Bundy House, 401 25th Street Landmark Assessment Report
Santa Monica, CA 90402
Prepared for: City of Santa Monica Planning & Community Development Department 1685 Main Street, Room 212 Santa Monica, CA 90401
Prepared by: Architectural Resources Group, Inc. Architects, Planners & Conservators 8 Mills Place, Suite 300 Pasadena, CA 91105
April 23, 2014 Bundy House, 401 25th Street Landmark Assessment Report Page 2
1. Introduction
At the request of the City of Santa Monica’s Planning and Community Development Department, Architectural Resources Group, Inc. (ARG) has prepared this Landmark Assessment Report for 401 25th Street (Bundy House) in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County.
Constructed in 1913, the two‐story American Colonial Revival style residence was built for and originally occupied by husband‐and‐wife Thomas Clark Bundy and May Sutton Bundy. Thomas C. Bundy was a champion tennis player‐turned‐developer whose ventures in real estate helped shape portions of the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles’ Westside; May S. Bundy was also a champion tennis player who broke numerous records and was a female sports celebrity for several decades in the 20th century. ARG evaluated the residence to determine whether it satisfies one or more of the six statutory criteria associated with City of Santa Monica Landmark eligibility, pursuant to Chapter 9.36 (Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance) of the Santa Monica Municipal Code.
Completion of this assessment involved a site visit and visual inspection of the building’s exterior on April 10, 2014; compilation and review of historical building permits obtained from the City’s Planning and Community Development Department; archival research conducted at the Santa Monica Public Library and various online repositories; development of applicable historic contexts and themes; and evaluation of eligibility under Santa Monica Landmark criteria. This report was prepared by ARG staff Katie E. Horak, Senior Associate and Architectural Historian and Preservation Planner, and Andrew Goodrich, Architectural Historian and Preservation Planner, both of whom meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Architectural History and History.
In summary, ARG finds that 401 25th Street appears to satisfy three of the six eligibility criteria due to its association with the developmental and architectural history of Santa Monica; its association with historically‐significant individuals; and as a well‐articulated and highly‐representative example of American Colonial Revival residential architecture. The following sections provide a contextual basis for analysis and a detailed discussion of how this determination was made.
2. Architectural Description
2.1 Site and Setting
401 25th Street is located in northeast Santa Monica at the southeast corner of 25th Street and Carlyle (originally Loomis) Avenue, one block from Santa Monica’s eastern city boundary. The subject property is in an established residential neighborhood composed of one and two‐story single‐family residences, most of which are designed in one of several Period Revival styles and were constructed prior to World War II. Interspersed between these older homes are several single family residences that are of more recent construction and thereby embody a more contemporary aesthetic; most of these newer residences are compatible with adjacent older homes in terms of massing and scale. With few exceptions, homes within the neighborhood are uniformly set back from the public‐right‐of‐way and are buffered from the street by broad landscaped parkways, which are planted with mature shade trees
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spaced at regular intervals. The neighborhood adheres to Santa Monica’s skewed orthogonal street network and is divided into a series of rectilinear blocks that are roughly uniform in size and shape.
One of the earliest properties to be constructed in the vicinity, 401 25th Street is situated on a large corner parcel, which measures twice the width of adjacent parcels and is one of the largest single lots in the neighborhood. Perimeter and retaining walls span the front and back yards and delineate the parcel’s north and west boundaries from the public‐right‐of‐way. Other single‐family residences are located to the immediate south and east of the property.
Site map. The subject property, 401 25th Street, is outlined in red. Aerial imagery courtesy maps.google.com
2.2 Building Exterior
Positioned at the center of the subject parcel is a 4,584‐square‐foot single‐family residence that was constructed in 1913 and designed in the American Colonial Revival style, a popular choice for residential architecture in the first half of the twentieth century. The two‐story residence is oriented to the west and faces 25th Street. Originally L‐shaped in plan, the house now features an irregular footprint due to additions that were appended to its secondary elevations. The residence is constructed of wood frame and sits on a concrete foundation. Exterior walls are clad with horizontal wood siding of alternating widths. The residence is capped by a medium‐pitched hipped roof that is clad with composition shingles and features boxed eaves, a vented soffit, a simple frieze board, and a dentilled cornice. Projecting from the roof are two exterior chimneys: the first is located on the side (south) elevation and is clad with the
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same wood siding that sheathes the house’s exterior walls, and the second is located on the rear (east) elevation and is clad with smooth stucco.
The building’s primary (west) façade is balanced and symmetrical. Positioned at its center is an accentuated portico that is framed by paneled pilasters and crowned with a molded entablature and triangular pediment. Set within an arched opening is a single paneled wood door that is flanked on either side by a pair of multi‐light wood casement windows, which function as sidelights. Both the door and adjacent casement windows are encompassed by a paneled surround. In front of the portico is a partial‐width porch that is partially enclosed by a low wall clad with horizontal wood siding. Both the porch and portico are accessed by a central walkway that bisects the front lawn and is composed of slate pavers. This walkway is punctuated by two sets of steps, both of which are also clad with slate and flanked by simple wrought iron handrails.
Fenestration on the primary façade is symmetrically composed. Located on either side of the primary entrance on the ground story is a single fixed wood window that is topped by a multi‐light transom and features a decorative wood surround that emulates the appearance of shutters. On the second story, positioned directly above each fixed ground story window, is a single double‐hung wood window with a multi‐light upper sash, a decorative wood surround, and a projecting sill that is supported by brackets. Between these two upper‐story windows is a band of five casement windows with leaded glass and a continuous sill.
Side (north and south) elevations include a combination of casement and double‐hung wood windows, most of which are symmetrically composed. On the ground story of the north elevation is a projecting squared bay, which features three pairs of multi‐light wood casement windows and a single multi‐light fixed wood window on either side. Positioned above the bay are five adjacent double‐hung wood windows with multi‐light upper sashes and decorative wood surrounds. On the ground story of the south elevation is an offset canted bay composed of three double‐hung wood windows with multi‐light upper sashes. To the west of the canted bay is a single multi‐light wood casement window set within a recessed opening. On the second story of the south elevation are four multi‐light wood casement windows. The rear (east) side of the south elevation jogs inward and is not visible from the public‐right‐ of‐way.
The rear (east) elevation features a single‐story projection that is capped by a gently‐pitched hipped roof clad with composition shingles. A portion of this projection is capped by a second‐story balcony that is accessed by multi‐light wood doors. On the north side of the rear elevation is a wood trellis supported by simple wood posts. Fenestration on the rear elevation appears to consist of a combination of French doors and multi‐light wood casement windows; however, visibility of this elevation from the public‐ right‐of‐way was largely obscured by mature foliage and a perimeter wall.
Near the southeast corner of the subject property is a two‐story ancillary building that houses a garage on the ground story and residential space on the upper story. This building is set far back from the street and is attached to the rear elevation of the main residence. Constructed in 1989, the ancillary building emulates the architectural vocabulary of the main residence through its simple, symmetrical massing; horizontal wood siding; composition shingle‐clad pyramidal hipped roof with boxed eaves; and dentilled cornice. The ground story is occupied by a two‐car garage bay with a metal roll‐up door; symmetrically
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positioned above the garage bay are three adjacent double‐hung wood windows with multi‐light upper sashes. The ancillary building is approached by a narrow driveway clad with pavers.
Landscape features of note include a gently‐sloping front lawn that is slightly elevated from the public right of way and supported by a concrete retaining wall, mature shade trees, and a variety of flowering plants and shrubs. Spanning the north edge of the property is a concrete perimeter wall that is almost entirely covered by vines. Set within this perimeter wall is an arched portico that faces 25th Street. This portico, which is identical in design and scale to the entrance portico, provides access between the front and back yards. A wrought iron gate is installed in the archway.
Alterations to the residence are relatively minor and are confined to its secondary elevations. The combination garage and ancillary building was constructed in 1989, transforming the house’s original L‐ shaped footprint into a more irregular shape. Two small, ground‐story additions were appended to the rear elevation in 1989 and 2003. Various minor alterations to landscape and hardscape features have been performed over time, especially in the back yard. With the exception of the ancillary building, none of the alterations are readily visible from the public‐right‐of‐way.
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Primary (west) elevation, view east. Photo by ARG, 4/10/14. North elevation, view southeast. Photo by ARG, 4/10/14.
South elevation, view northwest. Photo by ARG, 4/10/14. Rear (east) elevation, view southwest. Photo by ARG, 4/10/14.
Ancillary building, view east. Photo by ARG, 4/10/14. Detail of primary entrance. Photo by ARG, 4/10/14.
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3. Alterations and Chronology of Development
Upon review of archive building permits obtained from the City of Santa Monica’s Planning and Community Development Department, historic aerial photographs, Sanborn Fire Insurance Company maps, and property data obtained from the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office, ARG produced the following chronology of development for 401 25th Street. This chronology provides a summary of the property’s development and alterations that have been made over time.
Date Description of Work Performed Owner on Record
1913 2‐story residence constructed at the southeast corner of 25th Street and Carlyle Avenue1 (permit not available) 1927 Permit issued for unspecified alterations Paul J. Grady 1989 Garage and upper‐story bedroom and bathroom constructed at rear of property Harlan Doran
1989 Swimming pool constructed in back yard Harlan Doran
1992 233 ft2 ground‐story addition to family room appended to rear elevation Harlan Doran 1995 New interior fireplaces installed Mr. and Mrs. Ken Olin
2003 40 ft2 addition appended to rear elevation (precise location not specified) (none listed) 2003 Deck on rear elevation remodeled with an enclosed patio (none listed) 2003 Interior renovations to kitchens, bathrooms, and power room (none listed)
4. Historic Contexts
4.1 Early Residential Development of North Santa Monica
The roots of present‐day Santa Monica, which was originally inhabited by the Tongva people and was later incorporated into California’s network of expansive land grants during the state’s Mexican period, can be traced to 1875 when the original townsite was platted and recorded.2 Like many communities in Southern California, Santa Monica was incorporated in 1887 at the height of a real estate boom, brought on by the completion of a transcontinental rail line to the region and a subsequent fare “war” that emerged between the competing Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroad companies.3 Early in its history, the city was heavily marketed as a tourist destination and gained national acclaim for its recreational culture, balmy climate, bathhouses, opulent hotels, and amusement piers.
Residential development in Santa Monica at this time tended to be concentrated in sites nearest the ocean and around the present‐day commercial core. Small communities of beach cottages, many of which were built as vacation homes for affluent out‐of‐towners, arose in those areas proximate to the
1 Original date of construction and building description are based on data obtained from the LA County Assessor. An original building permit was not on file with the City of Santa Monica’s Planning and Community Development Department. 2 David Gebhard and Robert Winter, An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles (Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 2003), 53. 3 George L. Henderson, California and the Fictions of Capital (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 154.
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shoreline, and several large residences were constructed on parcels atop the palisades that overlook the ocean.4 However, residential development expanded outward toward the city’s periphery as Santa Monica began to come of age as a residential enclave in the early 20th century. Residential development beyond the city’s core was aided by the proliferation of electric streetcar lines, increasing accessibility to areas that had previously been impractical to subdivide and develop.
Whereas small bungalows accounted for much of the development in the central and southern sections of the city at this time, the area north of Montana Avenue emerged as one of the city’s premiere and most coveted residential districts. Large swaths of undeveloped land along San Vicente Boulevard were subdivided into generously‐sized residential lots, many of which were developed with large single‐family residences designed in a variety of popular early 20th century architectural styles. This area assumed an upper‐middle class character similar to the adjacent communities of Brentwood and Pacific Palisades.
Among the new residential subdivisions to open in the area north of Montana Avenue was Brentwood Place (Tract No. 1676), which was opened by the Citizens Trust and Savings Bank in 1912.5 Encompassing approximately 100 acres on the eastern edge of Santa Monica between San Vicente Boulevard, Montana Avenue, and 23rd and 26th Streets, the new tract was subdivided into generously‐sized 145‐by‐ 65 foot residential parcels. Lots within the tract adhered to Santa Monica’s orthogonal street network and were characterized by consistent lot dimensions and uniform setbacks. City directories indicate that the first residences constructed in Brentwood Place were clustered near the intersection of 25th Street and Loomis (now Carlyle) Avenue. These homes were built shortly after the tract opened and were inhabited primarily by prominent real estate developers and their families. This included 401 25th Street, which was built in 1913 and occupied two adjacent parcels at a prominent corner location.
Like many of the neighborhoods located north of Montana Avenue, Brentwood Place was established in the 1910s but took shape as a cohesive neighborhood in the 1920s at the height of a citywide building boom, fueled by the era’s economic prosperity and the advent of the automobile. Historical city directories and assessor data indicate that the once sparsely‐settled subdivision was heavily developed in the 1920s and 1930s, with few vacant parcels remaining by World War II. Similar to the Bundy House, residences constructed in the 1920s and 1930s tended to be grand and well‐articulated examples of Period Revival architecture and reflected the relative wealth and status of area residents.
4.2 Thomas Clark Bundy and May Sutton Bundy
The original occupants of 401 25th Street were Thomas Clark Bundy and May Sutton Bundy, each successful and prominent in their own right. The youngest son of Nathan Pearl Bundy, one of Santa Monica’s earliest settlers and an early developer of Santa Monica and West Los Angeles, Thomas C. Bundy (b. 1881) developed a name for himself, initially as a champion tennis player of national renown and later as a successful businessman and real estate developer.6 In his latter role, Bundy is credited with developing approximately 2,000 acres in the Sherman Oaks area of the San Fernando Valley and
4 City of Santa Monica General Plan, “Historic Preservation Element,” prepared by PCR Services Corporation and Historic Resources Group (September 2002), 12‐13. 5 Tract Map No. 1676 (1912), obtained from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. 6 Luther A. Ingersoll, Ingersoll’s Century History, Santa Monica Bay Cities (Los Angeles: Luther A. Ingersoll, 1908), 431‐432.
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the La Brea‐Wilshire area of Los Angeles. Bundy also played an instrumental role in developing the Los Angeles Tennis Club in Hancock Park, which opened in 1920.7
May Sutton Bundy (b. 1888), married to Thomas C. Bundy, was a successful female tennis player and sports celebrity whose career involved the making and breaking of numerous records in her sport. Born in England and raised in Southern California, she won her first tournament at the age of 12 and became the nation’s youngest female tennis star; in 1905, she was the first American tennis player to win at Wimbledon; and in 1908, she became the first athletic figure to become Queen of the Tournament of Roses Parade.8 Neither marriage nor motherhood slowed down Bundy’s athletic career, as she continued to compete and take titles for several decades. In 1938, Bundy, along with several other influential women including aviator Amelia Earhart, was named one of the nation’s most influential feminists for her perseverance and accomplishments in a field that had historically been dominated by men. In 1956, Bundy once again broke ground and gender barriers as the first woman to be inducted into the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association’s Hall of Fame.9
City directories from the 1910s do not specify an address of residence for Thomas C. and May S. Bundy, but rather indicate that the Bundys resided at the southeast corner of 25th Street and Loomis Avenue. The Bundys are listed at this location through 1918. Between 1919 and 1922, city directories and U.S. Census records list Thomas and May Bundy’s address as 515 25th Street, which is located approximately one block to the south of the subject property and is presently occupied by a house constructed in 1926. Between 1923 and 1926, the Bundys’ address is listed as 415 25th Street, located immediately to the south of the subject property. By 1927, the Bundys had moved out of the neighborhood and into a new residence on Santa Monica’s waterfront.
It can be confirmed that Thomas and May Bundy resided at the subject property through 1918, but the precise date at which the Bundys moved out of the residence remains ambiguous. Given that the Bundys are placed at three addresses in proximity to one another in a relatively short period of time, and given that the current residence at 515 25th Street was constructed several years after the Bundys are listed as living at that address, it seems possible that a typographical error was made. Similarly, it is possible that address numbers in the neighborhood were changed at some point in the City’s history, and the 515 25th Street address actually corresponds to the present‐day address of either 401 or 415 25th Street. However, Sanborn maps from the period are not available for this part of the city to confirm or refute these possible scenarios. In addition, a review of primary and secondary source materials did not provide clarification or additional information toward this end.
Later residents of the subject property include mining engineer Edward T. Grady with his wife Gertrude and son Paul, geologist Arthur L. Smith and his wife Charlotte, and actors Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig. While Grady and Smith appear to both have been successful in their respective occupations, their individual contributions do not appear to rise to a level of historical significance. Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig are both living actors of note; however their occupation of 401 25th Street was relatively recent
7 Cecilia Rasmussen, “May Bundy Rewrote the Tennis Record Books,” Los Angeles Times, 28 March 1999. 8 Ibid. 9 Judy Barrett Litoff and Judith McDonnell, eds., European Immigrant Women in the United States: A Biographical Dictionary (Taylor and Francis, 1994), 291‐292.
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(1990s‐early 2000s) and sufficient time has not passed to assess their significance in association with the subject property.
4.3 American Colonial Revival Architecture
401 25th Street was designed in the American Colonial Revival style, a popular choice for residential architecture that was commonly applied to houses constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Drawing heavily upon historical precedent, American Colonial Revival architecture aimed to revive major architectural styles, forms, and motifs evident in the early American Colonial settlements of the Eastern Seaboard. American Colonial Revival architecture encompassed a wide variety of architectural traditions of early America, with an emphasis on elements associated with the nation’s English and Dutch roots.10
Americans’ widespread interest in reviving elements of the nation’s Colonial roots is generally attributed to the Centennial International Exposition of 1876, held in Philadelphia to celebrate the 100‐year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.11 The exposition invoked a strong sense of patriotism and encouraged Americans to revisit and celebrate their collective past, a theme that carried over into multiple aspects of society including architecture and the built environment. Residences built after the exposition often incorporated architectural elements common to structures erected by early American settlers including simple building forms and roof structures, balanced and well‐proportioned facades, Classical ornament, and an emphasis on symmetry, balance, and order.
Subsequent advances in printing technology helped further popularize the American Colonial Revival style in the early 20th century by making possible the wide dissemination of photographs, drawings, and other visual materials that showcased the style. Turn‐of‐the‐century periodicals including The American Architect and Building News and the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs regularly featured photographs and renderings of American Colonial Revival style buildings, and also provided details and specifications that provided architects with the ability to attain a high degree of historical accuracy.12 Given the style’s popularity and historical associations, its aesthetic became inextricably linked over time with visions of suburbanization, the American dream, and middle‐class aspirations; photographs and spreads of “ideal” American Colonial Revival style homes were often featured in domestic magazines including Ladies Homes Journal and Better Homes and Gardens, which perpetuated the style’s popularity until it began to fall out of favor in the mid‐1950s.13
The American Colonial Revival style was one of several historicist idioms that were commonly applied to residential buildings in Southern California constructed prior to World War II, a time when architects commonly turned to historical models for inspiration. Santa Monica neighborhoods and subdivisions that were developed at this time, including Brentwood Place, typically feature residences designed in one or more Period Revival styles. Thus, American Colonial Revival architecture is one of several Period
10 Virginia McAlester and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Homes (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1984), 321‐326. 11 Dell Upton and John Michael Vlach, Common Places: Readings in American Vernacular Architecture (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1986), 263. 12 City of Roanoake, VA, Residential Pattern Book for the City of Roanoake (Roanoake: Roanoake Planning, Building, and Development Department, 2008), 64‐65. 13 Ibid.
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Revival styles from the early 20th century that help define the architectural landscape of Santa Monica, particularly within residential subdivisions developed during the first half of the 20th century.
In Southern California, American Colonial Revival architecture was most commonly applied to single‐ family and multifamily residential buildings. The style is commonly associated with suburban dwellings designed for middle and upper‐class patrons, such as the Bundy House, but also proved to be a popular stylistic choice for modest bungalows and mass‐produced catalog homes. Buildings designed in the style are typically one or two stories in height and feature simple building footprints; medium‐pitched hipped or gabled roofs with boxed eaves and dormers; exterior surfaces clad with wood siding and/or brick; primary facades that are symmetrical and balanced; prominent entryways that are often adorned by Classical style pediments, columns, and/or pilasters; paneled entrance doors that are often flanked by transoms and/or sidelights; multi‐light double‐hung wood windows; decorative shutters; and Classical style ornament.14 The Bundy House embodies almost all of these hallmark characteristics.
5. Regulations and Criteria for Evaluation
5.1 City of Santa Monica Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance
Historic preservation in Santa Monica is governed by Chapter 9.36 (Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance) of the Santa Monica Municipal Code. The Ordinance was adopted by the Santa Monica City Council on March 24, 1976 and was twice amended, first in 1987 and again in 1991.15 Among the primary objectives achieved by the Ordinance was the creation of a local designation program for buildings, structures, sites, objects, districts, and landscapes in the City that are of historical significance.
With regard to individually significant properties, the Ordinance distinguishes between two tiers of designation: Landmarks and Structures of Merit. Landmarks, outlined in §9.36.100, are considered to exhibit “the highest level of individual historical or architectural significance”; Structures of Merit, outlined in §9.36.080, possess a degree of individual significance that is more limited in scope.16 Protections against demolition and alterations are commensurate with the tier of individual designation assigned to a particular resource.
In addition to individual Landmarks and Structures of Merit, the Ordinance establishes statutory criteria and procedures for the designation of Historic Districts, defined in §9.36.030 as a “geographic area or noncontiguous grouping of thematically related properties” that collectively contribute to the historic character of an area within the City. Unlike individual properties, whose designation does not require
14 McAlester and McAlester (1984), 321‐326; City of Los Angeles, “SurveyLA Historic Context Summary Tables: Architecture and Engineering/American Colonial Revival,” accessed 17 April 2014 < http://www.preservation.lacity.org/files/Architecture_and_Engineering_1850‐1980_0.pdf> 15 City of Santa Monica General Plan, “Historic Preservation Element,” prepared by PCR Services Corporation and Historic Resources Group (September 2002), 1‐2. 16 City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Department, “Historic Preservation in Santa Monica,” accessed 16 April 2014 < http://www.smgov.net/departments/PCD/Programs/Historic‐Preservation/>
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owner consent and is approved by the City’s Landmarks Commission, Historic Districts must win the support of a majority of property owners within the district and be approved by the City Council.17
Per §9.36.100(a) of the Ordinance, a property merits consideration as a Landmark if it satisfies one or more of the following six statutory criteria:
(1) It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political, or architectural history of the City; (2) It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy interest or value; (3) It is identified with historic personages or with important events in local, state, or national history; (4) It embodies distinguishing architectural 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; (5) It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a notable builder, designer, or architect; (6) It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community, or the City.
6. Evaluation of Significance
6.1 Previous Evaluations
The Bundy House has twice before been evaluated as part of the City’s ongoing historic resource survey efforts. A Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) inventory form dated 1986 and prepared by Johnson Heumann Research Associates assigned the subject property a status code of 5S (eligible for local listing only). A subsequent DPR 523 series Building, Structure and Object Record dated 2010 and prepared by ICF International assigned the residence a status code of 5S3 (appears to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation). Based on the most recent evaluation, the residence is included on the California Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) with a status code of 5S3.
6.2 Evaluation of Local Significance
In summary, the Bundy House appears to satisfy three of the aforementioned Landmark designation criteria. This determination was made upon evaluating the property against each of the statutory criteria as follows:
9.36.100(a)(1). It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political, or architectural history of the City.
17 Ibid.
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The subject property appears to satisfy this criterion for exemplifying major patterns in Santa Monica’s developmental and architectural history. As one of the first residences to be constructed in northeast Santa Monica, the residence is associated with the area’s earliest pattern of residential development and the eastward expansion of Santa Monica in the early 20th century. As an intact and representative example of the American Colonial Revival style, the residence reflects major patterns in the City’s early architectural history and continues to clearly convey the aesthetic and associative principles, values, and ideas of the era in which it was constructed.
9.36.100(a)(2). It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy interest or value.
The subject property does not appear to satisfy this criterion. While the residence is an excellent and representative example of the American Colonial Revival style and thus satisfies the conditions of Criterion 9.36.100(a)(4) on the basis of its architecture, it does not appear to exhibit aesthetic or artistic interest or value independent of its architectural characteristics. Since the Ordinance evaluates aesthetic/artistic merit and architectural merit under separate criteria, it is implied that “aesthetic or artistic interest or value” pertains to characteristics and/or features of a property that are not accounted for by its architecture. In the absence of any distinctive aesthetic or artistic features aside from its architecture, the Bundy House does not appear to fall within the scope of this criterion.
9.36.100(a)(3). It is identified with historic personages or with important events in local, state, or national history.
The subject property appears to satisfy this criterion for its direct association with two individuals who played important roles in local and national history: Thomas Clark Bundy and May Sutton Bundy. City directories indicate that both Thomas C. and May Sutton Bundy resided at the southeast corner of 25th Street and Carlyle (originally Loomis) Avenue through 1918.
Given his role as an influential early shaper of Sherman Oaks and the Westside of Los Angeles, Thomas C. Bundy appears to be a historical personage of local significance. Bundy constructed the subject property as his personal residence in 1913 and continued to reside there with his family until at least 1918, which encompasses much of his productive period as a real estate developer. Given her national acclaim and contributions to female athletics, May Sutton Bundy can also be regarded as a historical personage whose contributions merit recognition under this criterion. With her husband and their children, May resided in the subject property between 1913 and at least 1918. This falls within her productive period as a record‐breaking world tennis champion, which began in 1900 and continued well into the 1950s.
9.36.100(a)(4). It embodies distinguishing architectural 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 subject property appears to satisfy this criterion as a well‐articulated example of American Colonial Revival residential architecture in Santa Monica. Constructed in 1913, the residence embodies the key architectural characteristics that define the American Colonial Revival style, and reflects the regenerated interest in early American historicism that played a role in characterizing residential architecture of the
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era. Characteristics of American Colonial Revival architecture that are articulated in the subject property include its simple footprint; symmetrical façade composition; medium‐pitched hipped roof with boxed eaves and cornice board; horizontal wood siding; accentuated, centrally‐positioned door capped by a decorative pediment and flanked by pilasters; symmetrically‐oriented wood windows with multi‐light upper sashes; and modest application of Classical ornament.
Though two small rear additions and the construction of the combination garage/ancillary building have modified the residence’s original L‐shaped footprint, these alterations are compatible with the design of the building, are confined to the rear face of the property, and are not readily visible from the public‐ right‐of‐way. Thus, the residence’s essential design and architectural character remain intact.
9.36.100(a)(5). It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a notable builder, designer, or architect.
The subject property does not appear to satisfy this criterion. A 2013 real estate listing for the property states that the residence was designed by Sumner P. Hunt and Silas R. Burns, distinguished architects who worked in partnership between 1908 and 1930 and designed a variety of notable residential and institutional buildings around Southern California at this time.18 Archival research indicates that as a real estate developer, Thomas C. Bundy often commissioned Hunt and Burns to design the properties that he developed. However, at the time this assessment was conducted, a direct association between the subject property and Hunt and Burns could not be corroborated through primary or secondary research. No original building permit was available for the residence, which would have likely identified the architect and/or builder attributed to its design and construction. A search of historical newspapers and periodicals also did not reveal pertinent information toward this end.
Conflicting information is presented in a DPR 523B (Building, Structure, and Object Record) form prepared in 2010 by ICF International. On that DPR form, it is stated that the Bundy House “remains an excellent example of the Tudor Revival style [sic] as interpreted by master architect Arthur Kelly.” An esteemed Southern California architect whose career spanned the first half of the twentieth century, Arthur R. Kelly is perhaps best known for designing high‐style residences for affluent patrons including silent film actor William S. Hart, veteran developer Harold Janss, and department store magnate Arthur Letts.19 The design of the subject residence is consistent with Kelly’s body of work, but review of primary and secondary sources did not link Kelly to the subject property.
Neither Hunt and Burns nor Kelly’s association with the subject property has been proven incorrect, but in the absence of verifiable sources to corroborate this information there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the property appears eligible under local Criterion 5. Should additional information arise that confirms either of these associations, the residence would likely satisfy this criterion.
18 Pacific Coast Architecture Database, “Hunt and Burns, Architects,” accessed 17 April 2014
Architectural Resources Group, Inc. Architects, Planners, & Conservators
Bundy House, 401 25th Street Landmark Assessment Report Page 15
9.36.100(a)(6). It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community, or the City.
The subject property does not appear to satisfy this criterion. The parcel on which the residence sits is comparatively wide, but it otherwise conforms to the common setbacks and uniform, rectilinear pattern of parcels, blocks, and streets that defines this part of Santa Monica. Thus, there does not appear to be anything distinctive or unique about its location. The residence is an excellent example of American Colonial Revival architecture, but it has no singular physical characteristic that is of particular note. As one of the first properties to be developed in northeast Santa Monica, the residence is likely an established and familiar visual feature to those who live in the neighborhood, but otherwise reads as one of many grand Period Revival‐style residences located in this area of the City.
7. Conclusion
Based on documentary research, site analysis, the development of historic contexts, and an evaluation against federal, state, and local eligibility criteria, ARG finds that the Bundy House appears to satisfy three of the six statutory criteria associated with City of Santa Monica Landmark eligibility. Specifically, the residence appears to satisfy local Criteria 9.36.100(a)(1), (3), and (4).
8. Bibliography
Books, Periodicals, and Other Published Materials:
Barrett Litoff, Judy, and Judith McDonnell, eds., European Immigrant Women in the United States: A Biographical Dictionary. Taylor and Francis, 1994.
City of Roanoake, VA, Residential Pattern Book for the City of Roanoake (Roanoake: Roanoake Planning, Building, and Development Department, 2008), 64‐65.
City of Santa Monica General Plan, “Historic Preservation Element,” prepared by PCR Services Corporation and Historic Resources Group (September 2002), 12‐13.
City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Department. State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation DPR 523 Form for 401 25th Street (1986). Prepared by Johnson Heumann Research Associates.
City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Department. State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation DPR 523 Forms for 401 25th Street (2010). Prepared by ICF International.
Gebhard, David, and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 2003.
Architectural Resources Group, Inc. Architects, Planners, & Conservators
Bundy House, 401 25th Street Landmark Assessment Report Page 16
Henderson, George L. California and the Fictions of Capital. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Ingersoll, Luther A. Ingersoll’s Century History, Santa Monica Bay Cities. Los Angeles: Luther A. Ingersoll, 1908.
McAlester, Virginia, and Lee McAlester. A Field Guide to American Homes. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1984.
Rasmussen, Cecilia. “May Bundy Rewrote the Tennis Record Books.” Los Angeles Times. 28 March 1999.
Santa Monica City Directories (various), accessed at the Santa Monica Public Library.
Upton, Dell, and John Michael Vlach. Common Places: Readings in American Vernacular Architecture. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1986.
Other Sources:
Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on‐line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census.
City of Los Angeles. “SurveyLA Historic Context Summary Tables: Architecture and Engineering/American Colonial Revival.” Accessed online at http://www.preservation.lacity.org/news/surveyla‐historic‐ context‐summary‐tables‐published.
City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Department. “Historic Preservation in Santa Monica.” Accessed online at http://www.smgov.net/departments/PCD/Programs/Historic‐ Preservation/.
City of Santa Monica Planning and Community Development Department. Selected building and alteration permits.
Historic Aerial Images, 1952‐2005. Accessed online at http://www.historicaerials.com.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Tract Maps. Accessed online at http://dpw.lacounty.gov/sur/surveyrecord/tractMain.cfm.
Los Angeles Public Library. Historical Los Angeles Times. Accessed online at http://www.lapl.org.
Pacific Coast Architecture Database. “Hunt and Burns, Architects.” Accessed online at https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/partners/411/.
Pacific Coast Architecture Database. “Kelly, Arthur.” Accessed online at https://digital.lib.washington.edu/architect/architects/942/.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Company. Digital Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1867‐1970.
Architectural Resources Group, Inc. Architects, Planners, & Conservators
Bundy House, 401 25th Street Landmark Assessment Report Page 17
Santa Monica Public Library. Historical Maps of Santa Monica. Accessed online at http://digital.smpl.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/maps.
Santa Monica Public Library. Santa Monica Image Archive. Accessed online at http://digital.smpl.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/smarchive.
Santa Monica Public Library. Santa Monica Newspaper Index. Accessed online at http://digital.smpl.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/smfile.
Architectural Resources Group, Inc. Architects, Planners, & Conservators
Bundy House, 401 25th Street Landmark Assessment Report Page 18
Attachments:
Previously‐completed DPR forms
Rasmussen, Cecilia. “May Bundy Rewrote the Tennis Record Books.” Los Angeles Times. 28 March 1999.
Barrett Litoff, Judy, and Judith McDonnell, eds., European Immigrant Women in the United States: A Biographical Dictionary. Taylor and Francis, 1994. (excerpt)
Architectural Resources Group, Inc. Architects, Planners, & Conservators
State of California -- The Resources Agency Primary # DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HR # Trinomial PRIMARY RECORD NRHP Status Code 5S3 Other Listings 5S Review Code Reviewer Date
Page 1 of 2 * Resource Name or #: Bundy House P1. Other Identifier: * P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted a. County Los Angeles b. USGS 7.5' Quad Date T ; R ; 1/4 of 1/4 of Sec ; B.M. c. Address 401 25th St City Santa Monica Zip 90402 d. UTM: (Give more than one for large and/or linear feature) Zone , mE/ mN e. Other Locational Data: (e.g. parcel #, legal description, directions to resource, elevation, additional UTMs, etc. as appro APN(s): 4278003014
* P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries.)
* P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) * P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other (Isolates, etc.) P5a. Photograph or Drawing P5b. Description of Photo: (View, date, etc.) 4/3/2007
* P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources: Prehistoric Historic Both 1913
* P7. Owner and Address: Perren,david Tr Four Quartet Trust 5855 Topanga Canyon Blvd No 410 Woodland Hls Ca, 913670000
* P8. Recorded by: (Name, affiliation, address) P. Moruzzi, M. Potter, K. Lain ICF International 811 W 7th Street, Suite 800 Los Angeles, CA 90017 * P9. Date Recorded: * P10. Survey Type: (Describe) Reconaissance-Level Survey
* P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report/other sources or "none") Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory Update Final Report, prepared for City of Santa Monica by ICF Intl, 2010 * 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) * Required Information DPR 523A (1/95) 401 25th St
State of California -- The Resources Agency Primary # DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HR # BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD Page 2 of 2 * NRHP Status Code 5S3 * Resource Name or #: Bundy House B1. Historic Name: BUNDY HOUSE B2. Common Name: None B3. Original Use: Single Family Residence B4. Present Use: Single Family Residence * B5. Architectural Style: Colonial Revival * B6. Construction History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations.)
* B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location: * B8. Related Features:
B9a. Architect: b. Builder: * B10. Significance: Theme Residential Development Area Santa Monica Period of Significance 1913 Property Type Residential Applicable Criteria A.4 (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity.) A.4 - The property embodies distinguishing architectural 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 resource is recorded in the Historic Resources Inventory with a prior evaluation of 5S. Also qualifies under local Criterion A.1. This property continues to exhibit a high level of physical and historical integrity and remains an excellent example of the Tudor Revival style as interpreted by master architect Arthur Kelly. As a result, it continues to appear eligible for listing as a Santa Monica Landmark.
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes): * B12. References: (Sketch map with north arrow required) Basten, Fred. 'Santa Monica Bay: Paradise By the Sea'; Los Angeles County Tax Assessor Records; McAlester, Virginia and Lee. 'A Field Guide to American Houses;' Sanborn Maps. Santa Monica City Building Permits. Santa Monica Public Library Collections.
B13. Remarks:
* B14. Evaluator: P. Moruzzi, M. Potter, K. Lain ICF International Date of Evaluation: (This space reserved for official comments.) 4/23/2014 May Bundy Rewrote the Tennis Record Books - Los Angeles Times
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L.A. Then and Now / Cecilia Rasmussen May Bundy Rewrote the Tennis Record Books
March 28, 1 999 | Cecilia Rasmussen
"The only thing to be said for American women is they are usually very well dressed and extraordinarily good looking."
--George Bernard Shaw
What Babe Ruth was to baseball, May Sutton Bundy was to tennis. She was not only America's first Wimbledon champion of either sex, but its first authentic female sports celebrity.
From queen of the All England Tennis Club to queen of Pasadena's Tournament of Roses, Bundy thrilled crowds and filled record books with her accomplishments.
She was the nation's youngest women's tennis star at age 13, captured the Southern California title nine times, beginning in 1900, and recaptured it for the last time almost three decades and four children later.
In fact, her family became what is now a century-old tennis dynasty: Daughter Dorothy "Dodo" Sutton Cheney won 298 tournament titles, including the Australian Open in 1938; grandson Brian Cheney was the nation's third-ranked singles player and part of the No. 1 doubles combination in the 1940s; her great-grandchildren also show promise. Meanwhile, May and her husband lent their name to a now somewhat infamous Brentwood street, and their reputations to a sporty Hancock Park landmark--the Los Angeles Tennis Club.
May Bundy was born in 1888 in Plymouth, England, the youngest daughter of Adolphus DeGrouchy Sutton, a retired British navy captain and yachting enthusiast. Toasting his daughter's 16-pound birth weight, he named her after his beautiful schooner.
"She has a beam about as broad as May. Think we'll name her May," he said.
When May was 6, the family moved to a 10-acre Pasadena orange grove at Mountain Street and Hill Avenue. Enlisting the help of English neighbors, the seven Sutton children built their own tennis court. Hauling clay from a nearby canyon, they pressed it smooth with a steamroller.
The precocious, stocky preteen won her first open tournament at age 12, defeating her older sister, Ethel. The next year, May won the first of many Pacific Southwest titles, beating a 22-year-old. And in 1904, she took the U.S. title, becoming the nation's youngest women's champion and winning a gold watch and chain linked with topaz stones. (Bundy held this record for almost eight decades, until Tracy Austin, 16 years 9 months, took it away in 1979).
Defying Victorian mores, she literally rolled up her sleeves at age 18, in 1905, becoming the first American to ever enter--let alone win--a singles title at Wimbledon, defeating England's own Kate Douglas Chambers.
The distraught overflow English crowd stared in disbelief while the soon-to-be King George V sat in the royal box weeping, as Sutton, in her long skirt and petticoats, threw up her arms in victory.
"Pasadena Washer Woman," and "May Sutton looks like she's taking in washing," British newspapers headlined, appalled that a "proper" woman would even think of rolling up her sleeves.
Treated like a truck driver at a royal lawn party, the blazing new star found that her unrestrained athleticism became her blessing, as she returned two years later for yet another Wimbledon victory.
The Birth of Tennis Club
Reigning in a different court, in 1908 she became the first sports celebrity to be named queen of the Tournament of Roses. Rolling her sleeves down, she scored a smash, carrying a pink umbrella, with her sister Florence as princess.
Three years later, she married Thomas Clark Bundy, a one-time national doubles champion who would win twice more over the next two years. Eventually, he would set his racket aside and plunge into real estate.
Playing to win once again, he developed land that included 2,000 acres of Sherman Oaks and the La Brea-Wilshire portion of the Westside. He purchased the northeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue for $18,000, and in the late 1920s, sold it for $420,000. It subsequently became the site of Albert C. Martin's landmark Mutual of Omaha building.
As Thomas dabbled in land investments, May juggled three careers as wife, mother and tennis champion.
In 1915, a few months after giving birth to her second child, Bundy was asked to play in the Long Beach Charity exhibition, when Molla http://articles.latimes.com/print/1999/mar/28/local/me-21844 1/2 4/23/2014 May Bundy Rewrote the Tennis Record Books - Los Angeles Times Mallory's opponent couldn't appear. Like an "old fire horse," her husband said, Bundy returned to the court to play the much younger Mallory, the recently crowned national champion, in a singles match. Though Bundy lost the first set, she ended up beating Mallory 2-1, and later that year won the Southern California title for the eighth time.
In 1920, her husband paid $1,000 for 5 1/2 acres near Melrose Avenue and Vine Street to build the Los Angeles Tennis Club. The Spanish- style clubhouse would make its debut seven years later with Bill Tilden and his U.S. Davis Cup teammates playing an exhibition match.
Tennis began to grow from a pastime for the not-so-idle rich to a profession, and the tennis club's proximity to major Hollywood studios attracted a coterie of movie stars.
Capitalizing on her competitive zeal, May Bundy played with the tenacity of a terrier against such stars as Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlow, Joan Bennett, Charlie Chaplin and Clark Gable, while giving tennis lessons to actress Bebe Daniels and others.
She also found time for exhibition tennis matches against world-ranked players and Wimbledon champs, such as Helen Wills and Helen Jacobs.
An Influential Feminist
But with her triumphs came a few big bumps.
Her marriage was on the rocks. Before they separated in the late 1920s, Thomas Bundy built his wife her own tennis court on Marguerita Avenue in Santa Monica--the first court ever painted green. It was complete with a small clubhouse that Bundy would later live in with her children during the Depression.
Although separated for years before divorcing, they remained friends, and neither one ever remarried. (In 1945, five years after they divorced, Thomas Bundy died at age 64.)
In 1938, eight years after turning professional at age 42, Bundy--along with political columnist Dorothy Thompson, actress Norma Shearer and aviator Amelia Earhart--was named one of the nation's most influential feminists. Almost 20 years later in the 1950s, Bundy became the first woman inducted into the U.S. Lawn Tennis Assn.'s Hall of Fame, recognizing her half-century of achievements.
Back on the court, Bundy and Dorothy Cheney--a dynamic duo for decades--were some match in their floppy white hats, playing mother- daughter doubles in 1968.
With an arsenal of shots, Bundy, 80, at the net, and Cheney, 51, at the baseline, overpowered their opponents, winning the first set. After more than three hours in the hot sun, they were finally outmaneuvered by a much younger team. But it didn't stop Bundy.
Billed as the "most durable athlete of the century," she clobbered tennis opponents nearly half her age at a 1973 tournament billed as "Age vs. Youth."
Pressing her body and spirit to their limits, just a few months before her death in 1975, at age 88, she played her final match--and won.
Bundy left behind the landmark Hancock Park club and a major Los Angeles thoroughfare, but May's real legacy was her triumphs over sexism and age, victories that cast an inspirational shadow far beyond center court.
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