STRUCTURE OF MERIT ASSESSMENT REPORT · Structure of Merit Assessment Report for the property referred to as 2102 5th Street #B in the City of Santa Monica, California. ... contextual

STRUCTURE OF MERIT ASSESSMENT REPORT

2 1 0 2 5 t h S T R E E T # B , S A N T A M O N I C A , C A

Prepared for:

City of Santa Monica Planning & Community Development City Planning Division 1685 Main Street, Room 212 Santa Monica, CA 90401

Prepared by:

Jan Ostashay Principal Ostashay & Associates Consulting PO BOX 542 Long Beach, CA 90801

SEPTEMBER 2016

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK

Rear Bungalow, 2102 5th Street #B

Structure of Merit Assessment Report

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STRUCTURE OF MERIT ASSESSMENT REPORT

Rear Bungalow 2102 5th Street #B Santa Monica, CA 90405

APN: 4289‐010‐006

INTRODUCTION

At the request of the City of Santa Monica Planning & Community Development Department (PCD), City Planning Division, Ostashay & Associates Consulting (OAC) has prepared this Structure of Merit Assessment Report for the property referred to as 2102 5th Street #B in the City of Santa Monica, California. This assessment report includes a discussion of the survey methodology used, a summarized description of the property, a brief description and contextual history of the property, evaluation of significance under the City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit criteria, photographs, and any applicable supporting materials.

The parcel in which the subject property is located is developed with two residential improvements with 2102 5th Street #B sited at the rear half of lot. OAC documented and evaluated the subject property to determine whether it appears to satisfy one or more of the statutory criteria associated with City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit eligibility requirements, pursuant to Chapter 9.56 (Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance) of the Santa Monica Municipal Code.

METHODOLOGY

The assessment was conducted by Jan Ostashay, principal with OAC. In order to identify and evaluate the subject property as a potential Structure of Merit candidate, an intensive‐level survey was conducted. The assessment included a review of the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) and its annual updates, the California Register of Historical Resources (California Register), the California Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) list maintained by the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP), and the City’s Historic Resources Inventory in order to determine if any previous evaluations or survey assessments of the property had been performed.

For this current assessment a site inspection and a review of building permits, permit ledger books, and tax assessor records were completed to understand and document the property’s existing condition and assist in evaluating its potential historical significance. The City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit criteria were employed to evaluate the local significance of the property and its eligibility for such designation. In addition, the following tasks were performed for the study:



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• Searched records of the National Register, California Register, Library of Congress archives, U.S. Census records, OHP Historic Resources Inventory, and City of Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory.

• Conducted a field inspection of the subject property from the public right‐of‐way.

• Conducted site‐specific research on the subject property utilizing Sanborn fire insurance maps, city directories, newspaper articles, historical photographs, building permits, and permit ledger books.

• Reviewed and analyzed ordinances, statutes, regulations, bulletins, and technical materials relating to federal, state, and local historic preservation, designation assessment procedures, and related programs.

• Evaluated the potential historic resource based upon criteria established by the City of Santa Monica and utilized the OHP survey methodology for conducting surveys.

FINDINGS

OAC has concluded that the subject property, 2102 5th Street #B, is eligible for designation as a City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit. This finding is based on the research conducted on the residence, an intensive‐level survey of the property and a cursory windshield survey of the neighboring area, the development of relevant historic contexts, application of eligibility criteria, and an assessment of historical integrity. The following information provides a contextual basis for the analysis and eligibility finding for the subject property.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The subject property, which is one of two residential improvements sited on a single lot at 2102 5th Street, is situated in the neighborhood that was once referred to as Ocean Park. Sited along the west side of 5th Street between Bay Street and Pacific Street the small dwelling occupies the rear (west end) half of lot 6 of Block A within the Ocean Spray tract. The lot size of the parcel is roughly 40 feet by 140 feet. The subject property is located in a medium density residential neighborhood comprised of single‐family and multi‐family units of varying age and style.

The residence at 2102 5th Street #B has not been previously identified or evaluated for historical significance under any of the City’s past survey efforts. Therefore, it is not included in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory. Currently, it is not a designated City of Santa Monica Landmark or Structure of Merit. The property was preliminarily assessed by OAC for potential City Landmark designation in July 2016, and was found not to meet the required significance criteria for such recognition. As a result, the subject property is being assessed for Structure of Merit eligibility, as requested by the City’s Landmarks Commission.

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND CONSTRUCTION HISTORY

Description. The rear structure with 516 square feet of space was built as a wood‐frame structure with Craftsman bungalow tendencies. This is the older of the two dwellings on site



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having been constructed in 1912. The smaller, cottage‐like residence, referred to as 2102 5th Street #B, has a rectangular plan with a front‐facing gable roof with minimal eave overhang, fascia boards at the gable ends, and exposed rafter tails. A low‐pitch, front‐facing gable porch roof is also set below the apex of the front gable end to shelter the front entry door and open porch space. The porch roof is supported by two large square shape wood posts set at the porch ends with two thinner square shaped wood posts set on wood piers adjacent the centrally located porch steps. Other porch features include a picket wood railing system, a wood panel with glazed window main entry door, and flanking elongated wood‐frame sash windows with flat wood surrounds and sills. The house is sheathed with narrow wood clapboard siding with corner boards and a louvered wood slatted attic vent pierces the front gable end. Fenestration elsewhere on the structure is primarily 1/1 sash frame windows. As a note, the existing window frames appear to be non‐original as they do not have the extended “Ogee lugs” at the bottom of the upper sash (or meeting rail).

The property was initially improved without a garage and the early Sanborn Map from 1918 confirms the non‐existence of such a structure at that time. A garage was later erected on the parcel in 1928, when the front bungalow was built.

Building Permit History. The authorization for the construction of the rear dwelling is listed in the City’s permit ledger book from 1912. The initial improvement of the site is listed in the ledger book under the property owner George Pearson and is dated from September 27, 1912. Listed without an address the dwelling is noted as being on Lot 6, Block A of the Ocean Spray tract. According to the ledger booking listing the dwelling was an owner/builder improvement that cost $350 to erect at the time. The Southwest Contractor and Manufacturer publication from October 5, 1912 confirms this improvement, associated cost, and initial insert ownership. There are no other permits on file with the City for this particular structure.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Santa Monica.1 In 1875, the original townsite of Santa Monica was surveyed, including all the land extending from Colorado Street on the south to Montana on the north, and from 26th Street on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the west. Between 1893 and the 1920s, the community operated as a tourist attraction, visited by mostly wealthy patrons. Those areas just outside of the incorporated city limits were semi‐rural in setting and were populated with scattered residences. After the advent of the automobile in the 1920s, Santa Monica experienced a significant building boom, with homes being constructed in the tracts north of Montana Avenue and east of Seventh Street for year‐round residents. Commercial buildings, primarily one‐ or two‐story in height, initially concentrated along 2nd and 3rd Streets between Colorado Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard also began to expand north and eastward at this time. The impetus for this change occurred as a result of the continuing resident and tourist population growth of the City overall and their demand for consumer goods.

1 Adapted from City of Santa Monica, “Santa Monica Historical Resources Inventory,” 1988‐1986.



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While tourism has always been the primary industry of the city, other factors also contributed to the community’s economic base. A brick, terra cotta and pottery facility was located in the southern portion of the town. The Merle Norman Cosmetics Company had its initial headquarters on Main Street for many years. The Douglas Aircraft Company, begun in 1923, was also located in Santa Monica near the airport and went on to become a primary contractor for the manufacture of aircraft. In later years, the Rand Corporation, a nationally known “think tank” established its operations along Main Street across from the City Hall.

With the expansion of the Douglas Aircraft Company during World War II, a boom in population and building occurred once again with the construction of whole residential tracts of single‐family dwellings. Multi‐family housing was also in demand as the City’s population continued to grow. The area north of the Santa Monica Freeway has been transformed as many of the early, modest single‐family houses have been replaced with larger homes or modern condominium units. Neighborhoods south of the freeway also experienced a construction growth of multi‐family housing types that include high‐rise towers, condo conversions, and two‐ and three‐story townhouses.

Ocean Park.2 Ocean Park’s history was somewhat independent from that of the rest of Santa Monica. Separated from the north by a gully, which initially was filled by the Pacific Electric Railway tracks and today by the Santa Monica Freeway, Ocean Park was initially oriented towards the beach where a series of piers and other tourist attractions were constructed in the late nineteenth century. Much of the housing during this early period of development was deliberately temporary in nature. Although residential tracts began to be subdivided, from the large blocks of land that was once owned by families such as the Lucas and the Vawters families in the mid‐1880s, construction tended to cluster on streets nearest the ocean with the 4th Street hill as the inland boundary.

In the years following the turn‐of‐the‐twentieth century; however, building activities intensified significantly. Main Street (initially called 2nd Street) became the commercial spine of the community, servicing both permanent residents and visitors who lived in the beach cottages, bungalows, and bungalow courts that sprang up as far east as Lincoln Boulevard and beyond. By the close of the 1910s, a substantial portion of Ocean Park had been improved. The 1920s and 1930s witnessed nearly complete build‐out of the area, sometimes at the expense of older improvements. This pattern of development continued in the post‐World War II era with the result that Ocean Park is characterized by a multi‐layered and diverse historical legacy in terms of the ages, styles, and building types it contains.

Following World War II, few new amusement piers were constructed. Soon the familiar cycle of destruction by fire in conjunction with changing economics and new recreational choices led to the demise of the great amusement piers. A short‐lived exception to this trend was Pacific Ocean Park (POP), which opened in 1958 as a competitor to Anaheim’s Disneyland, but POP eventually closed in 1967. In the early 1970s, fire destroyed the remaining remnants of the

2 Adapted from City of Santa Monica, “Santa Monica Historical Resources Inventory, Phase 3,” 1993.



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Pacific Ocean Park Pier erasing the last physical evidence of what had been one of the defining features of the Ocean Park community and the catalyst for its early growth.

Uses of the beach and the character of the built environment of Ocean Park changed. Whereas the beachfront was once defined by a multitude of amusement park piers, large commercial buildings, and residential structures, today it is notable for its open stretches of sand. The beach itself was enlarged when hundreds of tons of dredged sand were deposited there after World War II. Soon thereafter, many small hotels, flophouses, apartments, stores and shops, and other buildings were closed and demolished as part of a redevelopment plan implemented between 1957 and 1964. At that time the neighborhood was in decline and the construction of new, larger residential and commercial structures was in favor. Despite this redevelopment activity, the Ocean Park became the center for bohemian culture, art, and political activism.

In later years, following the transformation of the oceanfront the beach itself became a popular destination for recreational activities. Swimming, surfing, sunbathing, beach volleyball, jogging, and bike riding continue to draw visitors from southern California and countries around the world.

Ocean Spray Tract. The Ocean Spray tract, a residential subdivision in south Santa Monica (Ocean Park neighborhood), was subdivided by H. L. Jones in 1887.3 The original Ocean Spray tract included roughly 25 acres and was subdivided into 120 parcels most measuring 40 feet by 140 feet.4 The tract comprised of several blocks (and portions of blocks) is bounded by 4th Street to the west, Bay Street to the north, 6th Street to the east, and Strand Street to the south. Many of the lots have since been reconfigured into larger parcels for the development of post‐World War II multi‐family housing stock and condominiums.

Development of the tract was slow at first, but with the continuous advertising of the tract lots for sale in the local newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. The sponsorship of a “grand excursion and auction tour” held in August of 1887, aided in the brisk selling of the parcels. As typical of the day, the first real estate promotional tours to the tract were held on Wednesday, August 24, 1887. For the cost of fifty cents round trip transportation on the Southern Pacific Railroad from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica was provided along with a free lunch and music.5 The sale of lots in the Ocean Spray tract as well as the adjacent Wave Crest tract (along Bay Street between 4th and 6th streets) and other newly subdivided tracts in the area were also aided by the proliferation of electric streetcar lines that increased accessibility to those areas. By 1896, H.L. Jones had sold 88 lots within the Ocean Spray tract.6

Modest beach cottages and small bungalows were built on many of the parcels within the neighborhood. George Pearson, the original owner and builder of the 2102 5th Street property, began development of his parcel in 1912 with the construction of a small bungalow. He later added an additional bungalow structure to the lot in 1928. A review of the 1918 Sanborn fire

3 Ingersoll’s Century History, Santa Monica Bay Cities, 1542‐1908 (Los Angeles: Luther A. Ingersoll, 1908), p.170. 4 Los Angeles Times, “Ocean Spray: Addition to Santa Monica‐Notes‐Grand Excursion.” August 21, 1887, p. 2. 5 Ibid. 6 Ingersoll’s Century History, Santa Monica Bay Cities, 1542‐1908 (Los Angeles: Luther A. Ingersoll, 1908), p.170.



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insurance map shows the Ocean Spray tract area with approximately 34 developed residential parcels, including the subject property.

In reviewing the early 1918 Sanborn Map of the residential area surrounding the subject property those parcels developed with dwellings (there were many undeveloped lots at the time) consisted primarily of small one‐story structures most with front porches. The setbacks of these homes lacked uniformity and varied apparently depending on the preference of the owner and/or builder. Most of the homes; however, were built with typical setbacks from the street. The subject property, on the other hand, was one of three houses in the tract that were built with deep setbacks and set at the rear of the lot.

With the population boom that occurred in the 1920s throughout much of Los Angeles County, including Santa Monica, rising numbers of single‐family residences, duplexes, bungalow courts, and small apartment houses were built in the tract and nearby area. Many lots were re‐subdivided to accommodate more dwellings. With the increased demands for housing following World War II, many of the modest single‐family dwellings and smaller multi‐family units were replaced with larger apartment buildings in the Ocean Spray tract and elsewhere in the immediate neighborhood. In later years, with the popularity of condominium conversions and the construction of large condominium buildings the neighborhood context, setting, and physical composition changed even more so.

According to current county tax assessor information the earliest extant dwelling improvement in the tract dates from 1900 and is located at 2108 6th Street. A property located at 523 Pacific Avenue and another at 2029 6th Street date from 1904 and 1905 respectively. The subject

OCEAN SPRAY TRACT: Pre‐1920s‐era Residential Development Properties (extant)

Address Year Comments

2102 5th Street #B 1912/1928 Simple Craftsman bungalow cottage at rear of lot (1912), intact

2018 6th Street 1913 Turn‐of‐the‐20th Century Cottage, asbestos siding, semi intact

2024 6th Street 1918/1942 Craftsman bungalow (1918) at rear of lot, altered

2025 6th Street 1914 Transitional bungalow, obscured by shrubbery, appears intact

2029 6th Street 1905 Transitional bungalow, obscured by shrubbery, appears intact

2108 6th Street 1900/1947 Turn‐of‐the‐20th Century cottage, obscured by shrubbery, enlarged, altered

2215 6th Street 1912/1930 Craftsman, joined with another bungalow at rear, altered, originally SFR?

2240 6th Street 1915/1935 Transitional Craftsman bungalow, appears rehabilitated

523 Pacific Avenue 1904 Transitional Craftsman, obscured by shrubbery, may be intact

418 Strand Street 1912 Also 2302 5th St, Craftsman 5 unit MFR, altered front doors, originally SFR?

521 Strand Street 1919 Craftsman cottage, altered

** SFR: Single‐family residence; MFR: Multi‐family residence; some lots contain two improvements noted by two construction dates; only pre‐1920s residential structures are included in the descriptive comments section



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property is one of three that date from 1912 (418 Strand Street and 2215 6th Street are the other two 1912 extant dwellings). In total there are 11 extant pre‐1920 dwellings remaining in the Ocean Spray tract. A cursory survey indicates that most of the extant pre‐1920s properties have been modified to some extent (see table above).

Today, the rear bungalow at 2102 5th Street is one of only a very few extant properties dating from the tract’s earliest period of residential development that retains a high degree of physical and historical integrity. The subject property is a rare manifestation of the very early years of the townsite of Ocean Park, the city of Santa Monica, and the neighborhood of the Ocean Spray tract when the area was initially being developed with modest bungalow cottages.

2102 5th Street #B. In reviewing city directory listings, Sanborn fire insurance maps, and census records it appears the rear house had an original address of 2036 5th Street. The addresses along the street changed in the mid‐1920s and the subject property was then referred to as 2102 5th Street. After construction of the front house in 1928, the rear unit was noted on the 1950 Sanborn Map and in city directories as 2102½ 5th Street. It is currently identified as 2102 5th Street #B.

As the permit ledger book from 1912 indicates, the original owner of the subject property was George Pearson. In reviewing back information on the bungalow it appears the structure was initially used as a rental, probably as a means to earn extra income for the property owner. The first reference of the property (2036 5th Street) in the local city directory was in 1914, which listed Fred T. James as the occupant. At the time, James was a laundryman at the Imperial Laundry Company. A year later John Rhind, a house painter, was noted as the occupant of the modest bungalow. In 1917, Walter Elliott, an electrician, and his wife Carrie were listed in the directory as the occupants. Two years later Mrs. Elvira Dyer, a widow, was occupying the property. It wasn’t until 1921 that George Pearson (1874‐1960) and his wife Olive (1890‐1970) were listed in the city directory as the owner and occupants of the 2036 5th Street dwelling. It was George Pearson, a cement contractor who worked for the City of Los Angeles in later years, who also built the front house on the parcel in 1928.

Both George and Olive were born in Sweden and came to the United States just before the turn of the twentieth century. They relocated from the East Coast to Santa Monica around 1910. It was only a few years later that George Pearson bought lot 6 of Block A of the Ocean Spray tract and improved it with a small bungalow (the subject property). As mentioned, they rented it out for several years to earn extra income while they and their two children Gilbert and Alice resided at 118 Marine Street (a small hotel with furnished rooms in Ocean Park). Olive was the resident manager while George was a union labor worker at the port of Los Angeles.7 The Pearsons eventually moved into their modest 5th Street bungalow in 1921. By the late 1920s, George was working for the City of Los Angeles as a cement contractor. The Pearsons moved into the front bungalow in 1928, upon its completion, and resumed renting out the rear unit.

In reviewing city directory listings for the rear dwelling tenants of the unit included blue and white collar workers as well as retirees and widows and of course the Pearsons. There were

7 Census records 1920.



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some periods where the rear dwelling was unoccupied or the address was not included in the various city directories.

OCCUPANCY HISTORY (city directory research): 2102 5th Street #B (aka 2036 5th Street; 2102½ 5th Street)

Year Address Occupant

1911 Not Listed N/A

1912 Not Listed N/A

1913 Not Listed N/A

1914 2036 5th Street Fred T. James, laundryman at Imperial Laundry Co.

1915 2036 5th Street John Rhind, painter

1917 2036 5th Street Walter (Carrie) Elliott, electrician

1918 2036 5th Street Vacant

1919 2036 5th Street Mrs. Elvira Dyer (widow)

1921 2036 5th Street George (Olive) Pearson, cement worker City of Los Angeles

1925 2102½ 5th Street Address Not Listed (assumed George and Olive Pearson)

1927 2102½ 5th Street Address Not Listed (assumed George and Olive Pearson)

1930 2102½ 5th Street Joe (Mary) Lopez, cook at the Beach Club

1936 2102½ 5th Street Joseph M. (Dollie) Lurch, laborer

1940 2102½ 5th Street Sidney C. (Mildred) Smith, mechanic

1947 2102½ 5th Street D. A. Davis

1952 2102½ 5th Street Robert (Naomi) Crow, mechanic

1954 2102½ 5th Street Elmer Athey, inspector at North American

1960 2102½ 5th Street Not Listed

Craftsman Bungalow Style.8 The bungalow has its genesis in southern California, and was a very popular building type in Los Angeles’ newly developing suburban areas, including Santa Monica, during the first quarter of the twentieth century. Because of their relative economy, bungalows answered a growing need for affordable housing during the 1910s and 1920s. Ornate examples were commissioned for wealthy residents of suburban enclaves, including some neighborhoods in Santa Monica, Pasadena, and Los Angeles. Square or rectangular in plan, early bungalows or bungalow cottages were one to one‐and‐a‐half stories and rectilinear front porches typified the bungalow form. To this basic form, architects, designers, and builders, introduced elements of the Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Arts & Crafts, Spanish, and even Japanese architectural styles to produce a unique building style. Simple, horizontal, and craft‐oriented natural materials generally characterized the Craftsman style.

8 Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory Update Final Report, 2009.



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Common elements of the idiom include low‐pitched, gable roof forms; deep overhanging eaves; exposed rafter tails, beams, and purlins; asymmetrical facades; battered (tapered) or square porch piers (posts); rectangular or elongated shaped windows, often sash over sash; tripartite window groupings; flat wood surrounds framing window and door openings; wood shingle or clapboard clad siding; and front wood or concrete front porch steps and decks.

In addition to bungalow cottages, the Craftsman style was applied to large, single‐family dwellings, duplexes, fourplex units, and other multi‐family residences that were considerably bigger than the term bungalow implies. By the late 1910s and into the 1920s, the Craftsman style was often melded with revival styles such as the American Colonial Revival or Dutch Colonial.

REGULATIONS AND DESIGNATION CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

Santa Monica Structure of Merit Criteria. In analyzing the historical significance of the subject property, criteria for designation under the City’s Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance was considered. Additionally, consideration of historical integrity and the OHP survey methodology was used to assess the relative significance of the property in context.

Historic preservation in Santa Monica is governed by Chapter 9.56 (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 has been amended since that time.

The Santa Monica Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance includes criteria and procedures for designating City of Santa Monica Landmarks, Structures of Merit, and Historic Districts. An improvement may be designated a Structure of Merit if the City’s Landmarks Commission determines that it merits official recognition.

Pursuant to Section 9.56.080 of the Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance, a property merits consideration as a Structure of Merit if it satisfies one or more of the following statutory criteria:

(a) It has been identified in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory. (b) It is a minimum of 50 years of age and meets one of the following criteria:

1) It is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type. 2) It is representative of a style in the City that is no longer prevalent. 3) The structure contributes to a potential Historic District.

Historical Integrity Consideration. “Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance.” In addition to satisfying the criteria of local significance, a property must have integrity. Integrity is the authenticity of a property’s physical identity clearly indicated by the retention of characteristics that existed during the property’s period of significance.

A property eligible for local designation must satisfy the applicable significance criteria and retain enough of its historic character and original appearance to be recognizable as historical resource. Both the National Register and the California Register recognize seven aspects or qualities that, in various combinations, define integrity. To retain historic integrity a property



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should possess several, and usually most, of those seven aspects or qualities. Thus, the retention of the specific aspects of integrity is paramount for a property to convey its significance. The seven qualities that define integrity are location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. Such consideration of integrity is typically assessed for the exterior of properties.

In considering the subject property’s historical integrity, exterior alterations to the subject property (rear dwelling) appear to be minimal. Besides the permit ledger book entry from 1912, there are no other building permits on file for this structure. Upon conducting a site visit; however, the existing sash type window frames (only the frames) appear to be non‐original as they do not have the “Ogee lugs” at the bottom of the upper sash (or meeting rail). The existing wood window casings, surrounds, and sills are still intact. Other than the apparent window frame replacement, there appears to be no substantial changes to the rear residence as viewed from the public right‐of‐way. The property retains much of its historic fabric and overall character from its period of significance (1912).

EVALUATION OF LOCAL HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Evaluation Findings. In summary, based on current research and the above assessment, the subject property, which is identified as 2102 5th Street #B, appears to satisfy the City of Santa Monica’s Structure of Merit criteria. The property was evaluated according to statutory criteria as follows:

9.56.080(a). It has been identified in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory.

The residence has not been previously evaluated as part of the City’s past historic resources survey process. As such, it has not been identified in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory. Therefore the subject property does not meet this criterion.

9.56.080(b). It is a minimum of 50 years of age and meets one of the following criteria.

The subject property was built in 1912, over 100 years ago. Therefore, the dwelling satisfies this criterion.

9.56.080(b)(1). It is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type.

The modest structure at the rear of 2102 5th Street is one of the very earliest intact examples of a simple transitional Craftsman style bungalow located within the Ocean Spray tract and the associative Ocean Park neighborhood. The modest dwelling was built in 1912 prior to the “boom” years of the 1920s. Though there are roughly 11 extant pre‐1920s residential structures remaining in the tract itself, almost ¾ of them have been modified by the alteration of historic fabric or by the construction of inappropriate additions. The subject property is one of the better unaltered surviving examples of an early Craftsman style bungalow cottage that remains from that early period of the tract’s development. Given the period during which it was constructed and its rarity as an intact early Craftsman bungalow within the Ocean Spray tract and immediate area, the subject property appears to satisfy this criterion.



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9.56.080(b)(2). It is representative of a style in the City that is no longer prevalent.

The subject property located at 2102 5th Street #B was constructed in the Craftsman style, an architectural idiom that was once prevalent in the residential neighborhoods in the Ocean Park area and elsewhere throughout the city in the 1910s and 1920s. The style; however, has become increasingly rare due to the demolition of older, small‐scale residences such as the subject property to accommodate higher‐density residential development that began in earnest in the 1960s and continues to the present. Hence, the subject property appears to satisfy this criterion.

9.56.080(b)(3). The structure contributes to a potential Historic District.

The subject property identified as 2102 5th Street #B is located in a neighborhood characterized by a variety of housing types, architectural styles, levels of historical integrity, and dates of construction. The neighborhood has not been previously identified as a potential Historic District and does not appear to warrant such consideration due to lack of integrity and any cohesiveness, concentration, or continuity of resources united by plan, architecture, or physical development. Therefore, the rear bungalow structure on the parcel does not meet this criterion.

CHARACTER‐DEFINING FEATURES

Every historic property is unique, with its own identity and its own distinguishing character. A property’s form and detailing are important in defining its visual historic character and significance. It is a property’s tangible features or elements that embody its significance for association with specific historical events, important personages, or distinctive architecture and it is those tangible elements; therefore, that should be retained and preserved.

Character refers to all those visual aspects and physical features that comprise the appearance of every historic property. According to “National Park Service Brief 17, Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character,” character‐defining features include the overall shape of a property (building, structure, etc.), its material, craftsmanship, decorative details, interior spaces and features (as applicable), as well as the various aspects of its site and immediate environment (form, configuration and orientation).

The character‐defining features associated with the 2102 5th Street #B property include its overall setting, immediate environment, materials and design, massing and height, form and shape, siting on the parcel, and location within the Ocean Spray tract and Ocean Park residential neighborhood. In addition, those features on the exterior of the modest bungalow that reflect its historic character, architectural style, period of construction, and historical significance are also included as important character‐defining features. Those features include, but are not limited to:

One‐story height

Rectangular plan, symmetrical façade (east elevation), and boxy massing



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Front facing gable roof form with slight overhanging open eaves, exposed rafter tails, fascia boards at gable ends, and louvered wood vent slots framed with flat wood surrounds in gable ends

Partial width front porch with front gable roof, square shape wood posts with some set on wood piers underneath a monumental wood header and vertical slated wood beam gable end

Front porch wood deck and railing system

Horizontal wood clapboard siding with corner boards

Three panel wood door with upper vision light centrally located within the front porch area of façade and framed by a wide flat wood surround

Sash 1/1 windows with pronounced wood sills framed by flat wood surrounds

Lack of exposed foundation perimeter wall at base of residence; lap siding extends to grade

CONCLUSION

Based on the research conducted, site analysis, its contextual consideration, integrity, and evaluation against applicable significance criteria, OAC finds that the residential bungalow located at the rear of the parcel located at 2102 5th Street #B appears eligible for City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit designation.



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page 14

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Wilson, Henry L. California Bungalows of the Twenties. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1993.




page 16

APPENDIX

Location Map

Aerial Map (Google Earth)

County Assessor Parcel Map

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: 1918, 1918‐1950 paste‐up

Permit History

Photographs


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Parcels


SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE MAP, Santa Monica

Santa Monica, 1918

SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE MAP, Santa Monica

Santa Monica 1918, paste-up Feb 1950

CITY OF SANTA MONICA PERMIT LEDGER BOOK, 1912

SOUTHWEST CONTRACTOR AND MANUFACTURER, October 5, 2012

2102 5th Street (2036 5th Street), Santa Monica, CA

JOsta

Rectangle

JOsta

Rectangle

CURRENT PHOTOGRAPHS 2102 5th Street #B, Santa Monica, CA

PHOTO ‐ 1: Glimpse of rear bungalow as seen from street, looking west

PHOTO ‐ 2: Rear bungalow as seen from driveway, looking west


PHOTO ‐ 3: Contextual view of rear bungalow, looking west

PHOTO ‐ 4: Oblique view of rear bungalow looking west


PHOTO ‐ 5: Front (east elevation) window and door detail

PHOTO ‐ 6: Side (north elevation) window detail

OSTASHAY & ASSOC IATES CONSULT ING

PO BOX 542 LONG BEACH, CA 90801 562.500.9451

Documents

STRUCTURE OF MERIT ASSESSMENT REPORT · Structure of Merit Assessment Report for the property referred to as 2102 5th Street #B in the City of Santa Monica, California. ... contextual