HEARING to consider adoption of a resolution designating a property to the Local Register of Historic Resources.
RESOLUTION - Designating the Property Located at 1235 N. Arthur Avenue to the Local Register of Historic Resources (Council District 3)
Historic Context and Neighborhood
• Rapid expansion of Fresno’s population and economy in the late 1890s to early 1900s
• Population doubled from 12,470 in 1900 to 24,892 in 1910 • Established the city's first planning commission in 1916 • Neighborhoods extending west along the Olive Avenue
streetcar line
• Bungalows represent the moderate-cost housing in
1910s and 1920s
1235 N
Arthur Ave
1912 Olive Avenue
Streetcar Line
Ownership and Occupancy
• First property owner of the house: Miles O. Humphreys (1855- 1945)
• First chairman of the Fresno City Planning Commission • Nearly two-decade-long tenure saw the establishment and implementation of foundational planning principles
Craftsman Bungalow
• Low-pitched, gabled roof with wide,
unenclosed eave overhang
• Exposed roof rafters
• Entry porch with roof supported by columns
• Trellised porch
• Grouped windows
• Wood siding and trim
DESIGNATION CRITERIA.
(a) HISTORIC RESOURCES: Any building, structure, object or site may be designated as an Historic Resource if it is found by the Commission and Council to meet the following criteria:
(1) It has been in existence more than fifty years and it possesses aspects of integrity to convey its significance based upon location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association, and:
(i) It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
(ii) It is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or (iii) It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values; or (iv) It has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. (2) It has been in existence less than fifty years, it meets the criteria of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section and is of exceptional importance within the appropriate historical context, local, state or national.
Integrity and Eligibility
Criteria (a) Age and Integrity
Constructed in the 1921, over 100 years old.
High Degree of integrity
Criteria1(i) Association with significant events:
The house reflects the rapid expansion of Fresno in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Represents housing development near the downtown industrial center Criteria1(ii) It is associated with significant persons:
Miles O. Humphreys’ role as the first chairman of Fresno City Planning Commission His contributions to the city’s growth and planning during a critical period Criteria1(iii) Distinctive architectural characteristics The house exemplifies the craftsman bungalow style
Fresno Municipal Code Findings
The property located at 1235 N. Arthur Ave meets the criteria (i), (ii), and (iii)for historic designation under the Fresno Municipal Code Sec. 12-1607.
Historic Preservation Recommendation
- Hearing on nomination came before the Historic Preservation Commission on August 26, 2024
- Noticed 2,000 feet
- Commission unanimously voted in favor of recommending nomination to City Council
Conclusion
The Historic Preservation Commission recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution designating the property located at 1235 N. Arthur Avenue to the Local Register of Historic Resources pursuant to Fresno Municipal Code SEC.12-1607 and 12-1609.