VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING Redwood City, California ______________________________ HISTORIC RESOURCE REPORT _____________________________ Prepared by Diana J. Painter, PhD Painter Preservation & Planning Petaluma, California Prepared for Redwood City Department of Parks and Recreation Redwood City, California August 2010; rev. September 2010 August 31, 2010; September 22, 2010 Mr. Christopher Beth Redwood City Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department 1400 Roosevelt Avenue Redwood City, CA 94063 Re: Historic Resource Survey – Redwood City Veterans Memorial Building Dear Mr. Beth: This letter, along with the attached Historic Resource Report, provides historic and architectural documentation for the Veterans Memorial Building at 1455 Madison Avenue, which is the main building for Redwood City’s Veterans Memorial Senior Center and part of a complex of buildings at Red Morton Community Park that provide for Redwood City’s recreation and community services. The Veterans Memorial Building is a Modern building with Ranch-style motifs and rustic details. It was designed by Palo Alto architect Birge M. Clark, based on a master plan developed by Clark and Stromquist, and constructed in 1955-56 for the City of Redwood City. First envisioned in 1943, it was developed by a committee made up of veterans and community members that continued to manage the building as the Veterans Memorial Commission until 1970. It was sited on the grounds of Community Park, a property purchased with a bond passed in 1944, but the building itself was paid for through a city tax. When opened, the building was fully paid for. At this time, the city would like to replace or renovate the Veterans Memorial Building and replace the adjacent Senior Resource Center (constructed in 1982) and the ‘49ers building, swim center, and adjunct buildings across Nevada Street to construct a new senior center and pool. This report, along with attached Department of Parks and Recreation 523 forms, provides the information necessary to evaluate the historic significance of the Veterans Building for environmental compliance purposes. Please do not hesitate to call if you have any comments or questions. Sincerely, Diana J. Painter, PhD Principal/Architectural Historian Attachments: • Historic Resource Report – 1455 Madison Avenue HISTORIC RESOURCE REPORT VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING Redwood City, California TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY AND FINDINGS 1. INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………..9 Purpose of Report Property Location and Setting Project Description Research Design and Methods Evaluator Qualifications 2. HISTORIC CONTEXT ……………………………………………………..11 History of the Building Living Memorials 3. ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT ……………………………………………..17 Architectural Description Architectural Style Profile of Birge M. Clark Architectural Context 4. REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………..30 FIGURES DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION (DPR) FORMS 523 HISTORIC RESOURCE REPORT VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING Redwood City, California LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Regional location map Figure 2: Site map Figure 3: Floor plan diagram Figure 4: Artist’s rendering of proposed building Figure 5: Photograph of new building Figure 6: Interior view on opening day Figure 7: Dedication day ceremonies Figure 8: Dedication day program Figure 9: Photograph of Birge Clark Figure 10: Cover of “Memorials that Live” brochure Figure 11: Lou Henry and Herbert Hoover house Figure 12: Medico-Dental Building Figure 13: Sunset Magazine Headquarters Figure 14: Western ranch house by Cliff May Figure 15: Veterans Memorial Building Figure 16: Senior Resource Center Figure 17: San Francisco ‘49ers Building Figure 18: Herkel Memorial Swim Center Figure 19: NFL Alumni Center HISTORIC RESOURCE REPORT VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING Redwood City, California SUMMARY AND FINDINGS The Veterans Memorial Building at 1455 Madison Avenue is a Modern building with Ranch- style motifs and rustic details. It was designed by Palo Alto architect Birge M. Clark based on a master plan developed by Clark and Stromquist, and constructed in 1955-56 for the City of Redwood City. Its design and construction was funded by a tax levied on the citizens of Redwood City. It took twelve years to accumulate the funds to building the memorial building, and it was totally paid for when it opened. There are four ‘tests’ for the historic significance of a property or site in the State of California. These Criteria for Evaluation are modeled after the National Criteria for Evaluation. They are used by the State of California and local agencies to determine whether, under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), impacts to a historic site as a result of a project proposal has the potential to create a substantial adverse change to the resource. Even if the local agency does not specifically adopt the criteria, the criteria still apply if the proposal is subject to the California Environmental Policy Act: . a resource does not need to have been identified previously either through listing or survey to be considered significant under CEQA. In addition to assessing whether historical resources potentially impacted by a proposed project are listed or have been identified in a survey process, lead agencies have a responsibility to evaluate them against the California Register criteria prior to making a finding as to the proposed project’s impacts to historical resource (PRC 21084.1, 14 CCR 15064.5(3)). If a building or other potential resource in the State of California is deemed a historic resource for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), proposed alteration or demolition of the building can be considered a significant adverse effect. A substantial adverse change includes demolition, destruction, relocation, or alteration of a resource, such that the resource "materially impaired". The significance of a historic resource is "materially impaired" when a project demolishes or materially alters the physical characteristics that justify the determination of a historic resource's significance (CEQA guidelines section 15064.5 [b], 14 CCR 15064.5(b)(1)). Resources eligible for listing on the California Register of Historical Resources are generally considered historic resources, and may include buildings, sites, structures, objects, or historic districts. The following is an evaluation of the historic significance of this building, according to the four criteria utilized by the State of California and local agencies for this purpose. In order to be considered a historic resource for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a property must meet one or more of the following criteria: 1. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local or regional history, or the cultural heritage of California or the Historic Resource Report 1455 Madison Avenue Veterans Memorial Building Summary and Determination of Historic Significance 6 United States; or 2. It is associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or national history; or 3. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values; or 4. It has yielded, or has the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation. In addition to meeting one or more of the above criteria, a property must also retain integrity in order to be considered a historic resource under CEQA. Integrity is defined as a function of a property’s location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. Typically a building or other resource must maintain most of the aspects of integrity to be considered a resource, typically those most relevant to the building’s significance. It must retain enough of its historic character or appearance to be recognizable as a historical resource and convey the reasons for its significance. Evaluation Criterion 1: Association with events The Veterans Memorial Building is significant with respect to patterns of local history. It was constructed as a World War II memorial, consistent with the national movement at this time to design “living memorials” to commemorate those who served in World War II. In addition, it was a wholly home-grown effort to commemorate Redwood City’s veterans. It was conceived by, approved by, funded and developed by the people of Redwood City, in a sustained effort that took thirteen years to realize. It has continued to serve both veterans and the community in the way it was envisioned to this day. Criterion 2: Association with people There are no known associations between people important to local history in Redwood City and this building, although a number of prominent citizens took part in its development over time. Criterion 3: Architectural association The Veterans Memorial Building is significant for its association with Birge Clark, a prominent Palo Alto architect who is generally credited with creating the ‘look’ of downtown Palo Alto and many of its neighborhoods. While this building is not typical of his early work, he had a long career that ranged from his earlier Spanish Colonial Revival style work to his later corporate modern look. This building is not typical of either. It reflects the Ranch style influences seen in the Sunset Magazine Headquarters building, for which his firm - with Cliff May - designed the second phase. The Veterans Memorial Building reflects Clark’s emphasis