Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House 4554 Norma Drive Historical Resource Research Report

February 2017

5649 La Jolla Boulevard La Jolla, CA 92037 (858) 456-8555 State of California The Resources Agency Primary # DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial NRHP Status Code 5S1 Other Listings Review Code Reviewer Date Page 1 of 53 *Resource Name: Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House P1. Other Identifier:

*P2. Location:  Not for Publication  Unrestricted *a. County: and (P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad: La Mesa Date: 1994 T R ¼ of ¼ of Sec; M.D. B.M. c. Address: 4554 Norma Drive City: San Diego Zip: 92115 d. UTM: Zone: 11 ; 491116.1 mE/ 3624733.8 mN (G.P.S.) e. Other Locational Data: (e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate)

APN: 465-480-01-00 ; Legal Description: Lot 599 of Talmadge Park Unit No. 3, in the City of San Diego, County of San Diego, State of California, according to map thereof No. 1900, filed in the office of the County Recorder of San Diego County, March 23, 1926.

*P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries)

The Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House is a two-story residence located at 4554 Norma Drive in the Talmadge Park neighborhood of San Diego. The house is stuccoed and roofed with metal imitation-wood shingles. The house was constructed in 1936 in the Tudor Revival style (continued on page 3).

*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP2 – Single Family Property *P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other (Isolates, etc.)

P5a. Photo or Drawing (Photo required for buildings, structures, and objects.) P5b. Description of Photo: Main (east) elevation

*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources: Historic Prehistoric Both 1936

*P7. Owner and Address: Michael and Robin Taylor 4554 Norma Drive San Diego, CA 92115

*P8. Recorded by: (Name, affiliation, and address) Rebecca McManus, MHP IS Architecture 5649 La Jolla Boulevard La Jolla, California 92037

*P9. Date Recorded: Aug. 2016

*P10. Survey Type: (Describe) Site visit; City of San Diego Historic Resource Nomination Report

*P11. Report Citation: IS Architecture Historic Resources Nomination Report

*Attachments: NONE Location Map Sketch Map  Continuation Sheet  Building, Structure, and Object Record Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record  Other (List): Attachments A-F – Works Cited DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information State of California  The Resources Agency Primary # DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD *Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) *NRHP Status Code Page 2 of _53 .

B1. Historic Name: N/A B2. Common Name: N/A B3. Original Use: Single Family Residence B4. Present Use: Single Family Residence *B5. Architectural Style: Tudor Revival *B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations)

The chain of title for the Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House indicates that the Union Trust Company of San Diego purchased a portion of Lot 23 of the Ranch Ex Mission in 1929. The subdivision was sold to Talmadge Park developer Guy C. Lichty in the late 1926. Lichty sold Lot 599 of the subdivision to the Henderson family in December of 1935 (continued page 4).

*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location: *B8. Related Features: None

B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown *B10. Significance: Theme: Residential Architecture Area: Talmadge Park Period of Significance: 1936 Property Type: Single Family Residence Applicable Criteria: C (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.)

The historic residential neighborhood of Talmadge Park was established in 1925 and named after movie star sisters Norma, Natalie, and Constance Talmadge. Norma Talmadge’s husband, Joseph M. Schenck, was a major stockholder in the realty firm associated with the project.1 The neighborhood was constructed in three stages in the 1920s and early 1930s. Newspaper articles from the San Diego Union indicate that construction on the first unit of 25 homes was begun in 1923 but that work was not complete until 1925, when a dedication ceremony was held and the first spec homes were available for purchase.2 A second unit of homes followed closely behind the first, and a third was begun in 1926.

Talmadge Park was intended to be a quality, designed community with “high-type homes” priced upwards of $150,000 (roughly equivalent to $2 million in today’s currency).3 Advertisements promised wide paved streets (continued page 4).

(Sketch Map with north arrow required.) B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) N/A

*B12. References: See endnotes, attached.

B13. Remarks: N/A

*B14. Evaluator: Rebecca McManus, MHP (IS Architecture)

*Date of Evaluation: Aug. 2016

(This space reserved for official comments.)

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information State of California  Natural Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # Trinomial CONTINUATION SHEET Property Name: __ Page __3__ of __53___

P3a. Description: Continued

It is unclear if the stucco is original but the use and finish of the stucco is appropriate for a half-timbered Tudor house of the period. Generally speaking, the windows on the second story are framed with decorative half-timbering and the windows on the first story just have simple stuccoed returns with a wooden sill.

EAST ELEVATION The main (east) elevation of the house faces Norma Drive. McAlester identifies the Front Facing Gable with Wing plan as a principle subtype of Tudor Revival houses; this elevation displays the elements of that subtype. A hipped roof with long eaves at the north and south ends dominates the façade and covers the main wing of the house. A front-facing gable is located at the south extent of the elevation. The gable connects to the entry porch, which is roughly centered on the façade. At the north extent of the elevation is a first-story, attached garage included within the main wing of the house.

The front facing gable at the southern extent of the main elevation features simple wooden vergeboards; the vergeboards flare slightly at the end of the eaves, creating the illusion of a curve in the roof. There is an arched attic vent in the gable end and a Tudor-arched wood window centered on the first story wall. The gable protrudes from the face of the main wing by approximately two feet.

The entry porch is roughly centered on the main elevation and sits at the same plane as the front facing gable. A Tudor arch leads into an entry alcove that contains a wood-paneled front door. The floor of the entry porch is paved with brick; an arched, brick step leads up to the porch and a second arched, brick step allows access to the front door. The entry alcove is flanked by small, vertically-oriented, rectangular, wood casement windows and metal light fixtures.

The second story of the house’s main block overhangs the first. Decorative half-timbering surrounds the two sets of paired, wood casement windows of the main wing. These windows feature decorative flowerboxes that are integrated into the half-timbering. Three single casement windows are located in the second story over the attached garage; the plane of this wall is recessed from the rest of the wing and the overhang is located slightly lower. These windows are also surrounded by decorative half-timbering. The rightmost of these three windows has a shallower sill than the other two and is not set as deeply into the wall. The half-timbering pattern is also irregular around this window. However, the design of this window is consistent with single casement windows on the rear of the house and is therefore not likely an alteration. If this window is an alteration, the subtle differences are sufficient to distinguish it from the windows to its left.

To the north of the entry porch is a grouping of three tall, narrow, wood casement windows with fixed transoms. The first story of the garage block features two wooden garage doors. These garage doors feature 6-lite windows and decorative paneling and are original to the house.

SOUTH ELEVATION The south elevation is dominated by the sloping hip of the roof, which extends down into the first story. There are three tall, narrow casement windows in this wall. These windows are modern replacements (date unknown) but are the same casement type as the originals they replaced and feature the same mullion arrangement. These windows are not visible from the public right of way.

WEST ELEVATION The rear (west) elevation faces a gorge and looks down on Aldine Drive. It features the west side of the house’s main block as well as a rear tower wing and concrete patio with fireplace.

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

State of California  Natural Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # Trinomial CONTINUATION SHEET Property Name: _Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House_ Page __4__ of _53__ The two-story, square wing is roughly centered on the rear façade. It has a hipped, roof and overhanging eaves are supported by carved rafter tails. The second story walls overhang the first story walls and feature simple, decorative half- timbering. The west wall features a pair of original, wood casement windows with six lites each. The south side of the wing features a pair of original, wood casement windows in the second story and a door in the first story. The north side of the wing features a shed roof over a first story storage area; this roof is clad in the same metal imitation shingle as the rest of the house.

To the north of the tower wing a small, four-lite, wood casement window is located in the second story. This window is surrounded by half-timbering. The second story overhangs the first story, which features an access door to the garage space.

To the south of the tower wing, in the main block of the house, is an exterior living space. A red brick fireplace dominates this section of the façade. The brick design is original and the brick itself appears to be historic. The design features a decorative Tudor arch surround, concrete mantel, and wooden brackets. The chimney has been repointed with modern mortar that is too hard for the brick. There are no significant cracks in the chimney, but the mortar is causing the spalling and cracking of individual bricks.

On either side of the chimney are single and paired wood casement windows (all original). A pair of windows in the second story, to the immediate north of the chimney, feature fixed, four-lite transoms and are placed in a projecting bay supported by wooden corbels.

A concrete patio spans the full width of the west elevation. The patio is in good condition and may be original.

NORTH ELEVATION The north elevation of the house consists of the north walls of the garage and second floor living space. The east side of the uneven gable is longer, reaching nearly to the top of the first floor. A rectangular attic vent is located at the peak of the gable end. A pair of double-hung windows are centered under the peak and surrounded by decorative half-timbering. These windows are replacements (date unknown) but are not visible from the public right of way. A tall, narrow wood casement window is located under the low east eave and also surrounded by half timbering. Like the third window above the garage on the east elevation, this window has a shallow sill and is not set as deeply into the wall. This design is consistent with the single casement windows on the rear of the house and is therefore not likely to be an alteration. If this window is an alteration, the subtle differences are sufficient to distinguish it from the original windows.

On the first story, two tall, narrow vents are roughly centered on the garage wall. The wall is stuccoed in between the half timbering on the second story; there is no half timbering and stucco only on the first story wall.

*B6. Construction History: Continued

Construction of the Henderson House was completed in 1936, as indicated in the Building Record, and was the first building on the property.

The lack of historic and modern building permits suggests that the house has not undergone any permitted work since its construction. No historic photographs or drawings of the house could be located for a visual assessment of changes. An on-site visual assessment of the property, however, revealed a non-historic roof and a small number of replacement windows on secondary façades.

The current owner was told by a previous owner that the original wood shingle roof was replaced approximately thirty years DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

State of California  Natural Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # Trinomial CONTINUATION SHEET Property Name: _Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House_ Page __5__ of _53__ ago due to an attic fire; there is no surviving documentation of the replacement. The roof was replaced with a metal roof that successfully mimics wood shingles.

It is unknown when the replacement windows were installed.

*B10. Significance: Continued for automobiles and mountain views and reliable sewage systems for residents.4 The Talmadge sisters and their movie star companions were also large draws for potential buyers; the sisters attended the dedication ceremony and an article estimates that their attendance drew nearly 10,000 people to the development. The sisters also sponsored charity auctions of lots within the development as a continued public relations and marketing strategy.5

Like other neighborhoods of the time, the houses in Talmadge Park were construction primarily in the Spanish Colonial Revival style; Tudor Revival style houses like the Henderson House are rare. In light of such, the Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson house is nominated for designation under the HRB Criteria as follows.

Criterion A: Exemplifies or reflects special elements of the City’s, a community’s, or a neighborhood’s historical, archaeological, cultural, social, economic, political, aesthetic, engineering, landscaping, or architectural development.

Designation under Criterion A is not proposed since present research did not yield substantial information about this individual property’s associations with the city, community, or neighborhood.

Criterion B: Is identified with persons or events significant in local, state or national history.

Designation under Criterion B is not proposed since research did not yield substantial information about significant persons or events associated with the property.

Criterion C: Embodies distinctive characteristics of style, type, period, or method of construction or is a valuable example of the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship.

The Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House is significant under HRB Criterion C as an excellent example of Tudor Revival domestic architecture. The style became popular in the late 19th century and continued through the 1940’s.6 In truth, the style does not pull only from Tudor architecture but became an amalgam of various English periods and styles of domestic architecture. The style is defined by its decorative use of multiple materials – including decorative (non- structural) half-timbering and brick, stone, and/or stucco – as well as its use of casement windows, irregular massing, long and asymmetrical eaves, and the use of the Tudor arch.7 The style’s flexibility allows for great variation of expression and the individualization of each house’s plan and decor to the builder or owner.

The Henderson House displays the character-defining structural and decorative features of a Tudor Revival house. The house features a front-facing gable, overhanging second story, long eaves with varied heights, an attached garage, and an asymmetrical plan. The tall, narrow casement windows are grouped; all have multiple panes and some feature transoms. The house also features a front entry porch with a Tudor arch, decorative half-timbering in the second story with stucco in between, decorative use of brick on the front steps, a large masonry chimney, and simple decorative vergeboards. All of these features are defining characteristics of the Tudor Revival style and qualify the Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson house for designation under HRB Criterion C.

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

State of California  Natural Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # Trinomial CONTINUATION SHEET Property Name: _Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House_ Page __6__ of _53__ Criterion D: Is representative of the notable work of a master builder, designer, architect, engineer, landscape architect, interior designer, artist or craftsman.

Designation under Criterion D is not proposed since the house is not the work of a master.

Criterion E: is listed or has been determined eligible by the National Park Service for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or is listed or has been determined eligible by the State Historic Preservation Office for listing on the California Register of Historic Resources.

Designation under Criterion E is not proposed since the house is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, nor has it been determined eligible for listing by the National Park Service.

Criterion F: is a finite group of resources related to one another in a clearly distinguishable way or is a geographically definable area or neighborhood containing improvements which have a special character, historical interest or aesthetic value or which represent one or more architectural periods or styles in the history and development of the City.

Designation under Criterion F is not proposed since the property is not a part of a listed historic district or other such group of resources. However, the Talmadge Park neighborhood is still an intact residential development today and reflects the original planning and design intentions of the developers. The street in Unit 3, on which the Henderson House is located, is still named after Norma Talmadge, one of the three sisters. Though development has increased in the surrounding areas, the mountain views are still visible on a clear day and the canyons on the west and north sides of the neighborhood still provide views and recreation for area residents. The Talmadge Park area is an excellent candidate for a local historic district designated under multiple HRB Criteria; if such a district were to be created, the Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House would be a contributing resource to that district under Criterion C.

INTEGRITY To be eligible for designation under any City of San Diego Historic Resources criteria a potential historic resource must retain integrity. According to the National Park Service (NPS), the integrity of a resource is determined by “the ability of a property to convey its significance.” In order to illustrate integrity, potential resources must be evaluated under the seven aspects of integrity defined by the NPS: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.

Location: Location is defined by the NPS as the “place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred.”

The Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House retains sufficient integrity of location to convey its significance under Criterion C. The house has not been moved from its original site or its location on the site.

Setting: Setting is defined as the “physical environment of a historic property.”

The Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House retains sufficient integrity of setting to convey its significance under Criterion C. The surrounding Talmadge Park neighborhood has retained its historic and residential character since the house’s construction.

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

State of California  Natural Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # Trinomial CONTINUATION SHEET Property Name: _Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House_ Page __7__ of _53__ Design and Materials: Design is defined as the “combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property.” Materials are defined as the “physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a pattern or configuration to form a historic property.”

The Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House retains sufficient integrity of design and materials to convey its significance under Criterion C. The replacement roof is appropriate to the character and period of the house and does not impact the house’s ability to convey the character defining features of a Tudor Revival house. The replacement windows were well-chosen and all but two mimic the type, size, mullion pattern, and color of the original windows. Moreover, these replacement windows are located on secondary façades and are not visible from the public right of way. They do not significantly alter the character of the house and do not impact the integrity of design. Two potentially altered windows on the east and north elevations are distinguished from the original windows by their differing sill depth and setting within the wall; this is consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. Regarding the materials, the replacement roof and windows are the only changes to the historic materials of the house and do not impact the house’s integrity.

Workmanship: Workmanship is defined as the “physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory.”

The Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House retains sufficient integrity of workmanship to convey its significance under Criterion C. The house’s primary facades clearly feature high craftsmanship applied to the Tudor Revival style.

Feeling and Association: Feeling is defined as the “property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.” Association is defined as the “direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property.”

The Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House retains sufficient integrity of feeling and association to convey its significance under Criterion C. It still expresses the aesthetic and historic sense of the Tudor Revival style and still demonstrates a direct link between the fabric of the house and the feeling intended by its original owner.

CONCLUSION

The Charles M. and Elizabeth Henderson House is eligible for designation under HRB Criterion C as a representative of Tudor Revival residential architecture. It maintains the character-defining features of the style, including the use of the Tudor arch, decorative half-timbering, characteristic rooflines, and an attached garage. The Henderson House retains sufficient integrity in all seven aspects to convey that significance and should therefore be considered a historic resource eligible for listing in the City of San Diego’s Register of Historic Resources.

ENDNOTES

1”Sell Talmadge Park for Million, Project of Film Luminaries,” San Diego Evening Tribune, Nov. 23, 1925, 1. 2”Sell Talmadge Park,” 1. 3”Sell Talmadge Park,” 1. 4”Sell Talmadge Park,” 1. 5”Talmadge Park,” San Diego Evening Tribune, Jan. 16, 1926, 15. 6Virginia McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Knopf, 2013), 449. 7Ibid., 448-455.

ATTACHMENT A Building Development Information

A.1 County Assessor’s Building Record A.2 Notice of Completion – Not Found A.3 Water/Sewer Connection Records – Sewer Records Not Found A.4 Building Permits – Not Found A.5 Site Plan with Building Footprint A.6 County Lot & Block Book A.7 Previous Historical Resource Survey Forms – Not Applicable

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

Notice of Completion Not Found

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

Sewer Connection Records Not Found

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

No Building Permits Found

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Not Applicable

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ATTACHMENT B Ownership and Occupant Information

B.1 Chain of Title B.2 Directory Listing of Occupants

B.3 Deed from Time of Construction

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

YEAR(s) OCCUPANT(S) 1936 – 1943 Henderson, Charles M. and Elizabeth 1943 Campbell, Samuel and Della 1943 – 1944 McKinnon, Lucille V. 1944 – 1949 Vetter, Harold N. and Bernice 1949 – 1960 Vinkemulder, Richard P. and Virginia S. 1960 – 1991 Lewis, Jack C. and Gladys 1991 – 2015 Vacant, owned by trustees of the Jack C. Lewis and Gladys Lewis Trust of 1991 2015 – Present Taylor, Michael F. and Robin M.

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

ATTACHMENT C Maps

C.1 City of San Diego 800’ Scale Engineering Map C.2 USGS Maps C.3 Original Subdivision Map C.4 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1886/1887 – Unavailable 1906 – Unavailable 1921 – Unavailable 1940 1950 1956 – Unavailable

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

C.2 USGS Maps (1942, earliest available after date of construction)

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Map Unavailable

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Map Unavailable

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Map Unavailable

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Map Unavailable

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ATTACHMENT D Photographs

D.1 Historical and Transitional Photographs (Unavailable) D.2 Current Photographs East (Main) Elevation D.3 Current Photographs South Elevation D.4 Current Photographs West Elevation D.5 Current Photographs North Elevation

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

Historical and Transitional Photographs Unavailable

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East elevation overall.

East elevation, front-facing gable with original fixed Tudor window.

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East elevation, entrance porch.

East elevation, original wood casement windows with original, fixed transoms.

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

East elevation, seconds story original wood casement windows with planter box.

East elevation, original wood casement windows and wood garage doors. DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

East elevation, original wood garage doors.

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

South elevation.

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West elevation overall

West elevation, outdoor living area

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West elevation, fireplace detail

West elevation details, corbel under rectangular bay.

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North elevation.

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ATTACHMENT E Supplemental Documentation

E.1 Criterion A – Documentation included for potential future district nomination E.2 Criterion B – Not Applicable E.3 Criterion C E.4 Criterion D – Not Applicable E.5 Criterion E – Not Applicable E.6 Criterion F – Not Applicable

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

SD Union, Mar. 7, 1923, page 16. SD Union, Mar. 7, 1923, page 11.

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SD Evening Tribune, Nov. 23, 1925, page 1.

SD Evening Tribune, Nov. 23, 1925, page 6.

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SD Evening Tribune, Jan. 16, 1926, page 15. SD Evening Tribune, Feb. 9, 1926, page 3.

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SD Evening Tribune, Mar. 1, 1926, page 7.

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Not Applicable

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Tudor arch (left) and groups of tall, narrow casement windows with multiple lites and transoms (right).

Decorative half-timbering in the second story, overhanging second story, and long eaves with wooden vergeboard.

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information

Front-facing gable and Tudor-arched window.

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ATTACHMENT F Works Cited/Bibliography

McAlester, Virginia Savage. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf, 2013.

“Sell Talmadge Park for Million, Project of Film Luminaries.” San Diego Evening Tribune, Nov. 23, 1925.

“Talmadge Park.” San Diego Evening Tribune, Jan. 16, 1926.

DPR 523 (1/95) *Required information