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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: 1326 N. Maryland Avenue: Consideration of Glendale Register Nomination and Request for a Mills Act Historic Property Contract.
1. Resolution to designate the residential property at 1326 N. Maryland Avenue as a historic resource in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources, as the Wyman House, and authorize the City Manager to enter into a Mills Act Historical Property Contract with the property owner.
2. Motion to deny the request of the property owner to designate the residential property at 1326 N. Maryland Avenue as a historic resource in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Public Hearing
Approved for December 5, 2023 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The owner of 1326 N. Maryland Avenue requests that the City Council designate/list the property in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources and authorize a Mills Act historical property contract. The one-story, single-family residence was built in 1913 and is an excellent example of Craftsman style architecture. It was designed by Alfred Priest, probably the most important architect in the city’s early decades, and appears to be his earliest known commissions in the city that still stands.
On October 19, 2023, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) reviewed the nomination and voted unanimously (3-0; Cragnotti recused) to recommend to the City Council that the property at 1326 N. Maryland Avenue be listed in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources as the “Wyman House,” and that the City Manager be authorized to enter into a Mills Act historic property contract with the property owner, including the work conditions approved by the commission, under Section 15.20.070A of the Glendale Municipal Code.
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RECOMMENDATION
That City Council list the property in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources and authorize the City Manager to enter into a Mills Act historic property contract, with the conditions approved by HPC, between the City and the property owner under Section
15.20.070A of the Glendale Municipal Code.
BACKGROUND
Historical Background
1326 N. Maryland Avenue is a one-story, single-family residence constructed in 1913. It is an excellent example of the Craftsman style of architecture and was designed by prominent architect Alfred F. Priest. Priest worked in a range of styles over his 17-year career, with a large amount of his worked located in Glendale where he designed over forty residential, commercial, and institutional buildings during the 1920s, an important period for the growth for Glendale. Priest often employed the classic Period Revial residential styles and the “commercial classic” favored by his more conservative clients, but he was also flexible in his skills, designing the Glendale Public Service Building in the Moderne style. With so much of his work located in Glendale, buildings such as the Tuesday Afternoon Club, Security Trust and Savings Bank, Seeley’s Furniture, the Glendale Public Service Building, and the Glendale Theater, his work helped shape the look and feel of the quickly evolving downtown.
One of Priest’s earliest residential commissions in the city was 1326 N. Maryland Avenue. The property was identified in a Los Angeles Times article from August 1912 as a home “to be erected for Mrs. Elliot B. Wyman on Putnam Street between Mountain and Randolph Streets in Casa Verdugo.” It was originally designed as a two-story Swiss Chalet style residence, though not built that way. The first owners of the property were Elliot and Marie Wyman. Mr. Wyman was an employee of the Union Lime Co. The Wymans lived at the property at least until 1958. By 1971, Roy R. Lake, a sign writer, owned the residence and in 1979 Joel Gary Rutberg purchased it. The current owner purchased the property in 2022. None of the identified owners or occupants of the building appear to have made significant contributions to the history of the nation, state, region, or city and, therefore, the property does not appear eligible under Criterion 2. In addition, it does not appear to be individually associated with important events in national, state, or city history, or to exemplify significant contributions to the broad cultural, political, economic, social, tribal, or historic heritage of the nation, state, or city and therefore does not appear eligible under Criterion 1. The property is a contributor to the Casa Verdugo Historic District.
Based on the information in the nomination, attached to this report as Exhibit 1 and incorporated by reference, staff believes the property is eligible for listing in the Glendale Register under Criterion 3 as detailed in the “Findings of Eligibility” section below. Staff recommends the house be listed as the “Wyman House” after its original owners.
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Architectural Description
The residence is located on a rectangular lot on the east side of N. Maryland Avenue, a linear north/south street that gently slopes north towards the foothills. Due to this topography, the lot is set slightly higher than street level and a low, stucco and brick retaining wall runs along the property line with brick steps near the north end and a brick walkway leading to the entrance porch.
The one-story building is asymmetrical, clad in wood shingles, and has a low-pitched cross gable roof with wide eaves and exposed roof beams which have a notched/cut out detailing on each. There are also prominent wood vents in the gables on all facades. A partial width brick and concrete entrance porch is the focal point of the primary façade and projects at the south end with a gable roof covering. Square, thick, brick columns support the gable roof in each corner and the brick walls enclose the porch on the south and west as well as run along the north facing steps. These walls step down as they move away from the columns. The concrete floor and steps are scored in a uniformed square pattern and the porch ceiling is clad in beadboard. The large wood entrance door with divided light pattern at the top is flanked by wide single-pane side lights. Wood single-pane casement and fixed windows are visible along the façade with non-original awning covers to the north.
On the south façade a portion of the building projects out with a nested gable roof and a ribbon of single-pane wood casement windows. A secondary, uncovered, brick and concrete entrance porch with an additional door is in the northwest corner of the projection. The wood door with large central light is covered by a metal screen door with intricate pattern. A pair of wood single-pane casement windows sit to the west.
The rear of the building is simple with single-pane wood casement windows in ribbons and pairs and a narrow brick walkway along the base of the building. Three small additions occurred at the rear of the property. In 1997, an approximately 175-square- foot rear porch at the southeast corner was infilled as living space, including the insertion of a non-original vinyl window, squaring off this corner of the building. After this, a step in of the building near the center of the facade was infilled and non-original sliding doors were added. A larger addition with horizontal wood siding and vinyl sliding windows was added projecting to the east.
The north façade is asymmetrical as well. A larger projection to the east has a gable roof and the only two wood, single-light hung windows on the building. Further east a small projection with shed roof and ribbon of leaded casement windows correlates to the dining room and built in buffet on the interior. Non-original louvered windows can be seen near the center of the façade. An asphalt driveway leads from the street along the southern end of the property to the detached garage in the southeast corner of the lot.
The garage, in poor condition, has a gable roof with exposed roof beams, shingle exterior cladding, and a lift wood garage door, with paneled wood pedestrian door on the west façade.
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Notable character-defining features of 1326 N. Maryland Avenue include:
•Asymmetrical footprint
•Asymmetrical primary façade
•Exterior shingle cladding (altered with sprayed texture-coat) •One-story massing
•Low-pitched cross gable roof
•Notched/cut out roof beams
•Gable vents
•Brick and concrete entrance porch and beadboard ceiling •Wood entrance door with flanking side lights
•Wood single-pane casement, fixed, and hung windows
•Detached garage with shingle cladding and gable roof
Alterations and Integrity
The residence at 1326 N. Maryland Avenue retains a high degree of integrity with some alterations over the years and some condition issues. The main character-defining features of the building including the entrance porch, wood entrance door with side lights, and exposed roof beams, have all been maintained with little alterations. At an unknown date, a textured coating was sprayed over the shingles at all exterior walls.
Based on several contractor assessments and Planning staff’s opinion, the shingles cannot be salvaged and will need to be replaced. At the rear, three additions occurred, removing an original porch, but mostly with little impact to the overall design and workmanship of the original building. The largest of the three additions at the northeast corner stands out with horizontal siding and vinyl sliders, but these features along with its location and compatible roof form and massing allow it to read as an addition without deterring from the original building. Inappropriate louvered windows replaced original windows on the north façade and these along with the vinyl sliding window at the southeast corner and the vinyl sliding doors on the rear façade should be replaced with more compatible designs and materials. At the entrance porch, some of the brick requires repointing and an exposed notched beam is missing below the gable roof.
Additionally, the garage appears to have structural issues and the roofing is in very poor condition that requires replacement.
None of the listed alterations or condition issues deter from the building’s overall integrity of materials, design, or workmanship. The significant character-defining features of the building that convey its architectural style, Priest’s design sensibility, and the early construction date have been retained and remain unaltered. The building’s integrity of location is retained as the building has not been moved. The integrity of feeling and setting is also retained as the neighborhood, the Casa Verdugo Historic District, retains a high level of integrity as an early residential development in the city.
Though all of the shingle cladding requires replacement, the owner has identified a source to provide matching shingles and, given the existing condition, this work will conform with the rehabilitation standards.
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HPC recommended the following Mills Act conditions:
1. Replace the exterior shingles with new wood shingles of the same size and pattern as the existing.
2. Replace the non-original louver windows on the north façade and the non-original vinyl window in the southeast corner with single-pane casement or hung wood windows.
3. Replace the vinyl sliding door on the east façade with a more appropriate door.
4. Repoint the brick on the entrance porch where needed.
5. Owner to consult with structural engineer to determine if the garage is structurally sound. If not, correct any structural deficiencies in consultation with the engineer and city staff to ensure the historic appearance of the garage is retained.
6. Replace the garage roof cladding with new asphalt shingle to match those to be used for the main house.
7. Repair garage door or replace with new wood door to match.
8. Replace the missing beam under the porch gable and repair any wood rot on all the exposed roof beams.
9. Remove non-original awnings.
ANALYSIS
Finding of Eligibility
After reviewing the nomination submitted by the owner and its supporting documentation, as well as visiting the site, Planning Division staff concludes that the property appears to meet eligibility Criterion 3 for listing in the Glendale Register of Historic Resources.
Architectural Significance [Criterion 3]
To meet Criterion 3, a property must “embody the distinctive and exemplary characteristics of an architectural style, architectural type, period, or method of construction; or represent a notable work of a master designer, builder or architect whose genius influenced his or her profession; or possess high artistic values and retains historic integrity.”
1326 N. Maryland Avenue is a simple, yet prominent example of an early, architect-designed, Craftsman-style residence in Glendale. The Craftsman-style grew out of the Arts and Crafts movement as a reaction against industrialization and the excess of the Victorian era. The Craftsman-style stressed the simplicity of design, handcraftsmanship, and the use of natural materials. The style is mainly characterized by low-pitched gabled roofs with wide eave overhangs, partial or full width porches, a horizonal massing, exterior cladding such as wood shingles or clapboard, and extensive use of natural materials. As residential neighborhoods pushed north in the first few decades of the 20th century, many of the homes were designed in the Craftsman style. A good portion of these homes were contractor designed, but some of the larger scale homes were designed by architects, like 1326 N. Maryland. Alfred Priest was a prominent architect in the city who helped visually shape Glendale from a small town to a city in its most 6{{section.number}}a
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formative years. 1326 N. Maryland Avenue was one of the first residential commissions for this master architect and one of the earliest known examples of his work in the city. Therefore, the subject property is eligible for listing in the Glendale Register under Criterion 3.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
There are no stakeholders other than the property owner.
FISCAL IMPACT
Listing historic properties in the Glendale Register has no fiscal impact. However, future property tax savings to private owners of listed historic properties under Mills Act contracts will slightly reduce City property tax revenues from the general County tax levy received from each Mills Act property.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The project is exempt from CEQA as a Class 8 “Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment” exemption and a Class 31 “Historical Resource Restoration/Rehabilitation” exemption pursuant to Sections 15308 and 15331 of the State CEQA Guidelines because it involves the designation and protection/preservation of a historic resource.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
The names and business addresses of the members of the board of directors, the chairperson, CEO, COO, CFO, Subcontractors and any person or entity with more than 10% interest in the company proposed for contract in this Agenda Item Report are attached in Exhibit 4, in accordance with the City Campaign Finance Ordinance No. 5744.
ALTERNATIVES
Alternative 1: Reject designation/listing of 1326 N. Maryland Avenue on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources, finding that the property does not meet Criterion 3 or any other criteria.
Alternative 2: Any other alternative chosen by City Council. 7{{section.number}}a
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ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Prepared by:
Jay Platt, Principal Planner
Reviewed by:
Bradley Calvert, Director of Community Development
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Glendale Register Nomination
Exhibit 2: Photographs
Exhibit 3: Mills Act Application
Exhibit 4: Campaign Disclosure