Written Historical and Descriptive Data Hals Ca-121

NUT TREE HALS CA-121 Nut Tree Parkway HALS CA-121 Vacaville Solano County California WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA HISTORIC AMERICAN LANDSCAPES SURVEY National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240-0001 HISTORIC AMERICAN LANDSCAPES SURVEY NUT TREE HALS NO. CA-121 Location: Nut Tree Parkway, Vacaville, Solano County, California. Latitude: 38.369617, Longitude: -121.960922 (Center of site, Google Earth, Simple Cylindrical Projection, WGS84) Significance: Nut Tree was a good example of mid-century modernism in a public commercial plaza. The period of significance for this modernist plaza dates from its design and construction beginning in 1953 to 1996 when it ceased operations. It was designed by the California landscape architect Robert Deering and Sacramento, California architecture firm Dreyfuss & Blackford. The restaurant and site-wide graphic design was supervised by graphic designer Don R. Birrell, who was associated with the Nut Tree for 40 years. The architects, landscape architect and designer have significant regional accomplishments. Dreyfuss & Blackford maintains a Sacramento office to this day and has an impressive list of acclaimed designs. Robert Deering was known for being the inaugural chair of the landscape architecture program at University of California at Davis, beginning in 1950 and as a pioneer in site cooling and heating through design. Don Birrell was the Director of the Crocker Art Gallery in Sacramento from 1951- 1953, prior to joining the Nut Tree staff. Nut Tree mixed outdoor living concepts with restaurant and retail services and amusement park-style entertainment. Most of the original Nut Tree has been removed and replaced with other retail and commercial activities. A central core “plaza” remains, along with a few of the original site elements and furnishings. Description: The spatial organization of Nut Tree was based upon an outdoor plaza flanked by shed-like pavilions housing restaurant and retail spaces. The design was “all about using concrete and glass, steel and clean lines, indoors and out–buildings, graphics and landscape were supported as Design by a great family client…Ornament, color and plants played big roles.” (Deering 2011; p.3). The site included a railroad, an airstrip, restaurant and gift shops. Designed by Robert Deering, the parking lot was one of the first in California to incorporate trees as a shading device to moderate the heat, particularly in the hot Central Valley summer months. Review of historical photographs and postcards indicate there was a connection between inside and outside through the use of glass. The restaurant space connected to the landscape, which was planted with plants with striking foliage shapes and use of varied materials on the ground. Interior aviaries also brought in light from the ceiling and continued the indoor-outdoor look and feel. NUT TREE HALS NO. CA-121 PAGE 2 The plaza featured a striking sales booth with a Googie feel to the scalloped roofline. It was well-suited to the amusement park feel of the place and is extant today, with some modifications for use as a ticket booth. An outdoor fireplace crafted of steel was another feature of the original Nut Tree landscape. Historical images and postcards show casual seating placed randomly around the fire pit, which was wigwam-shaped and raised above the pavement on a concrete pedestal. The fire pit is still located within the central plaza of the new Nut Tree shopping complex, although it is separated from people in the plaza by a low, circular steel fence. It is unclear if it is used anymore. A carousel remains from the original Nut Tree. The railroad, which used to extend to the Nut Tree airstrip, has been reduced to an elongated loop around the plaza. There are old tracks visible that extend toward the airstrip. The Nut Tree airstrip was transferred to Solano County after the demise of the Nut Tree and is still in use today. Lampposts capped with a white globe are extant in the plaza. They can be seen in historical photographs throughout the development, including the parking lot. It is likely that the mature trees in the plaza are the original plantings. Historical photos online also reveal that the existing building in the plaza with a Nut Tree Airport sign in stainless steel letters is from the old airstrip. It is a simple modern rectangular box with a floating canopy overhead. A great collection of historical imagery is located at ModernKiddo.com and at Flickriver: hmdavid’s photos (see sources). History: Nut Tree began as a roadside fruit and nut stand in 1921. It was located by Helen and Ed Power near Helen’s childhood home off old US Route 40. It grew over the years to have a Western-style theme. The master plan of the 1950’s replaced the western motif with a modern expression (Wikipedia 2015). In addition to the main restaurant, Nut Tree featured an outdoor restaurant, a bakery, gift shop, candy booths selling candy made on site and the Nut Tree railroad, which provided rides from the toy shop to the Nut Tree Airstrip. The restaurant, in the early years, served “California cuisine”, emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables. Historical photographs reveal that not only was the graphic design of the spaces and signs very vibrant and colorful, the food on the plate was as well. Celebrities arrived by airplane at the Nut Tree Airstrip or by automobile. Visitors of note included Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Herbert Hoover, Will Rogers and Bing Crosby, to name a few (SFGATE 2000). The original Nut Tree ceased commercial operation in 1996. The primary Nut Tree buildings were demolished in 2003. Only the core plaza remains, with some original elements that have been rearranged to suit the new configuration. The current retail development includes a collection of restaurants, gift stores and retail clothing outlets. The new Nut Tree is a 71-acre site being developed by Nut Tree Holdings, LLC, a joint venture of Capretta Properties Inc. and Reaal NUT TREE HALS NO. CA-121 PAGE 3 Ventures Inc. Upon completion, the Nut Tree Master Plan will include retail space, office space, apartment units and an event center (Nut Tree 2015). Landscape Architect Robert Deering, FASLA: Robert Deering, CA LA #49, earned an MLA and PhD from Cornell University in 1949. In 1950, he was hired as the first chair of the Landscape Architecture program (Bachelor of Science in Agriculture) at University of California, Davis. Robert Deering was known for studying the relationships of plant and site design relationships for achieving shading and passive solar gain. In 1954, he travelled to the Netherlands on a Fulbright scholarship. Mr. Deering returned to Davis and began a private landscape architecture practice. His practice included private residential gardens, parks and commercial sites. In partnership with Dreyfuss & Blackford, Robert Deering was the original landscape architect for the award-winning Mansion Inn in Sacramento, California. Robert Deering also partnered with Ken Anderson, Roseville, CA and they developed plans for projects such as Sierra College in Rocklin, CA. Robert Deering then went on to an 17-year career as landscape architect with the California Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks). He was Senior Landscape Architect and Regional Supervisor for the Goleta, California Parks office. He was involved in park design as well as real estate acquisitions for the Parks system. Upon his retirement in 1979, he went on to teach at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia. He continued his work in passive solar cooling at the University. Robert Deering died at his home in Davis, California December 1, 2010. Architects Dreyfuss & Blackford: In 1950, Albert M. Dreyfuss opened a small design office in Sacramento. Three years later he hired Leonard D. Blackford and the firm of Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects was established. In the early years, the firm designed many public schools, private office buildings and, in 1959, the International Style SMUD headquarters building, listed in 2010 on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1960s and1970s the practice expanded to new building types and solidified its place in modernism. The firm began master planning for San Francisco International Airport (in association with John Carl Warneke) and subsequently developed a master plan and design for Sacramento Municipal Field (now known as Sacramento International Airport, original terminals have since been demolished and replaced). The firm developed headquarters buildings for IBM and the Sacramento Union newspaper. Dreyfuss & Blackford designed the Lincoln Center in Sacramento, a design response to passive climate control. As of 2015, the firm is overseeing the rehabilitation of the interior spaces of the SMUD headquarters building. Graphic Designer NUT TREE HALS NO. CA-121 PAGE 4 Don R. Birrell: Don R. Birrell graduated from the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, California, where he was trained in graphic and exhibition designs. He taught design at the University of Alabama from 1950-51. He was Director of the Crocker Art Gallery in Sacramento, California from 1951-1953, until he joined the Nut Tree as design director. His career with Nut Tree spanned nearly 40 years. Don Birrell also created several logos for the City of Vacaville, California, Vacaville-Dixon Greenbelt, Raley’s supermarket, among other work for food and wine products. Don Birrell died on June 30, 2006 at the age of 83 (Reporter 2006). Sources: Deering 2010—Roberta Deering. Biography of Robert Deering 1920-2010. The Cultural Landscape Foundation. https://tclf.org/pioneer/robert- deering/biography-robert-deering. Accessed April 2015. Deering 2011—Paul Deering. Bob Deering–Landscape Architect. Deering Design. http://dd-land.blogspot.com/2011/01/bob-deering-landscape-architect and http://www.asla.org/land/LandArticle.aspx?id=30359.

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