does not rise to the level of significance needed to be eligible as a Landmark, but it appears eligible as a Structure of Merit.”23

However, during the additional analysis conducted for this report, it was revealed that the residence at 1626 California Avenue was moved to its present location. As such, it does not represent the pattern of development in the Wilshire Montana and Mid-City neighborhoods. As discussed above under Criterion 1, moved properties are typically not considered significant for their association with historic trends, as the associations tied to the original location and setting are lost in the relocation. In the event the residence had not been moved to its present location, it is still an example of a ubiquitous property type in Santa Monica and Southern California as a whole. As outlined in the Residential Development Registration Requirements in the 2018 HRI, these ubiquitous property types are typically significant for representing a trend or pattern of development as part of a potential historic district, and rarely convey this history alone. A historic district is unlikely to exist in the area surrounding 1626 California Avenue. The subject property is

23 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory Update Survey Report, Appendix B: Individual Resources.

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surrounded by single- and multi-family buildings of various styles, sizes, and construction dates. They are not visually or historically unified and do not form a significant or cohesive grouping. Research did not reveal any other potential significant associations with the cultural, social, economic, political, or architectural history of Santa Monica.

For these reasons, 1626 California Avenue does not appear to be eligible as a Structure of Merit.

B: The structure is a minimum of 50 years of age and meets one of the following criteria:

B1. The structure is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type.

The property at 1626 California Avenue is over fifty years of age, but it is not a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail, or historical type. As discussed above, the house is a simple and modestly sized kit or catalog house that is ubiquitous throughout Santa Monica and Southern California.

B2. The structure is representative of a style in the City that is no longer prevalent.

The subject property represents the single-family bungalow kit house property type that was once prevalent in Santa Monica, many of which have been lost to redevelopment.

B3. The structure contributes to a potential Historic District.

As discussed above, the subject property is not located within any previously identified potential historic district, and a historic district is unlikely to exist in the area surrounding 1626 California Avenue.

Summary

1626 California Avenue was identified in the most recent HRI as a potential Structure of Merit. However, additional analysis has concluded that it does not appear to warrant this recognition.

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Integrity Analysis

It is standard practice to assess a property’s integrity as part of a historic evaluation. Integrity is a property’s ability to convey its historic significance through its physical features. National Register Bulletin #15 defines seven aspects of integrity: Location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. In order to convey significance, a property must retain some combination of these aspects of integrity from its period of significance. The aspects of integrity that are essential vary depending on the significance of the resource.

Location: The place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred.

The property was moved to this location in 1923 and as such does not retain integrity of location.

Design: The combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of the property.

The property retains integrity of design. Existing characteristics of the building, including its symmetrical façade, stucco exterior, and wood detailing reflect its original aesthetic and function.

Setting: The physical environment of a historic property.

The integrity of setting was lost when the bungalow was relocated, and the setting of its new location has been changed through the continued development of the surrounding area throughout the twentieth century, including infill construction and redevelopment.

Materials: The physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.

The property retains integrity of materials. The key exterior material, wood, is present in the clapboards, windows, and detailing of the house.

Workmanship: The physical evidence or the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory.

The property retains integrity of workmanship which is conveyed through the assembly of simple, prefabricated elements including the turned wood columns, simple wood window and door surrounds, triangular eave brackets, and dentilled porch beam.

Feeling: A property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.

The property retains integrity of feeling, as the combination of its intact design, materials, and workmanship evoke the sense of an early 1920s residence.

Association: The direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property.

The property retains some aspects of its physical integrity, however, the integrity of association does not apply. While the property has sufficient physical integrity, there are no historic associations for its integrity to convey.

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Conclusions

The residence at 1626 California Avenue does not appear to be eligible under any of the Santa Monica Landmark Criteria, nor does it appear to merit recognition as a Structure of Merit. The property was previously identified as a potential Structure of Merit for its association with residential development in the Wilshire Montana and Mid City neighborhoods of Santa Monica during the 1920s. However, further analysis has revealed that the property was moved to its present location and that its ubiquity precludes it from representing a significant pattern of development as an individual resource. In addition, 1626 California Avenue is unlikely to represent part of a larger historic district due to the variety of styles, build dates, and property types in the vicinity. Sources

Ancestry.com. Various digital collections.

Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group. City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory Update Survey Report. Santa Monica: City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development, August 9, 2019.

Flynn, Carolyn Patricia. “Pacific Ready-Cut Homes: Mass-Produced Bungalows in Los Angeles, 1906-1942. M.A. Thesis, University of California Los Angeles, 1982.

Grimes, Teresa. “Architecture and Engineering: Arts and Crafts Movement, 1895-1930.” Los Angeles Citywide Historic Context Statement. City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources, June 2016.

Wilson, Henry Lawrence. The Bungalow Book: Floor Plans and Photos of 112 Houses. 1910; New York: Dover Publications, 2006.

Winter, Robert. American Bungalow Style. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. Attachments

Attachment A: Résumé

Attachment B: Photographs

Attachment C: City Directory Listings

Attachment D: Building Permits

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Attachment A: Résumé

AMANDA DUANE is an Associate Architectural Historian at GPA. She has been involved in the field of historic preservation since 2011. Amanda graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Historic Preservation. She has since worked in private historic preservation consulting in California. Amanda joined GPA in 2012 and her experience has included the preparation of environmental compliance documents in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record recordation; large-scale historic resources surveys; Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit and Mills Act Property Contract applications; National Register of Historic Place nominations; local landmark nominations; historic context statements; and evaluations of eligibility for a wide variety of projects and property types throughout California. Her experience also includes working with local governments to develop design guidelines for administering local design review. Educational Background: Selected Projects: ▪ B.F.A, Historic Preservation, Savannah ▪ Mar Vista Gardens, Los Angeles, National College of Art and Design, 2011 Register Nomination, 2019 Professional Experience: ▪ Million Dollar Theatre, Los Angeles, Historic- ▪ GPA Consulting, Associate Architectural Cultural Monument Nomination, 2019 Historian, 2012-Present ▪ Grand Central Market/Homer Laughlin ▪ Architectural Resources Group, Intern, Building, Los Angeles, Historic-Cultural 2012 Monument Nomination, 2019 ▪ City of Los Angeles, Office of Historic ▪ Drake Park/Wilmore City Historic District Resources, Intern, 2011-2012 Update, Long Beach, 2018-2019 Qualifications: ▪ Nirvana Apartments, Los Angeles, Federal Tax ▪ Meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Credit Application, Part 1, 2018 Professional Qualifications Standards for ▪ 1527 17th Street, Santa Monica, Landmark architectural history pursuant to the Nomination, 2018 Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR ▪ Bank of Italy, Los Angeles, National Register Part 61, Appendix A. Nomination, 2018 ▪ National Preservation Institute, Section ▪ Agfa-Ansco Corporation Building, Los Angeles, 106: An Introduction Historic-Cultural Monument Nomination, 2018 Professional Activities: ▪ Community Laundry Company Building, Los ▪ California Preservation Foundation Angeles, Historic-Cultural Monument Conference Programs Committee, 2017 Nomination, 2018 ▪ Immanuel Baptist Church, Long Beach, Landmark Nomination, 2017 ▪ Forsythe Memorial School for Girls, Los Angeles, National Register Nomination, 2015 ▪ Bartlett Building, Los Angeles, Historic-Cultural Monument Nomination and Mills Act Application, 2015

Landmark Assessment Report – 1626 California Avenue, Santa Monica, CA Attachment A ______

Attachment B: Photographs

Photo 1: Contextual view of property, view looking south.. GPA Consulting, March 30, 2020.

Photo 2: Front (north) elevation, view looking south. GPA Consulting, March 30, 2020.

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Photo 3: Front (north) and side (west) elevation, view looking southeast. GPA Consulting, March 30, 2020.

Photo 4: Front (north) and side (east) elevation, view looking southwest. Detached garage at left. GPA Consulting, March 30, 2020.

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Photo 5: View looking southeast at front yard. GPA Consulting, March 30, 2020.

Landmark Assessment Report – 1626 California Avenue, Santa Monica, CA Attachment B ______

Attachment C: City Directory Listings

1924-25 (Ancestry.com): D. E. Humphrey