City of Long Beach Historic Context Statement Prepared for: City of Long Beach Department of Development Services Office of Historic Preservation 333 West Ocean Boulevard Long Beach, California 90802 Prepared by: Sapphos Environmental, Inc. 430 North Halstead Street Pasadena, California 91107 July 10, 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTIONS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Objectives and Scope............................................................................................. 5 1.2 Working Definitions............................................................................................... 6 1.3 Report Preparation ................................................................................................. 8 1.4 Historic Context Statement Organization................................................................ 8 2.0 LOCATION...................................................................................................................... 10 3.0 STUDY METHODS.......................................................................................................... 14 3.1 Historical Research............................................................................................... 14 3.2 Previous Surveys................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Field Reconnaissance............................................................................................ 15 4.0 CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION.......................................................................................... 17 4.1 National Register of Historic Places....................................................................... 17 4.2 California Register of Historical Resources ............................................................ 18 4.3 City of Long Beach Cultural Heritage Commission Ordinance............................... 19 4.4 Integrity ................................................................................................................ 21 4.4.1 National Register of Historic Places........................................................... 21 4.4.2 California Register of Historical Resources ................................................ 22 4.4.3 City of Long Beach.................................................................................... 23 5.0 CHRONOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................. 24 5.1 Selected Chronology............................................................................................ 24 5.2 Prehistory and Western Settlement ....................................................................... 28 5.2.1 Gabrielinos............................................................................................... 28 5.2.2 Spanish and Mexican Settlement............................................................... 31 5.2.3 American Settlement................................................................................. 32 5.3 Early Settlement and Incorporation, 1881–1901................................................... 33 5.3.1 Willmore City........................................................................................... 33 5.3.2 The Town of Long Beach .......................................................................... 34 5.3.3 Incorporation of Long Beach..................................................................... 35 5.3.4 The Seaside Resort.................................................................................... 36 5.4 Early 20th-Century Development and Expansion, 1902–1920 .............................. 38 5.4.1 Port and Harbor Development.................................................................. 40 5.4.2 Long Beach Expansion.............................................................................. 41 5.4.3 The City Beautiful Movement ................................................................... 43 5.5 City Development and Growth, 1921–1945......................................................... 44 5.5.1 Oil and Industry........................................................................................ 44 5.5.2 Port and Harbor Expansion ....................................................................... 45 5.5.3 The Great Depression ............................................................................... 46 5.5.4 War Preparation........................................................................................ 47 5.6 Postwar and Modern Development, 1946–1965 .................................................. 48 5.6.1 Suburbanization ....................................................................................... 48 5.6.2 Subsidence and Redevelopment ............................................................... 49 City of Long Beach Historic Context Statement July 10, 2009 Sapphos Environmental, Inc. W:\PROJECTS\1521\1521-001\Documents\Revised Historic Context Statement\0.0 TOC.doc Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 6.0 ECONOMIC CONTEXT.................................................................................................... 51 6.1 Theme: Agriculture/Aquaculture, 1887–1945........................................................ 51 6.2 Theme: Tourism, Recreation, and Leisure, circa 1885–1967 ................................. 53 6.3 Theme: Commercial Development, 1888–1945.................................................... 66 6.4 Theme: Port and Harbor Development, circa 1900–1965 ..................................... 73 6.5 Theme: Industrial Development, circa 1900–1945................................................ 79 6.5.1 Industrial Subtheme: Oil Industry, 1921–1945.......................................... 81 6.5.2 Industrial Subtheme: Aerospace Industry, 1941–1965............................... 86 7.0 RESIDENTIAL CONTEXT.................................................................................................. 90 7.1 Theme: Early Settlement, Preincorporation–1902.................................................. 90 7.2 Theme: Streetcar Suburbanization, 1902–1920..................................................... 92 7.3 Theme: Oil Boom Town, 1920–1930 ................................................................. 101 7.4 Theme: Military Boom Town, 1930–1945 .......................................................... 107 7.5 Theme: Postwar Suburbanization, 1945–1965.................................................... 118 8.0 INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT........................................................................................... 140 8.1 Theme: Civic and Governmental Infrastructure, 1888–1965 ............................... 140 8.2 Theme: Works Progress Administration (WPA) / Public Works Administration (PWA), 1930–1941............................................................................................. 156 8.3 Theme: Military Infrastructure and Development, 1919–1965 ............................ 158 8.4 Theme: Religious, Social, and Cultural Institutions, 1885–1965.......................... 161 9.0 ETHNOGRAPHIC CONTEXT ......................................................................................... 166 9.1 Theme: Mexicans and Mexican Americans ......................................................... 166 9.2 Theme: Chinese and Chinese Americans ............................................................ 169 9.3 Theme: Japanese and Japanese Americans .......................................................... 171 9.4 Theme: African Americans.................................................................................. 174 10.0 ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER.................................................................................... 178 10.1 Spanish/Mexican Colonial, 1784–1848 .............................................................. 180 10.2 Monterey, 1840s–1860s..................................................................................... 180 10.3 Colonial Revival, 1876–1965 ............................................................................. 182 10.4 Queen Anne, 1885–1910................................................................................... 185 10.5 Renaissance Revival, 1886–1930........................................................................ 187 10.6 Shingle Style, 1890–1910................................................................................... 191 10.7 Mission Revival, 1890–1920 .............................................................................. 192 10.8 Late Gothic Revival, 1890–1950......................................................................... 193 10.9 American Foursquare, 1894–1910...................................................................... 195 10.10 Brick Commercial Vernacular, 1895–1929 ......................................................... 196 10.11 Prairie, 1900–1922............................................................................................. 198 10.12 Neoclassical, 1900–1930................................................................................... 201 10.13 Romanesque Revival, 1900–1942 ...................................................................... 202 10.14 Tudor Revival, 1900–1942 ................................................................................. 202 10.15 Craftsman, 1902–1925....................................................................................... 205 10.16 Spanish Colonial