Big Creek Hydroelectric System Historic District is an early twentieth century hydroelectric generation and transmission system that begins on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in Fresno and Madera Counties and extends to urban spheres in Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles Counties. The district is significant in the areas of Community Planning and Development and Engineering for its association with the physical development of California and its influence on California’s hydroelectric generation industry.
April 15, 2016 - SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The California State Historical Resources Commission (Commission) will consider eleven nominations for federal historic designation Monday, April 18 at 1 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Presidio of San Francisco, Ventana Room of the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop, San Francisco.
Properties being considered include buildings and structures significant to the history of California, such as an 81-acre district in the Providence Mountains of eastern San Bernardino County. The buildings and structures, almost all in a state of ruin, together comprise a nearly intact village clustered near the defunct Bonanza King Mine, one of the great silver mines of the nineteenth century.
All properties being considered for the National Register of Historic Places include:
Big Creek Hydroelectric System Historic District
Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Tulare counties
This nomination is an early twentieth century hydroelectric generation and transmission system that begins on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in Fresno and Madera counties and extends to urban spheres in Tulare, Kern, and Los Angeles counties. The district is significant in the areas of community planning and development and engineering for its association with the physical development of California and its influence on California’s hydroelectric generation industry.
First Church of Christ Scientist
Palm Springs, Riverside County
Architecture of Albert Frey Multiple Property Submission
Embodies the distinctive characteristics of religious architecture associated with the modern movement as interpreted by Albert Frey for the desert environment of the Coachella Valley. Constructed in 1956, the one-story church building is modest in size, exhibiting architectural elements associated with the work of Albert Frey including a shed roof, deep eaves with metal fascia, sandblasted terra cotta colored concrete block construction, large windows, and slender steel posts.
Helen Goodwin Renwick House
Claremont, Los Angeles County
A 1900 late-period Queen Anne home built for Helen Goodwin Renwick, one of Pomona's early philanthropists. Mrs. Renwick became a patron of the arts, sponsoring many social and cultural events at Pomona College, interested in a variety of fields ranging from writing to physical education.
Holbrook-Palmer Estate Carriage House and Tank house
Atherton, San Mateo County
This is a pair of rare nineteenth century agricultural buildings, significant for their architecture.
Los Angeles Plaza Historic District (Amendment)
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County
An amendment to an historic existing district, that was first listed in 1972 and updated in 1981. This update reframes the nomination in accordance with modern standards, reclassifies resources as contributors or noncontributors, adds the Plaza Church Cemetery as a contributor, and removes the demolished Brunswig Annex.
Providence Town Site
Essex (vicinity), San Bernardino County
This is an 81-acre district in the Providence Mountains of eastern San Bernardino County. The buildings and structures, almost all in a state of ruin, together comprise a nearly intact village clustered near the defunct Bonanza King Mine, one of the great silver mines of the nineteenth century. Practically all of the buildings and structures dating from the period of significance remain in place and are further connected by the town’s original road and trail system. The property is significant in the areas of settlement, commerce, transportation, architecture and archaeology.
Rockhaven Sanitarium Historic District
Glendale, Los Angeles County
Inspired by principles of the Cottage Plan for mental institutions, that was first developed in the late nineteenth century. The Cottage Plan placed numerous individual buildings within landscaped gardens, in order to create a serene, homelike environment for residents. Rockhaven is one of the best extant examples of an early twentieth century woman-owned, women-serving private sanitarium in the state, and was one of the first of its type in the nation. It reflects the vision of founder Agnes Richards, R.N., and represents a small, significant movement that sought to improve the conditions of mentally ill women in the early twentieth century.
View Park-Windsor Hill
Los Angeles County
A neighborhood in suburban Los Angeles County of approximately 1800 single family homes constructed primarily between 1923 and the early 1960s. The district is significant for its role in Los Angeles community planning, and exceptionally significant for its dramatic transition from 1957 to 1970 from an almost exclusively white neighborhood, restricted by racial covenants, to a predominantly African-American neighborhood.
Willow Glen Trestle over Los Gatos Creek
San Jose, Santa Clara County
A wooden trestle built in 1922 by the Western Pacific Railroad to serve industries in San Jose without disrupting the existing residential neighborhood of Willow Glen. The trestle solved the problem of access to West San Jose industries and gave Western Pacific the ability to provide rail transportation to an industrial area of the important fruit growing and canning region previously served only by larger competitor Southern Pacific.
X-100
San Mateo, San Mateo County
A steel-framed mid-century modern home, that was built by developer Eichler Homes from a plan by master architect A. Quincy Jones, landscape architect Douglas Baylis, and civil engineer William R. Mason. The house was an experiment in all-steel construction methods, and it is the only surviving intact example of Eichler steel homes.
Yountville Grammar School
Yountville, Napa County
A Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival style building, constructed circa 1920. Character defining elements include a mission-style bell tower, a single prominent arched front entry doorway, multi-light wooden casement windows, wooden lintels and lug sills, a red clay tile roof, a hipped, angled bay window, and Spanish Eclectic decorative wooden vents located within the bell tower. One of only three Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings remaining in Yountville, in 1977 the school was repurposed as Yountville Town Hall.
Nominations and photographs of properties under consideration are available at www.ohp.parks.ca.gov/pending.
The public may present oral statements at the hearing at the appropriate time. Written comments about any subject on the agenda may be submitted to:
Julianne Polanco, State Historic Preservation Officer
Office of Historic Preservation
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
Inquiries may be directed to recording secretary Twila Willis-Hunter by phone at (916) 445-7052, by fax at (916) 445-7053 or by mail to:
State Historical Resources Commission
P.O. Box 942896
Sacramento, CA 94296-0001
Notices and agendas for the Commission’s workshop and meeting are available at ten days before the meeting.
Source: California State Parks
