HEARING to consider adoption of a Resolution designating a property to the Local Register of Historic Resources.
RESOLUTION - Designating the Property Located at 420 E Terrace Ave to the Local Register of Historic Resources (Council District 7)
Historic Context and Neighborhood
• Rapid expansion of Fresno’s population and economy in the late 1890s to early 1900s
• The Tower District began developing in the early 20th century as one of Fresno’s first suburbs
• The Tower District Specific Plan Adopted in 1991 Proposed the Terrace Gardens Historic District
• This Proposed the Terrace Gardens Historic District
exemplifies the suburban expansion
Proposed Terrace
Gardens Historic District
420 E
Terrace Ave
Ownership and Occupancy
First property owner of the house: Dennis B. Wheeler
• A significant figure in the construction industry in the Valley, having been involved in major housing developments
• Dennis B. Wheeler and Orville R. Taylor founded Taylor-Wheeler Builders
• Taylor-Wheeler Builders - one of Fresno’s most renowned building firms, known for their distinctive homes that were unlike anything else in the area at the time
Spanish Revival
Stucco Walls with textured finish
Red-tiled roof
Arched openings
Deep-set entrance
Wooden shutters
Chimney with openings near the top
Decorative ironwork
Patio and courtyard
etc.
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 1934, over 50 years old
High degree of integrity
Criteria1(ii) It is associated with significant person
Dennis B. Wheeler is a notable figure in Fresno’s architectural history Co-founded Taylor-Wheeler Builders which was one of Fresno’s most notable building firms Taylor-Wheeler Builders’ work significantly shaped the architectural landscape of the city Criteria1(iii) Distinctive architectural characteristics The house exemplifies the Spanish Revival style
Fresno Municipal Code Findings
The single-family residence located at 420 E Terrace Ave meets the criteria a (1), a (1) (ii), and a (1) (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 September 23, 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 Resolutions designating the property located at 420 E. Terrace Ave. to the Local Register of Historic Resources pursuant to Fresno Municipal Code SEC.12-1607 and 12-1609.