Historic Resource Evaluation

1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation

Prepared for City of Belvedere 450 San Rafael Avenue Belvedere, CA 94920

Prepared by

Garavaglia Architecture, Inc

6 July 2012 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 INTRODUCTION

Garavaglia Architecture, Inc. was contracted by the City of Belvedere (Client) in June 2012 to provide architectural preservation consulting services for a Historic Resource Evaluation (HRE) for the building located at 1 Belvedere Avenue, Belvedere, California. The Client has requested these services in connection with proposed modifications to the building. The residence has not previously been evaluated for listing on the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR). As requested by the Client, this report evaluates the subject property for listing on the CRHR.

Figure 1. Assessor's parcel map amended by Garavaglia Architecture, Inc.

METHODOLOGY Garavaglia Architecture, Inc. Architectural Historian Sarah Hahn conducted a site visit and survey of the property’s interior and exterior on 26 June 2012. The Client provided relevant documentation prior to the site visit. The building’s configuration and architectural elements were documented with photographs and field notes during the site visit. Archival research did not produce any original drawings for the subject property.

Garavaglia Architecture Inc. also conducted additional archival research on the subject property and surrounding area. Research repositories consulted include the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society, City of Belvedere Planning and Building archive database (Belvedere City Hall), the San Francisco Public Library online research databases (including U.S. Federal Census

1 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 records and the San Francisco Chronicle archive), the Online Archive of California, and the California Digital Newspaper Collection. (See References section for complete list of resources.)

DESCRIPTION OF RESOURCE Set on a steeply sloped lot, the two-story single-family residence at 1 Belvedere Avenue (APN: 060-141-08) sits between Belvedere Avenue to the east and West Shore Road to the west. The lot contains two buildings: the main residence, which is located roughly in the center of the lot, and a wood-framed carport that sits at the base of the driveway, slightly above the house. The lot itself is heavily wooded, with several mature Maple, Pine, Oak, Bay, and Redwood trees, as well as other smaller plantings.

Like the main residence, the one-story carport is topped by a broadly-pitched, cedar shake clad, side-gable roof. At either end, the gable tilts upward and outward, creating the characteristic broad geometric roof form also seen in the main house. The structure is largely open, enclosed only on the south side by a windowless wall. A partial wall with large open doorway encloses the west elevation. The floor is a wood plank deck and the walls and ceiling frame are exposed. A shaped balcony extends the deck to the west side, overlooking the main residence below.

The main residence is accessed via a winding stairway that leads from the carport to the front entry door on the east elevation. The stairs also continue west to access the lower deck of the house and the ground level. The exterior walls are clad in an unpainted board and batten siding, and the roof is covered in wood shakes. A prominent chimney, boxed in with the same siding, pierces the roof at the east roof plane. The roof eaves are open and characterized by broad, pointed overhangs at either end.

The wood framed front entry door is flanked by yellow, wavy-glass sidelights, and the adjacent window wall features large single-pane windows with narrow yellow glass panels in between. Small, pointed exterior decks extend off of either end of the main living space, and wide, full- length deck span both levels of the west elevation. The west wall of both levels is dominated by sliding glass doors and plate glass windows. Cantilevered decks and boxed volumes project from the principal mass of the house, shading exterior living areas and providing additional light to interior spaces.

The Aaron G. Green Associates, Inc. website describes the interior as follows:

Shortly beyond the entry, the space opens dramatically to the full, sun-drenched volume framing sweeping views of the adjacent bay. This upper level contains the principal spaces of combined living room/dining area, kitchen, music room and hobby room, all contained under the wide overhangs of the "floating" gabled roof. The space is extended further by a wide exterior deck to the west and two smaller, private decks at either end of the main axis, further emphasizing the linear nature of the house design. A broad, massive brick masonry fireplace serves the principal spaces on the upper level and anchors the residence to the sloping site. The lower level, [formerly the bedroom level, but now largely gutted] open[s] onto another wide exterior deck.

Roof structure is left exposed on the interior and serves to enhance the sweep of the volume's flowing open space. Floors are integrally colored concrete and incorporate a hydronic system of radiant heating.1

1 “Eldred Residence: Belvedere, California” Aaron G. Green Associates Architects website at

2 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012

Though much of the built-in furniture kitchen features have been removed, many original details still remain, including:

• massive brick and concrete fireplace • original stair to the lower bedroom level with redwood finishes • boxed light fixtures • yellow, wavy glass panels and original plate glass windows • some built-ins, upper and lower level • original doors and hardware • wood wall finishes • broad, open expanse of the main interior space, with open roof framing and redwood ceiling

Previous alterations to the interior have left portions of the house structurally unsound and most of the lower floor has been stripped of original features and finishes. Years of neglect have also resulted in some deterioration of exterior features. However, the exterior appearance remains unchanged and the historic character of the main interior space remains generally intact. Many original design characteristics and materials remain and overall these features appear to be in good condition. See Appendix A for existing conditions photographs.

http://www.agaarchitects.com/pages/residential/single_family/res_eldred.html (accessed 25 June 2012).

3 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 HISTORICAL CONTEXT

BELVEDERE2 In 1890, a group of prominent local businessmen and investors formed the Belvedere Land Company to develop their newly acquired island adjacent to the Tiburon peninsula. Belvedere Island was connected to the mainland by a narrow sand spit and a protected lagoon and rose from the waters as a tree-covered rocky mass with steep sides but commanding views of Angel Island, the Marin headlands and San Francisco Bay. “The company immediately set about terracing the big island with lineal, winding roads embanked with stone walls, and promoted the subdivision as a ‘residential park.’ The plan was an immediate success, the in place for San Francisco’s first families as the century turned.”3

To attract buyers, the Land Company improved streets, installed a water system and set about providing a ferry landing to connect the island with Tiburon, Sausalito, San Francisco and the wider Bay Area community. In the early years, Belvedere was made up of a mixture of seasonal and year-round residents with an active, bohemian-type summer atmosphere and a more subdued winter social scene. However, it also was a place that residents and visitors alike wanted to improve for more comfortable and hospitable year-round living. To this end, the City was incorporated in 1896, and had established a post office and school district by 1897.

Belvedere developed in two phases. After the initial offering of lots in the decades around 1900 attracted prominent San Franciscans looking for summer homes and a more rural lifestyle, there was a second marketing push in the 1940s to bring in more year-round residents. Consequently, there is a variety of housing stock reflecting these two eras. From the first are grander residences constructed in the popular styles of the time: Stick, Arts and Crafts, Queen Anne, Mission Revival, and First Bay Area Tradition. Many of these have shingle or wood siding, double hung windows, dormers, bay windows, multiple levels, obvious exterior ornament, and are set on larger lots.

From the second are smaller, more modest buildings in the mid-century architectural styles distinguished by single-levels, lower profiles, simpler exterior ornament, larger windows and a direct connection to outdoor living areas, all on smaller, more closely placed lots. These two developmental periods are the results of shifts in the organizational structure of the Belvedere Land Company. From its founding until 1935, it was run by a Board of Trustees who answered to a series of shareholders. In 1935, Harry Allen (successful developer of Sea Cliff in San Francisco) became the sole owner of the Belvedere Land Company. Recognizing the change in the realty market, he set about promoting Belvedere as a family friendly, more modest community to the upper-middle class market. In 1945 the remaining marsh water was drained and a new lagoon was filled with bay water. A model house designed by prominent architect George Rockrise was built in 1949 and “presented as appealing picture of lagoon living.”4

Growth was steady until the post-World War II era when Belvedere, like many Bay Area communities, found itself with a rapidly increasing population and all the governing issues that come with it. In 1954, a city manager form of governance was adopted but many critical operational functions were still carried out by the county or by consultants. The 1950s through

2 Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society, A Pictorial History of Belvedere: 1890-1990. (Tiburon, California: Wood River Publishing, 1990), historical overview summarized from various chapters. 3 Ibid. 7. 4 Ibid, 163.

4 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 the 1970s mark the third active building phase in Belvedere’s development. Direct ferry service to San Francisco resumed in 1962, attracting residents wanting to live outside of the city. “This period was a golden age of post World War II architecture, and Belvedere became a showcase of mid-20th century contemporary residential work.”5

Today, the predominantly residential community retains its original resort-era charm with a number of large, late-Victorian “cottages” still serving as prominent visual landmarks as visitors approach across the original sand spit (now Beach Road). The Albert Farr-designed Belvedere Land Company offices and cottages on Beach Road provide the architectural cues for a number of these early residences. Scattered among the larger residences are the smaller bungalows and early ranch-type houses of the second marketing phase. Then finally, in the lagoon and on the west side of the island, are later developments dating to the post-World War II and more recent periods.

1 BELVEDERE AVENUE Assessor records indicate that the residence at 1 Belvedere Avenue was constructed in 19636 and was owned by the Eldred family for forty-two years. The information provided below gives a historical overview of the property’s owners and development over time. Biographical and professional background of the architect is also provided.

Figure 2. Eldred residence exterior, view from above (photo courtesy of Aaron G. Green Associates, Inc.).

5 Ibid, 163. 6 Orchid Marcella Eldred’s obituary states that the residence was constructed in 1964. The original plans by Aaron Green are dated 1962, so it is estimated that the house was completed sometime in 1963 or 1964.

5 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012

Figure 3. Eldred residence interior, looking north (photo courtesy of Aaron G. Green Associates, Inc.).

Figure 4. Eldred residence, south elevation (photo courtesy of Aaron G. Green Associates, Inc.).

6 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 Ownership Chronology Date Owner 1958 Roy E. and Orchid M. Eldred 2004 David Salma 2007 Mark Pirie

Roy Edward Eldred was born on 13 October 1923 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He served as a Lieutenant in the Navy and as a physician during the Korean War. He married Orchid Marcella Davis in 1947 and the couple had three children. Dr. Eldred was the Chief of Urology at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Francisco for 32 years. Orchid Eldred was born on 3 March 1926 in Madelia, Minnesota. The family moved to Marin County in 1955 and bought property in Belvedere in 1958 on which they would build their “dream home”. Orchid graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1973 with a Phi Beta Kappa in rhetoric and was also an accomplished pianist. Orchid passed away in March of 2003, and her husband followed a year later in June 2004. The couple’s children sold the property to David Salma following Mr. Eldred’s passing.

Construction Chronology

Date Modification Owner Notes

Application for Single-family dwelling and carport. Estimated Building Permit – Dr. Roy cost: $67,000. Aaron Green, Architect 1 Jul. 1963 New Eldred (contractor’s name illegible). Construction Remove fire damaged materials. “ Rebuild fire damaged residence as per original plans Application for Dr. Roy and specifications.” “Replace 2nd story, fire 18 Jul. 1973 Building Permit Eldred damaged completely.” Aaron Green, Architect. Ireland, Robinson & Hedley, Contractors. Jun. 1985 No details Dr. Roy and Oct. Roof repairs Eldred 1988 Parking deck Dr. Roy No details Dec. 1991 repair Eldred Repair deck and Dr. Roy No details Nov. 2002 entry Eldred Repairs to upper Tom Tormey, Engineering Consultant deck of Eldred Dr. Roy 5 May 2003 residence, Eldred parking deck and stairs repaired Ken Lindsteadt, Architects. Demo most built- David ins, both residential floors. Demo all bedroom 7 Dec. 2005 Salma fixtures and selected walls, lower level. Demo all kitchen and built-in furniture, main level.

7 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 Research indicates that the residence was completed in 1964. Roughly ten years later, the upper floor of the residence was completely damaged by fire, though building records show that the house was rebuilt using the original plans. Architect Aaron Green designed the residence and oversaw both the original construction and the post-fire reconstruction. The Eldreds occupied the house from 1964 through 2004, when the property sold to David Salma. Little is known about Selma, who was the owner responsible for the extensive interior removal of original materials. It does not appear that he ever lived in the house. The property sold to Mark Pirie, the current owner, in 2007.

Aaron Green, Architect Born in Corinth, Mississippi in 1917, Aaron Gus Green spent most of his youth in Florence, Alabama. He studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, Florence State College, and the Cooper Union in New York City. From 1940 to 1943, he joined Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin in Wisconsin and Arizona, an experience that would shape his architectural career from that point forward.7

Green enlisted in the Air Force during World War I, serving as a bombardier. After returning to the United States, he began a design practice in Los Angeles, working for industrial designer Raymond Lowey in interior design for department stores and movie sets.8 In 1951, Frank Lloyd Wright learned that Green was relocating to San Francisco and suggested that they open a joint office together. The arrangement was that Green would continue his own independent practice, but also serve as Wright’s West Coast representative. This business relationship continued until Wright’s passing in 1959. Green participated in forty of Wright’s design commissions, and in 1957 was appointed as the Associate Architect for the Marin County Civic Center project.

Figure 5. Aaron Green oversaw the completion of the Marin Civic Center project after Wright’s passing. The building was the largest constructed public project of Wright’s career and is listed as a National Historic Landmark (photo: NPS Focus).

7 William H. Honan, “Aaron Green, 84, Architect Who Worked With Wright,” 18 June 2001, obituary online at .www.nytimes.com (accessed 22 June 2012). 8 Allan Temko, “Architect Aaron Green Left Graceful Bay Area Legacy,” 10 June 2001, article online at sfgate.com (accessed 22 June 2012).

8 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 Over the course of his career, Green designed more that 200 houses, “often of brick and stone and natural wood, long and low to the ground, with open plans and walls of glass, broad brick chimneys, bravely cantilevered eaves and decks and roofs shaped like arrowheads.”9 Of his residential designs, an author writes:

Green produced homes that can be exciting and full of movement from one prospect, warm and relaxing from another. Zigzagging rooflines, dramatic asymmetric or triangular clerestory windows, and two-story living-dining- kitchen areas surrounding immense fireplaces provide the excitement. Low-slung, built-in couches facing the hearth, indoor gardens beneath skylights and half- hidden bedrooms provide a meditative respite.

Many of Green's plans were based on triangles, or on quadrilaterals angled like diamonds to produce entire houses without one rectangular room. Others were based on intersecting circles, providing rooms with curved walls and decking.10

Public housing projects, public and commercial buildings, churches, and cemeteries are also among his list of works. Major commissions that Green handled apart from Wright included Marin City, a late 1950s housing project, and New Hunters Point Community, a San Francisco Redevelopment project. He also designed tract homes for developers, including Joseph Eichler, though none of these designs were ever constructed.11 Stylistically, Green adhered to Frank Lloyd Wright's theory of organic architecture, which addressed the natural environment, employed minimal ornamentation, and emphasized function and the honest expression of a building’s structural frame.12

In 1968, Green became a member of the College of Fellows, American Institute of Architects. He also served as a lecturer and critic at Stanford University for fifteen years, and in 2001 he was awarded the first Gold Medal of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in recognition of a half- century of work in the Bay Area.13

9 Dave Weinstein, “Signature Style: Aaron Green Getting it Wright,” 5 March 2001, article online at sfgate.com (accessed 22 June 2012). 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid. 12 Mary Brown, San Francisco Modern Architecture and Landscape Design 1935 – 1970, Historic Context Statement (San Francisco: San Francisco City and County Planning Department, 2010), 70. 13 William H. Honan, “Aaron Green, 84, Architect Who Worked With Wright,” 18 June 2001, obituary online at .www.nytimes.com (accessed 22 June 2012). Also “Aaron G. Green, FAIA” at http://www.agaarchitects/pages/about/agg.html# (accessed 22 June 2012).

9 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 EVALUATION FRAMEWORK

THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provides the legal framework by which historical resources are identified and given consideration during the planning process. The law was adopted in 1970 and incorporated in the Public Resources Code §§21000-21177. CEQA’s basic functions are to:

• inform governmental decision makers and the public about the potential significant environmental effects of proposed activities; • identify ways to reduce or avoid adverse impacts; • offer alternatives or mitigation measures when feasible; and • disclose to the public why a project was approved if significant environmental effects are involved.

CEQA applies to projects undertaken, funded, or requiring the issuance of a permit by a public agency. The analysis of a project required by CEQA usually takes the form of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Negative Declaration (ND), or Environmental Assessment (EA).14 Generally, a project that follows the Secretary of the Interior’s guidelines will be considered mitigated to a less than significant level, according to CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5(b)(3).

THE CALIFORNIA REGISTER CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION (CRHR) The CRHR is the official list of properties, structures, districts, and objects significant at the local, state or national level. California Register properties must have significance under one of the four following criteria and must retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be recognizable as historical resources and convey the reasons for their significance (i.e. retain integrity). The California Register utilizes the same seven aspects of integrity as the National Register. Properties that are eligible for the National Register are automatically eligible for the California Register. Properties that do not meet the threshold for the National Register may meet the California Register criteria.

1. Criterion 1: Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to broad patterns of local or regional history, or cultural heritage of California or the United States;

2. Criterion 2: Associated with the lives of persons important to the local, California or national history

3. Criterion 3: Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a design-type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic value; or

4. Criterion 4: Yields important information about prehistory or history of the local area, California or the nation.

14 http://www.aqmd.gov/ceqa/ (accessed 4.22.2011).

10 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 CRHR criteria are similar to National Register of Historic Places criteria, and are tied to CEQA, as any resource that meets the above criteria, and retains a sufficient level of historic integrity, is considered an historical resource under CEQA. Integrity is the authenticity of an historical resource’s physical identity evidenced by the survival of characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance.

Integrity When evaluating a potential historic resource, one must determine and clearly state the significance of that resource to American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture. A resource may be considered individually eligible for listing in the CRHR if it meets one or more of the above listed criteria for significance and it possesses historic integrity. Historic properties must retain sufficient historic integrity to convey their significance.

The National Register of Historic Places recognizes seven aspects or qualities that define historic integrity. These are also used in evaluations of integrity for the CRHR:

• Location. The place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. • Design. The combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. • Setting. The physical environment of a historic property. • 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. • Workmanship. The physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. • Feeling. A property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. • Association. The direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property.

Historical resources eligible for listing in the California Register must meet one of the criteria of significance and retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be recognizable as historical resources and to convey the reasons for their significance. To retain historic integrity, a resource should possess several of the above-mentioned aspects. The retention of specific aspects of integrity is essential for a resource to convey its significance. Resources that are significant, meet the age guidelines, and possess integrity will generally be considered eligible for listing in the CRHR.

11 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 FINDINGS

CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES This section uses the historic information discussed above to evaluate the property at 1 Belvedere Avenue for historic significance, in particular its eligibility for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources. The CRHR uses generally the same guidelines as the National Register of Historic Places (developed by the National Park Service); as such, selected language from those guidelines will be quoted below to help clarify the evaluation discussion.

To be potentially eligible for individual listing on the CRHR, a structure must usually be more than 50 years old, must have historic significance, and must retain its physical integrity. However, the California Office of Historic Preservation recommends documentation of any cultural resource that is 45 years or older. This recognized a common lag between resource identification and the date planning decisions or alterations are made.15 Like many cities in California, the City of Belvedere also identifies a 45 year threshold for the identification and evaluation of potential historic resources. Since the property at 1 Belvedere Avenue, built in 1964, falls within this time period, it is evaluated under the standard criteria below.

Criterion 1 (Event) As stated by the National Park service (NPS), this criterion “recognizes properties associated with single events, such as the founding of a town, or with a pattern of events, repeated activities, or historic trends, such as the gradual rise of a port city's prominence in trade and commerce.”16 When considering a property for significance under this criterion, the associated event or trends “must clearly be important within the associated context: settlement, in the case of the town, or development of a maritime economy, in the case of the port city.”17

Belvedere developed in three phases. After the initial offering of lots in the decades around 1900 attracted prominent San Franciscans looking for summer homes and a more rural lifestyle, there was a second marketing push in the 1940s to bring in more year-round residents. The third development period happened between the 1950s and the 1970s. Though the property was completed during the third phase of development in Belvedere, research did not indicate that it had a particularly important association with this development phase. A survey of other contemporary properties was not completed for the purposes of this review, however, no information came forward in the research that indicated that this house particularly influenced the design of other houses in Belvedere or the larger Bay Area.

For the reasons discussed above, 1 Belvedere Avenue does not appear to be eligible for listing on the CRHR at the National, State, or local level under Criterion 1.

Criterion 2 (Person) Criterion 2 applies to properties associated with individuals whose specific contributions to history can be identified and documented. The NPS defines significant persons as “individuals whose activities are demonstrably important within a local, State, or national historic context. The persons associated with the property must be individually significant within a historic

15 California Office of Historic Preservation, 1995, p.2. Instructions for Recording Historical Resources. Office of Historic Preservation, Sacramento. 16 National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, online at http://www.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb15/nrb15_6.htm 17 Ibid.

12 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 context.” The NPS also specifies that these properties “are usually those associated with a person's productive life, reflecting the time period when he or she achieved significance.”18

Roy and Orchid Eldred built the residence at 1 Belvedere Avenue and owned the property for over 40 years. Though Dr. Eldred was Chief of Urology at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Francisco for 32 years, research did not indicate that his work was particularly important within national, state, or local history. Further, no information was found to indicate that the house is notable for association with Orchid Eldred or any of the Eldred children. As such, the subject property does not appear eligible for listing as a historic resource for association with Dr. Eldred or the Eldred family under this criterion.

For the reasons discussed above, the subject property does not appear to be eligible for listing on the CRHR at the National, State, or local level under Criterion 2.

Criterion 3 (Design/Construction) Under Criterion 3, properties may be eligible if they embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction. Properties may also be eligible if they are the work of a master or if they display high artistic values. According to the NPS, “ ‘Distinctive characteristics’ are the physical features or traits that commonly recur in individual types, periods, or methods of construction. To be eligible, a property must clearly contain enough of those characteristics to be considered a true representative of a particular type, period, or method of construction.”19

The design of 1 Belvedere Avenue reflects many key characteristics of Aaron Green’s signature design style including the use of brick and natural wood, the open plan and glass window walls, the broad overhanging decks and exposed eaves, and the rooflines and decks with arrowhead shapes. Though a full understanding of Aaron Green’s body of work is still developing, the research conducted for this review indicates that he can be considered a master architect within the larger context of modern design in the Bay Area. The Eldred Residence at 1 Belvedere is the only example of his residential work in Belvedere and one of only two in Marin County. Each of his residential designs was unique and customized to the owner’s desired program, lifestyle and site issues.20

Green designed using the tenants of organic architecture he learned from Frank Lloyd Wright. According to an article on the subject:

…organic architecture was an interpretation of nature’s principles manifested in buildings that were in harmony with the world around them. Wright held that a building should be a product of its place and its time, intimately connected to a particular moment and site.21

18 National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. 19 Ibid. 20 Email from Jan Novie of Aaron Green Associates, Inc. to author, 2 July 2012. 21 “The Architecture of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: Organic Architecture,” http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/education/school-educator-programs/teacher-resources/arts-curriculum- online?view=item&catid=730&id=121 (accessed 5 July 2012).

13 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 These basic principles are also reflected in the local modernist design style identified as the Second Bay Tradition style. A recently completed modern architecture historic context statement describes this style as follows:

A unique regional Modern vernacular style developed in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late‐1930s. Now called the Second Bay Tradition, the emerging style fused the rustic, hand‐crafted, woodsy‐aesthetic of First Bay Tradition architects (Bernard Maybeck, Julia Morgan, Ernest Coxhead, et. al), with the sleek functional design and cubic, rectilinear forms associated with European Modernism. This union of the Arts and Crafts’ and International Style’s philosophies, materials, and volumes resulted in a simple, yet elegant regional Modern architectural style endemic to the Bay Area. The resultant buildings are characterized by wood cladding, large expanses of glass, overhanging eaves, and flat or low‐pitched roof forms. They are generally more open and light‐filled than buildings of the First Bay Tradition. Architects associated with the Second Bay Tradition designed buildings that were generally small in scale, that adapted to the landscape and climactic conditions, and that were often built of locally sourced redwood. The richness of stained redwood resulted in luminous, earthy dwellings in keeping with emerging indoor‐outdoor lifestyles.

Character-defining features of the style include: • Plain, simple, or vernacular appearance • Small scale, emphasis on volume rather than ornament • Cladding of wood shingles or wood siding, often redwood • Board and batten siding • Wood cladding, often stained, though painted wood is also common • Flat, gently pitched, or canted roof forms • Overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails • Horizontal orientation • Post‐and‐beam construction • Large expanses of glass and/or ribbon windows • Open‐plan or flexible interior plans • Emphasis on indoor‐outdoor living spaces22

1 Belvedere Avenue reflects many of these design characteristics and can be considered a clear example of the style. The design also represents the key components of Wright’s “organic” approach to design. Aaron Green was a prominent architect practicing in the Bay Area during the mid-to-late part of the 20th Century and research indicates that he was a master of his craft. He was the only student of Wright’s ever to run one of Wright’s offices and earned several prestigious awards and citations over the course of his architectural career.

Because the residence at 1 Belvedere Avenue represents the work of a master architect and embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Second Bay Area, it appears to be potentially eligible for listing on the California Register at the local level under Criterion 3

22 Mary Brown, San Francisco Modern Architecture and Landscape Design 1935 – 1970, Historic Context Statement (San Francisco: San Francisco City and County Planning Department, 2010), 172-175.

14 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 Criterion 4 (Information Potential) Archival research and physical investigation of the site focused on the above ground resource only. Therefore, no informed determination could be made regarding the property’s eligibility for the CRHR under Criterion 4.

Integrity Determination of eligibility is a two-part process. First, potential resources must be found to meet one of the criteria for significance. Second, they must be found to retain enough of their historic physical features to convey the reasons for their significance.23 The subject property appears eligible as a historic resource for association with architect Aaron Green and as a clear example of the Second Bay Area style. Despite significant removal of original interior features, the building still retains a high degree of integrity of location, setting, design, workmanship, materials, and feeling, and clearly communicates the reasons for its significance.

Conclusion 1 Belvedere Avenue retains a good degree of historical integrity and appears eligible for listing on the California Register of Historical Resources at the local level under Criterion 3 for is association with master architect Aaron Green and as a clear embodiment of the Second Bay Area style of design.

23 California Office of Historic Preservation, 2006, p.2. California Register and National Register: A Comparison. Technical Assistance Series No. 6. California Department of Parks and Recreation, Sacramento. Assistance Series No. 6. California Department of Parks and Recreation, Sacramento.

15 1 BELVEDERE AVENUE, BELVEDERE, CA Historic Resource Evaluation 6 July 2012 RESOURCES

Bastian, Beverly W. and Barbara B. Gnoss, Eds. A Pictorial History of Belvedere: 1890-1990. Belvedere-Tiburon: The Landmarks Society, 1990.

Brown, Mary. San Francisco Modern Architecture and Landscape Design 1935 – 1970, Historic Context Statement. San Francisco: San Francisco City and County Planning Department, 2010.

California Office of Historic Preservation, California Register and National Register: A Comparison. Technical Assistance Series No. 6. California Department of Parks and Recreation, Sacramento, 2006.

City of Belvedere Planning and Building Databases, permits and other documentation related to 1 Belvedere Avenue.

Gebhard, David and others. A Guide to Architecture in San Francisco & Northern California. Santa Barbara: Peregrine Smith, Inc. 1973.

Here Today: San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage (San Francisco: Chronicle Books), 217.

McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.

National Register of Historic Places, National Parks Service. How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Technical Bulletin No. 15. 1997.

United States Federal Census Records (1870-1930). Ancestry.com. .

Web References:

Allan Temko, “Architect Aaron Green Left Graceful Bay Area Legacy” 10 June 2001, article online at sfgate.com

Dave Weinstein, “Signature Style: Aaron Green Getting it Wright” 5 March 2001, article online at sfgate.com

Eldred Residence: Belvedere, California” Aaron G. Green Associates Architects website http://www.agaarchitects.com/pages/residential/single_family/res_eldred.html

The Architecture of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: Organic Architecture” http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/education/school-educator-programs/teacher- resources/arts-curriculum-online?view=item&catid=730&id=121

William H. Honan, “Aaron Green, 84, Architect Who Worked With Wright” 18 June 2001, obituary online at .www.nytimes.com