October 31, 2023- The California State Historical Resources Commission (Commission) will consider nine nominations, from a small schoolhouse in rural Sierra County to the world-famous Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, for federal historic designation; the removal of two properties from federal designation due to their destruction by wildfire; and three nominations for state historic designation.
The Commission will meet on Friday, November 3, at 9 a.m., inside the Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 500, in Sacramento. The public is invited to attend in person or participate virtually.
Two structures represent the broad spectrum of nominees being considered by the Commission. Built in 1889, the Sierra City School is located adjacent to State Route 49 in the unincorporated community of Sierra City. In addition to serving as the main educational facility of this rural community, the school also served as a place for community gatherings until it closed in 1954. The other structure being considered is the Hollywood Bowl, internationally known as a premier venue for live performances in Southern California. The open-air amphitheater is located in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles and has hosted countless performing artists and musicians since it opened in 1922, including Louie Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, The Beatles, Elton John, and The Jackson 5.
Here are all properties being considered at the meeting:
National Register of Historic Places Nominations
Western Manufacturing Company
San Francisco, San Francisco County
Located in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco, this 1923 building is significant for its architecture as a high-style industrial building, featuring polychrome brickwork and other architectural details that make it stand out compared to its neighboring structures. The property was designed by builder Sam Schell.
Belden-Birkhofer House
Guerneville, Sonoma County
Designed by the architecture firm Miller & Warnecke of Oakland, California, the building was constructed between 1919 and 1922 in the Mission Revival style for Ralph A. and M. Gretchen (Ungewitter) Belden. The house was later sold to Oscar and Laura Birkhofer, who lived there for almost 40 years.
Sierra City School
Sierra City, Sierra County
Built in 1889, the vernacular wooden schoolhouse is located in the unincorporated community of Sierra City, adjacent to State Route 49. The school was the principal education facility of this mountain community and served as a local community center. The school closed in 1954.
Allen, Clifford, House
Stanford, Santa Clara County
Located on the Stanford University campus, the house was constructed in 1914 and built in the First Bay Tradition style, with Craftsman elements, and designed by a locally prominent master architect John K. Branner. The period of significance spans from 1914 to 1939, beginning with the construction of the original design by Branner and ending with the construction of additions designed by another prominent local architect Birge Clark.
Hollywood Bowl
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
The open-air amphitheater is nestled in the south hillside of Bolton Canyon above busy Hollywood Boulevard, in the Hollywood neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. In a location selected for its natural acoustics, the venue is defined by its natural setting surrounded by chapparal-covered terrain and modified into a cultural landscape dominated by Bolton Canyon and the relationship with the seating and stage area set within the canyon. The Hollywood Bowl built a wide, broad-based audience for arts and culture in Los Angeles during the early to mid-20th century and established outdoor performances in a natural setting as a uniquely Southern California experience.
Jones, A. Quincy, Barn
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
Referred to more simply as the Barn, the property was constructed in 1949 with alterations in 1965. The L-shaped, wood-frame construction was designed in the manner of a New England barn. From 1949 to 1965, the building served as the studio of photographers Mary Mead Maddick and Tamis Maddick. From 1965 to 1979, the building served as the home and teaching studio of master architect and educator A. Quincy Jones, FAIA. The rare example of his adaptive reuse of a preexisting building received national and international recognition.
Ridgewood Place Historic District
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
Located near the Windsor Square area of Los Angeles, the two-block long, single-family residential district was developed as a single tract between 1911 and 1921. Resources were constructed primarily in the Colonial Revival style, with the Tudor Revival, Mediterranean Revival, and Craftsman styles also represented. The district, an excellent example of a Los Angeles streetcar suburb, is located within walking distance from major streetcar corridors of the Los Angeles Railway on Beverly Boulevard and Western Avenue.
St. Andrews Square Historic District
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
The irregularly shaped four-block, primarily residential district is located near the Wilshire Center area of central Los Angeles. Multifamily resources in the district are generally compatible in scale with single-family resources. The district was developed as multiple tracts near Los Angeles Railway streetcar lines. Most buildings are constructed in the Bungalow/Craftsman style, with the Prairie School, Colonial Revival, Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Tudor Revival, and Minimal Traditional styles also represented.
Yamanouchi, Yoshiko, House
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California, 1850-1970 Multiple Property Submission
San Mateo, San Mateo County
Located in a San Mateo, California, residential neighborhood, the property includes three buildings, three structures, and three sites. The Ranch Style house and its associated resources (1957), Japanese style hill-and-pond garden (1958), and the Katsura Building, Walkway, and Garden (1968) create an ensemble of designed landscape and architectural features whose character reflects both suburban residential design from the post-World II era and traditional Japanese-style architecture and garden design. The property is associated with Yoshiko Yamanouchi, a member of the pioneer Issei generation, who was a leader in the San Mateo Japanese American community.
National Register of Historic Places Requests for Removal
Headquarters Administration Building
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County
One of the best examples of an administrative facility constructed between 1933 and 1942, the building demonstrated an association with the public works programs that oversaw and administratively controlled the development of facilities within state parks during this period. Due to the 2020 CZU Lightening Complex fire, the building was destroyed, leaving only the original fireplace, chimney, and stone steps. The fireplace and chimney were later cleared for public safety. The property has ceased to meet the criteria for listing on the National Register because the association and features that made it originally eligible have been lost or destroyed.
Lower Sky Meadow Residential Area Historic District
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County
The district was the first residential complex built in a California state park between 1941 and 1955, an era when the construction of employee housing in California’s state parks became a priority and standardized plans were utilized in the parks for the first time. Due to the 2020 CZU Lightening Complex fire, the district was nearly destroyed. The tree-lined road and Residence 10 are all that remains of the historic district. The property has ceased to meet the criteria for listing in the National Register, because the association and features that made it originally eligible have been lost or destroyed.
California Register of Historical Resources Nomination
Taylor, Ruth Nelson, House
Laguna Beach, Orange County
The two-story, Mid-Century Modern style, Expressionist/Organic subtype residence is configured in a rectangular plan. The closed appearance to the street contrasts with an open orientation to expansive views and its close relationship to the hillside site. The residence was completed in 1962, designed by architect Donald E. “Bud” Evenson. His executed, independent single-family residential design work between 1961 and 1966, before he became a licensed architect, represents a discrete period of audacious experimentation—bold shapes and distinctive volumes, clad in simple materials and on challenging hillside lots (some with ocean views)—and expressed a dynamism not found later in his career.
California Point of Historical Interest Nominations
Site of Headquarters Administration Building
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County
This nomination documents the ruins of the Big Basin Redwoods State Park visitor center that remain after the 2020 CZU Lighting Complex fire. A request to remove the historic building from the National Register of Historic Places is under review, with this Point of Historical Interest nomination intended to capture the history and significance associated with the contributions of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Big Basin Redwoods State Park and in California’s state parks.
Site of Lower Sky Meadow Residential Area
Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County
This nomination documents the lone residence and tree-lined Lower Sky Meadow Lane that survived the 2020 CZU Lighting Complex fire. A request to remove the historic district from the National Register of Historic Places is under review, with this Point of Historical Interest nomination intended to capture the history and significance associated with development in Big Basin Redwoods State Park and California’s state parks.
All nominations and photographs of properties under consideration are available online.
The Commission meeting will occur in person and through video and teleconference. The public may also view the meeting via CAL-SPAN or participate in the meeting by registering for attendance via the Zoom link posted on the Commission’s Meeting Schedule and Notices webpage of the Office of Historic Preservation website at ohp.parks.ca.gov/shrcnotices. Those who wish to watch the meeting but not provide comments do not need to register and may watch a live webcast, with archived video provided post-meeting, at cal-span.org.
The National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program that coordinates and supports public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources. Placement on the National Register can help bring positive attention to a historic place and affords a property the honor of inclusion in the nation’s list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. This can provide a degree of protection from adverse effects resulting from federally funded or licensed projects. Registration also provides a number of incentives for preservation of historic properties, including special building codes to facilitate the restoration of historic structures, and certain tax advantages.
The California Register of Historical Resources is a program designed by the Commission in 1992 for use by state and local government agencies, private groups, and citizens to identify, evaluate, register, and protect California’s historical resources. California Historical Landmarks are sites, buildings, features, or events that are of statewide significance and have anthropological, cultural, military, political, architectural, economic, scientific, technical, religious, or experimental value.California Points of Historical Interest include sites, buildings, features, or events that are of local (city or county) significance and have anthropological, cultural, military, political, architectural, economic, scientific, technical, religious, or experimental value.
Notices and agendas for Commission meetings are available online 10 days before a meeting at ohp.parks.ca.gov. The public may present oral statements at the hearing at the appropriate time. Inquiries and written comments on the agenda may also be emailed to the Office of Historic Preservation at calshpo@ohp.parks.ca.gov or submitted via mail to Julianne Polanco, State Historic Preservation Officer at Office of Historic Preservation, P.O. Box 942896, Sacramento, CA 94296-0001.
This meeting will be open to the public. General inquiries about the Commission should be directed to (916) 445-7000 or calshpo.shrc@parks.ca.gov. If you are in need of special accommodations, please call the Office of Historic Preservation at (916) 445-7000.
Top left: The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Mark Ladd. Top right: The Sierra City School in Sierra County. Photo courtesy of Tom Butt. Bottom left: The garden of the Yoshiko Yamanouchi House in San Mateo. Photo courtesy of California State Parks. Bottom right: The Belden-Birkhofer House, in Guerneville. Photo courtesy of Gretchen Boyce.
Source: CA. State Parks
