OF GLENDA Historic District
Historic districts are designated geographical areas defined by either a significant concentration of properties representing a collection of one or more historic architectural styles or a noteworthy historic development pattern. Historic districts are officially ALIFORNIA "overlay zones" requiring a zone change that must be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission, Planning Commission and City Council. More information can be found at: http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/planning/HPHistoricDistricts.asp Case No.
The city's Historic Preservation Planner is available to meet with you to discuss the historic district process prior to your submission of an application. We strongly encourage you to call 818) 548-2140 to arrange a preliminary meeting. Please also call to obtain the current historic district zone change fee.
Please PRINT or TYPE all information
1. Application date:
May 18, 2023
2. Proposed historic district name (optional; final name may differ from that proposed):
Cleveland Knoll Historic District
3. Describe boundary of proposed Historic District Study Area (attach map - see 7a):
In northwest Glendale, within the broader area bounded by West Kenneth Road on the north, Grandview Avenue on the west, Glenwood Road on the south, and Highland Avenue on the east. The specific proposed district boundary includes the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Cleveland Road, Idlewood Road, Bruce Avenue, and Graynold Avenue, and excludes the Chabad Jewish Center at the northwest corner of Bruce Avenue and West Kenneth Road, as well as the homes on the south side of West Kenneth Road extending from Bruce Avenue to Graynold Avenue. These properties have already been included in the designated South Cumberland Historic District In addition, the proposed district includes all north and south facing homes along Olmsted Drive, from Bruce Avenue to Graynold Avenue, and the following south facing homes on Glenwood Road extending west to Grandview Avenue and east to Graynold Avenue, ending at 1027 Glenwood Road. In total, the proposed historic district includes 238 residences.
Historic District Application (revised 05/20 13)
receNed 5/24/23
4. Contact Info
(if you wish to keep phone and/or e-mail information private, please mark as "private" and submit on separate sheet for staff use) Primary Contact Person (must be a property owner within the proposed District):
Name: Annette Banks
Address: 1419 Idlewood Road, Glendale, CA 91202
Phone: (818) 726-4602
Email: [email protected]
Second Contact Person (if applicable; must be a property owner within the proposed District):
Name: Jack Chicca/May Kwan
Address: 1457 Cleveland Road, Glendale, CA 91202
Phone: (818) 835-7096 and (626) 437-3465
Email: [email protected] and [email protected]
Third Contact Person (if applicable; must be a property owner within the proposed District):
Name: Lucia Hazrian
Address: 1440 Bruce Avenue, Glendale, CA 91202
Phone: (818) 378-8531
Email: [email protected]
[Note: For the purposes of facilitating communications during the Historic District review process, we have established a dedicated email address to use: [email protected]]
5. Briefly summarize the attached draft historic context statement (see 7b) to describe the historic significance of the proposed study area:
On February 3, 1923, more than 100 years ago today, the Glendale Daily Press newspaper announced the opening of a "Dream Tract of Northwest Glendale" as one of the "choicest pieces of property in Glendale's most exclusive sections." A syndicate of real estate developers from Cleveland, Ohio, had purchased 20 acres of land from Dr. Kate Black, who had owned the property for over 30 years prior to the sale. The 20 acres of well-established citrus groves (i.e., orange and grapefruit trees) were located within the prime, undeveloped area bounded by Kenneth Road on the north, Grandview Road on the west, Glenwood Road on the south, and Highland Avenue on the east, and was to be called "Cleveland Knoll." The core residential development effort (as described in the newspaper article) was to initially include 84 lots, with two new 50-foot-wide macadam (concrete) streets to be constructed extending north and south within the existing citrus orchards-Cleveland and Idlewood Roads. At the time of release of the newspaper article, the land was being cleared for the construction of Cleveland Road.
For the purposes of this proposed historic district, we are proposing the expanded boundaries as described above in response to Item 3, to include 40 acres (i.e., the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Bruce and Graynold Avenues, as well as Cleveland and Idlewood Roads), which is consistent with the map included within the original 1923 newspaper article. A copy of the Glendale Daily Press release from 1923 is attached for reference as a portion of the response to Item 7 b.
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 2
REALTY MANDALE, CAL
SECTION Glendale Haily Press
PERRE ART 2 100E
DREAM-TRACT OF NORTHWEST IS OPENED TO HOMESEEKER
GRAND OPENING
OF THE
CLEVELAND
KNOLL
SUBDIVISION
HOMESITES
Thi sertion of the ted in the otis or North:
West part of Glendale.
This wonderful city of GLENDALE which is
known throughout the United States and be-
coming famous in other Lands is
THE FASTEST GROWING CITY
IN AMERICA
Our population of 35,000 is expected to increase
to 130,000 within the next eight years.
Then Wed sher
var Gagaal
FOOTHILL REALTY CO.
GO EAST DORAN, AT
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 3
The Cleveland Knoll development effort was significant to the continued development and expansion of the growing city of Glendale in the early 1920s and 1930s, as it was intended to attract interested "working class" (although restricted) home buyers from both California and outside the state (most notably, the state of Ohio) into prime development area locations in northwest Glendale. This was achieved by offering reasonably priced lots (ranging from $2,000-$4,000 each), with each lot offering 15- 20 well-developed fruit trees, typifying the character and charm of this highly desirable Southern California location. Lot sizes in the new development included a frontage of 60 feet and a depth of 154 feet, and lots on Kenneth and Glenwood were 60 by 145 feet. To ensure that the new tract maintained the appropriate "high class" of development—yet affordable to the average working American at that time, an initial building restriction cap of $5000 was placed on all lots. Architectural and building services were to be provided to home buyers, if desired, by the Cleveland, Ohio-based syndicate, to ensure that the new homes were built to "fit the families that were going to occupy them." The resulting Cleveland Knoll residential development occurred primarily from the 1920s to the 1940s. The principle architectural types of homes ultimately developed within the study area included: Spanish Colonial Revival, English Inspired, and Minimal Traditional.
(Newspaper source: City of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Digital Library)
6. Explain how the initial proposed boundaries of the study area were selected:
The proposed study area follows the general boundaries initially described in the February 3, 1923, Glendale Daily Press article introducing the new "Cleveland Knoll" land development effort. The study area focuses on the initial 20-acre parcel of land that included the home lots adjacent to the soon-to-be constructed Cleveland and Idlewood Roads extending north and south from Kenneth Road to Glenwood Road. In addition, the study area includes the subsequently developed streets of Bruce and Graynold Avenues, running parallel to Cleveland and Idlewood Roads, with similarly sized home lots and building restrictions. The resulting geographical boundary for the proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District encompasses approximately 40 acres of gently sloping property that was originally citrus groves, and eventually included 238 residential lots developed over the ensuing 20+ years.
7. Attach the following supporting materials as part of the application package:
a) Map of proposed district
The area encompassed by the proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District is illustrated below. The affected area includes approximately 40 acres of land, lying within the broader boundaries of West Kenneth Road on the north, Grandview Avenue on the west, Highland Avenue on the east, and Glenwood Road on the south. The specific area includes Cleveland and Idlewood Roads in the center running north and south between West Kenneth and Glenwood Roads, bisected by Olmsted Drive in the center. Also included are the north-south streets and adjacent properties along Bruce Avenue on the west and Graynold Avenue on the east.
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 4
Exhibit 1. "The Proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District." Grand
W Kenneth Rd
Bruce Ave
dAve
Idlewoo Grayno
Bruce Ave
nsted Dr
Bruce Ave Cleveland Rd Idlewood Rd
Grandview Ave Graynold Ave Norton Ave
eveland Rd
Source: City of Glendale, Planning Projects Map Esri Community Map Historic District Application (revised 05/201 3)
b) Initial "Historic District Context Statement", to include:
Why the Proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District: Before responding to the specific "Historical District Context Statement" elements below (beginning with Development History), we felt that it was important to state our reason up front for the city of Glendale reviewers. The Glendale Historic District Overlay Zone Ordinance defines a specific set of criteria that must be considered. To be eligible as a historic district, an area must meet at least one of the nine evaluation criteria established by the City. We recognize that-should the city favorably consider our application-an independent outside consultant may be retained by the city to further evaluate the merits of this application against the established criteria. In preparing this submittal, we have also considered the eligibility requirements and wish to offer our summary thoughts below regarding the nine evaluation criteria. a) The proposed area exemplifies or reflects special elements of the City's cultural, social, economic, political, aesthetic, engineering, architectural, or natural history.
We believe that the proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District provides a significant contribution to the continued development of the northwest Glendale community, by targeting a specific, yet special class of potential buyers and residents that supported the cultural, social and economic interests of the city during the period of interest. The residential area also included several unique architectural elements and home styles that were consistent with the evolving history of the city. We believe that the Cleveland Knoll Historic District meets this evaluation criterion. b) The proposed area is identified with persons or events significant in local, state, or national history.
The residential area is significant for its association with Dr. Kate Black, a significant figure in the early development of both the cities of Pasadena and Glendale. Dr. Black relocated to the area after securing her medical degree in Cleveland, Ohio and practiced medicine in Pasadena for 15 years before settling into northwest Glendale where she and her husband owned significant acreage. Her willingness to sell the initial 20-acre property to the Cleveland-based development syndicate was a major advancement to the continued development of the area. We believe that the Cleveland Knoll Historic District meets this evaluation criterion. c) The proposed district embodies distinctive characteristics of a style, type, period, or method of construction, or is a valuable example of the use of indigenous materials or craftmanship.
The proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District contains a significant concentration of architectural styles that were popular in the 1920s and later-notably, the Spanish Colonial Revival, English Inspired, and post-war Minimal Traditional styles. The area also includes the Taylor House. This residence was initially built in 1873 and subsequently re-located to a lot within the proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District. The residence is illustrative of the early pioneer construction and is listed in the Glendale Register of Historic Places. We believe that the proposed district meets this evaluation criterion.
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 6
d) The proposed district represents the work of notable builders, designers, or architects.
The district includes the work of architects and builders, including some provided by the Cleveland-based syndicate to initially develop the residential area. Records are not readily available to identify the specific architects) or builders, so we do not believe that the proposed district meets this particular criterion.
e) The proposed district offers a unique location or is a view or vista representing an established and familial visual feature of a neighborhood community or of the City.
While the proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District represents one of the established residential neighborhoods in the northwest Glendale area, it does not provide a unique location, view or vista as the area is located further down the hill from high profile locations, such as Leslie Brand's El Miradero. As such, we do not believe that this proposed district meets this criterion. f The proposed district embodies a collection of elements of architectural design, detail, materials or craftsmanship that represent a significant structural or architectural achievement or innovation.
While the proposed area includes a number of potentially unique design elements, such as the creative use of decorative tiles within some residential structures and/or window treatments, we do not believe that these elements represent significant achievements or innovations. g) The proposed district reflects significant geographic patterns, including those associated with different areas of settlement and growth, transportation modes, or distinctive examples of park or community planning.
The proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District provided a significant impetus to the continued development of northwest Glendale. These were not over-sized lots and grand extravagant homes. This residential development was intended to attract a targeted "working class" (though restricted) demographic and lot sizes and initial construction costs were capped to encourage average Americans to locate in the area with reasonable priced, quality homes. We believe that the proposed district meets this evaluation criterion.
h) The proposed district conveys a sense of historic and architectural cohesiveness through its design, setting, materials, workmanship or association.
The Cleveland Knoll Historic District conveys a strong sense of cohesiveness via its consistent scale of homes and associated residential aesthetics, including elements of the original "Marbelite" concrete streetlamps, stamped sidewalks, and macadam roadways. We believe that the proposed district meets this evaluation criterion.
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 7
i) The proposed area has been designated a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places or the California Register of Historic Resources.
The proposed historic district has not been so designated, and therefore does not meet this evaluation criterion.
In summary, we believe that the proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District meets five of the nine established evaluation criteria designated by the city of Glendale.
The following discussions address the Historic District Context elements listed by the city in regard to the application requirements-from the early stages of the southern California history to the development of Glendale.
• Development history
The Land: As described in the City of Glendale Community Plan, the story of North and Northwest Glendale as we know it today is really the story of the area's gradual transformation from wilderness to ranchland to farmland and finally to residential suburb. The seemingly random political boundaries result from a series of annexations that occurred, driven by the demand for water and development rights. The connection between North and Northwest Glendale's landscape and its people runs deep, linking Native Americans, settlers, and today's residents in a common appreciation of the special qualities of the Crescenta Valley. The steep slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains rise 3,000 feet above the valley floor to the northeast.
The less rugged Verdugo Mountains and San Rafael Hills are found to the southwest and southeast, respectively. The valley floor enclosed by these ranges is rarely level, instead sloping-sometimes quite steeply-due to the deposition of alluvial sand and stone flowing off the San Gabriel Mountains over the millennia.
The Crescenta Valley's climate was a major draw for early residents. Situated at an average elevation of 1,500 feet above sea level, higher than the fog line, the valley had low humidity and air swept clean by prevailing breezes. The native landscape of chaparral brush dotted with oaks, sycamores, and manzanita remains in the San Gabriels and Verdugos, the latter noticeably greener due to the north-facing slopes. Douglas firs that once grew in canyon areas of the San Gabriels were harvested in the early 1880s to provide fuel for the Mullally Brick Company's kilns in Los Angeles, never to return. Oak trees remain a prominent feature of the valley floor and especially the hillside neighborhoods.
The People: At the time of European contact, the Glendale area was situated in a region that was inhabited by the Native American group of Shoshonean descent who became known as the Gabrielino but referred to themselves as Tongva. Former name derives from the incorporation of many of the Native American people into the Mission San Gabriel during the eighteenth century. The Tongva are considered one of the most distinctive tribes in all of California, occupying a vast tract of some of the most fertile and productive lands in the state, including portions of Glendale. Primarily hunters and gatherers who maintained a maritime Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 8
trade network along the coast, the Tongva territory stretched from Topanga Canyon in the northwest, to the base of Mount Wilson in the north, to the San Bernardino vicinity in the east, and to the Aliso Creek vicinity in the southeast.
Mexico lost California, along with the rest of the southwestern United States, at the end of the Mexican American War in 1848. In 1858, the ranchos that had been established under Mexican rule were surveyed by Henry Hancock of the United States Surveyor General's office.
Hancock was persuaded by Jose Maria Verdugo, a major landowner in the area, to merge what was then the southern portion of Rancho La Canada into Rancho San Rafael. Essentially, the affected area would extend from what is now the 134 Freeway to Berkshire Drive in La Canada Flintridge. The intent behind Verdugo's request was to obtain another seasonal source of water for his southern lands. Despite Verdugo's savvy land dealings, he and other ranchers eventually did not fare well under the new government, with rancheros becoming increasingly land rich and cash poor. Newly arriving Anglo-Americans would often make claims to ranch lands, and the grantees typically had trouble defending their land holdings.
Great Partition of 1871: In 1851, following California's admittance to the Union as the 31st state, Julio and his sister Catalina Verdugo filed a petition to confirm their ownership of the Rancho San Rafael with the Board of Land Commissioners, which had been created to legitimize ownership of the Spanish and Mexican land grants and delineate boundaries.
Confirmation was finally received in 1855. In 1861, Rancho San Rafael, which to that point had been owned jointly by brother and sister, was divided with Julio receiving the southern portion and Catalina receiving the northern portion. In 1861, Julio Verdugo mortgaged a substantial portion of the Rancho San Rafael under terms that he could not afford. Foreclosure on the land soon followed; however, due to the often-informal nature of the Verdugo's many real estate transactions through the 1850s and 1860s using land as currency, many of their creditors were unable to determine clear title to the property involved and subsequently filed suit against the Verdugos and other claimants to clarify the issue. The result of this was a landmark court ruling known as the "Great Partition of 1871." In the end, the court determined the legal ownership of both Rancho San Rafael and Rancho La Canada to the northeast, portioning the Ranchos into 31 parts and conferring title to 28 persons. The image below reflects the court determined division of land and ownership, referred to as the Great Partition. The proposed location of the Cleveland Knoll Historic District is in the area to the eastern edge of what is shown as the "Scott Tract, awarded to David Burbank." (Sources of Information for The Lands, The People, and The Great Partition: City of Glendale Historic Context/North Glendale Community Plan, November 2011; and the Bellehurst Historic District Application, June 2018)
Historic District Application (revised 05/201 3) 9
Exhibit 2. The Resulting Land Distribution Following the Great Divide with Superimposed Present Glendale City Boundary.
•6, 200200
scOTT
Present City Boun
City of Glendale Founding (1876-1905): The completion of the transcontinental railroad, its connection to Los Angeles by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1876, and the subsequent link to the Santa Fe system in 1881 opened large areas of previously inaccessible land in Southern California. This, in turn, stimulated a real estate boom that lasted throughout the 1880s.
Subdivision activity gained momentum in what is now the Glendale area, as was true elsewhere in Southern California. In 1883, Glendale City fathers E.T. Byram, B.F. Patterson and C.E. Thom purchased 126 acres of the Childs Tract, on the east side of Glendale Avenue between First (now Lexington) and Ninth (Windsor) Streets. This tract eventually formed the nucleus of the present-day city of Glendale.
Glendale was one of hundreds of new towns founded in Southern California during the 1880s real estate boom. At this time, C.E. Thom, his nephew Judge Ross, Harry J. Crow, Patterson, and Byram together commissioned the survey of new township, which they decided to call "Glendale," a name that was already in use on the former Rancho. The township was recorded at the County Recorder on March 11, 1887, with boundaries at First Street (now Lexington) on the north, Fifth Street (now Harvard) and south of Sixth Street (now Colorado) Streets on the Historic District Application (revised 05/201 3) 10
south, Central Avenue on the west, and the Childs Tract (part of which is now Chevy Chase Drive) on the east. These boundaries consisted of six blocks north to south and seventeen blocks east to west. This neatly set the stage for Glendale's subsequent growth and development.
In 1902, the Glendale Improvement Association launched a publicity campaign to raise Glendale's profile and attract new residents and investment. As the population grew in the early years of the 20th century, residents of Glendale became frustrated with the inability of the County of Los Angeles to provide the necessary services for the continued development of the area. An effort to incorporate as a city began in 1904, led by the Glendale Improvement Association. Local control was made official when the township of Glendale was incorporated as a city in 1906.
(Source: From Glendale, Your Home, Glendale Merchants Associate, LA Public Library, 1926- 27; and Bellehurst Historic District Application, June 2018) Glendale Incorporation and Early 20th Century Growth (1906-1920): The primary catalyst for the growth of the city in the early 20th century was the establishment of an interurban railroad line connecting Glendale to Los Angeles in 1904. Leslie Brand, Glendale's main proponent of the railway, brought streetcar lines to Glendale using land he owned to the west of Glendale Avenue, then the township's main street. Originating in Los Angeles, the tracks were built along the center of Brand Boulevard and then turned west, continuing into the San Fernando business center to shift from Glendale Avenue west to Brand Boulevard. This engendered tremendous population growth and significant commercial and residential development in the areas adjacent to the railroad lines. By 1910, the city's population had risen to 2,700 and the slogan "The Fastest Growing City in America" became Glendale's motto. (Source: History of Glendale and Vicinity, John Calvin Sherer, 1922) Exhibit 3. Glendale California-the Fastest Growing City in America
AM DAMY WAY
GENDANYALIFORNIA
THE I SISTE GeRmAN LIVE AMERICA
U
albert photo
Photo: Water & Power Associates
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013)
• Relationship of district to Glendale development patterns, events, and persons Development of Northwest Glendale (1880s-1920s):
Leslie Coombs Brand - Born in 1859 in Florissant, Missouri, Brand had two sisters (i.e., Helen and Ada) and two brothers (i.e., Henry and Joseph). His father died when he was 10 years old, and the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri. At 20 years of age, Brand moved to Moberly, Missouri, and became a recorder for Randolph County. He soon created a small real estate business with partners in Moberly. In 1886, he moved to Los Angeles as land development flourished and formed the Los Angele Abstract Company. The financial panic of 1892 struck, and the real estate market slumped. Brand sold the business and spent the next several years out of state. He met and married Mary Louis Dean in Galveston, Texas, in 1891. The couple moved back to Los Angeles, and in 1895, Brand joined forces to form the Los Angeles Title Guarantee and Trust Company. By 1901, the holdings of the company north of Los Angeles became the community of Glendale.
Brand is often called the father of Glendale due to the role he played in the development of the city in the early 1900s, partnering to bring the electric rail line to connect Glendale to Los Angeles. Around the same time, Brand explored the idea of building a residence in the foothills above Glendale where he had purchased property. He hired architect Nathanial Dryden, his brother-in-law, to design and build a mansion based on the East Indian Pavilion he had seen at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Between 1903 and 1904, the house was completed, and Brand named it El Miradero, a "high place overlooking an extensive view." Brand became an airplane enthusiast in part to reduce his commute to his property in Mono Lake. He purchased 15 acres just south of his residence and built an airstrip for his special ordered Army surplus Curtiss JN-6H (Hisso Jenny). The Brands hosted "fly-in" parties with local dignitaries and movie stars of the silent movie era, which led to increasing visibility and development interests in the northwest Glendale area. The primary road leading up the hill to El Miradero was Grandview Avenue. Much of the area immediate southeast of E Miradero was dedicated to citrus groves.
(Source: History of Glendale and Vicinity, John Calvin Sherer, 1922; and Wikipedia) Historic District Application (revised 05/201 3) 12
Exhibit 4. El Miradero from the Air, with Established Citrus Groves Extending South Toward Cleveland Knoll.
Grandview Memorial Park - The cemetery was established in 1884 and was the only cemetery in Glendale until Forest Lawn Memorial Park was constructed in 1906. The original site of the cemetery was heavily wooded, and its 4 percent grade provided good drainage. The cemetery was purchased by Len C. Davis in 1919, and the 30-acre tract was renamed Grandview Memorial Park. Davis immediately began the planning for a one-million-dollar investment to include a large 1,600 crypt mausoleum running along Sonora Avenue between West Kenneth and Glenwood Roads. The picture below is an aerial photograph of the memorial park circa 1920, with the yet to be built mausoleum that would extend along Sonora Avenue. Just north of the cemetery is the West Kenneth Road (and the not yet established Kenneth Village), with Grandview Avenue on the east side of the cemetery leading northwest to El Miradero. As shown in the photo, the area to the east of Grandview Avenue is dedicated to citrus groves of orange and grapefruit trees. The dirt road running east from Grandview Avenue near the mid- point of the cemetery eventually became Olmsted Drive. It was in this area that Cleveland Knoll was to be developed
(Source: History of Glendale and Vicinity, John Calvin Sherer, 1922) Historic District Application (revised 05/201 3) 13
Exhibit 5. Grandview Memorial Park, Circa 1920.
GRAND VIEW MEMORIAL PARKING
GLENDA
PD.
• Periods of significance
Economic Growth and Population Boom (1920-1930): Between 1920 and 1930, almost 1.5 million people relocated to the greater Los Angeles area to take part in several burgeoning industries. These growth drivers included petroleum, manufacturing, aviation, garments and textiles, construction, entertainment, and tourism. This huge influx of people and capital resulted in an unparalleled building boom. Prosperity of the era combined with investment in good roads also led to exceptional levels of automobile ownership, a force that came to dictate the location and form of suburban growth for the remainder of the 20th century. Vast land areas were subdivided for residential development in the 1920s, particularly the hillside areas accessible chiefly by automobiles.
The city of Glendale took full advantage of the regional boom, promoting the City's proximity to Los Angeles while boasting a sense of peace and natural beauty that no longer existed in the urban core. Glendale's population more than quadrupled from 13,756 in 1920 to 62,736 in 1930. This dramatic population increase and rapid growth spurred the growth of many new residential neighborhoods on the outskirts of town. The citrus orchards, vineyards, and country estates that had once characterized the foothill and valley lands of northwest Glendale gave way to planned residential suburbs.
(Source: Bellehurst Historic District Application, June 2018) Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 14
Development of Cleveland Knoll (1923-1940): Dr. Kate Shepardson was a native of Greenfield, Indiana, and attended schools in both Indiana and Michigan. At the age of 16, she entered Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, for a 4-year literary course, graduating in the class of 1869. She taught school for a few terms and then entered the Homeopathic Hospital College, Cleveland, Ohio, for a full 4-year curriculum, graduating in 1874 with a degree in medicine.
She practiced medicine in Columbus, Ohio, for four years, during which time she married Dr. S. Black, having become acquainted with him during college. In 1883, they moved to California and purchased land in both Pomona and North Glendale, remaining in California for a year and a half. She then returned to the east related to some patient care requirements, before returning to California in 1888. After practicing medicine in Pasadena for 15 years, they decided to move their property to North Glendale, where Dr. Black oversaw a ranch on Kenneth Road. In the early 1920s, they built a home for $10,000 located at 715 Kenneth Road, next to the now-famous "Bel Aire" house.
(Source: History of Glendale & Vicinity, John Calvin Sherer, 1922) Exhibit 6. Dr. Kate Black House at 715 West Kenneth Road.
Dr. Kate Black and her husband owned acreage on the south side of Kenneth Road since their early visits to California in the 1880s. In early 1923, a 20-acre parcel of the land was purchased from Dr. Kate Black by a Cleveland, Ohio, syndicate comprised of: Antonio Farinacci, who subsequently lived on the 1600 block of Idlewood Road during development of the residential area; Joseph Fortunato of Glendale Tile & Mantel Company; Michael Maccario, who later lived on the 1300 block of Idlewood Road; Secando Teodo, who lived with his wife on the 1100 block of Glenwood Road; and Joseph Di Vittorio.
The Cleveland Knoll residential development approach made a significant contribution to the continued development of northwest Glendale. The purchased property was placed in trust with the Security Trust & Savings Bank of Glendale. Deeds were issued to this bank, and all moneys for the lots were to be paid into that institution. Lots in the development were sold Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 15
on an initial payment of 25 percent, with the remainder to be paid in three years in equal payments. Lot prices were all in the range of $2000 to $4,000, and home construction prices were capped with a building restriction of no more than $5,000. With a total cost per lot (i.e., land and home) in the range of $7,000-$9,000, home purchases were well within the range of the average costs of homes in the U.S. in the 1920s. The average net incomes for families during that period were approximately $3,225 per year, and the average costs of homes were in the range of $6,500 (source: IRS tax records for 1920s). This approach to the residential development placed the total costs for home purchase in the Cleveland Knoll development within the grasp of the average American working family, and at a location within a highly desirable geographic area of northwest Glendale.
Exhibit 7. Glendale Daily Press Announcing the Development of Cleveland Knoll in Northwest Glendale, February 3, 1923.
REALTY
SECTION Glendale Daily Preas
DREAM-TRACT OF NORTHWEST IS OPENED TO HOMESEEKER
CETLAND KNOLL, ONE OF THE CI IS A CRY AS INPORTANT
PIEGES OF PROPERTY IN GLENILE'S AS A FACTURY OR INTEL!
EXCLUSIVE SECTIONS, GOES EN ALTA -
CANYADA
INCREASE IN RENT
IN PAST YEAR
TOLD
ARPLANE VIENS
OF GLENOME
EXPLAINTA
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 16
In conjunction with the sale of properties, an architectural design and building construction service was provided by Mr. Farinacci. Free plans and specifications were offered to those wishing to avail themselves of these services. It was indicated in the initial press release that the idea of Mr. Farinacci in offering this service was "not only to build homes, but to build homes that fit the families that were going to occupy them. In the planning of these structures, the builder's every wish will be considered, and suggestions will be offered here and there that will add to the attractiveness and the serviceability of the home." The architectural design and building construction service that was offered by the developers was advertised to have successfully planned and constructed more than one million dollars' worth of homes in the Cleveland, Ohio, area at that time. Public utilities were also included within the prices of the lots. Both Cleveland and Idlewood Roads were to be constructed of three- inch macadam (concrete), with each street at 50-foot widths. Sidewalks, curbing, and streetlamps were also included.
• Profile of historic resource types
Landscape, Sidewalks and Street Lamps: In the 1920s, a common suburban streetlamp in Southern California included a fluted pillar with an acorn lamp. In Glendale, streetlamps at the time were either of the metal or bronze lanterns or molded concrete types. Within the Cleveland Knoll residential area, the Marbelite Concrete Lamppost was used with the standard design elements reflected below in Exhibit 8.
Exhibit 8. Marbelite Concrete Lamppost Design Elements.
Today, these attractive 100-year-old streetlamps are one of the defining features of the proposed historic district, as illustrated in Exhibit 9 below.
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 17
Exhibit 9. Marbelite Streetlamps on Cleveland Road.
The Cleveland Knoll neighborhood was being developed initially in the 1920s, when Glendale was billed as one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. During this period, many of the sidewalks and streets were being laid when the houses were built. The custom at the time was for the contractor to embed a stamp (sometimes called a stencil) on the sidewalks and streets, and today, these stamps have become a visible history of those who helped to build the residential community. Over the years, many of the original sidewalk and street stamps have been removed (or covered) as roads and sidewalks were redone. Within the Cleveland Knoll residential area however, many of the original sidewalk stencils remain. One, in particular, was for "). W. Henderson, Contractor." Mr. Henderson was a Tennessee-born cement contractor who lived with his wife and four children on South Glendale Avenue. His sidewalk stamps from 100 years ago are still visible today on many Cleveland Knoll sidewalks, as well as on Idlewood Road.
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 18
Exhibit 10. Examples of Sidewalk Stamps on Streets within Cleveland Knoll.
LAL DELORE
BOWTBAUTAKE
One of the attractive features advertised during the initial development of the Cleveland Knoll residential area was the use of macadam or concrete streets. Macadam was a form of pavement invented by John McAdam of Scotland in the 18th Century, which was composed of compacted subgrade of crushed granite or small broken stone, along with a binder (as cement or asphalt). These types of roadways were considered the quality of construction in the 1920s.
Today, the original macadam roadway is still visible within the Cleveland Knoll residential community on the 1400 block of Idlewood Road.
Exhibit 11. Idlewood Road with Original Macadam Surface and Street Stamp showing 1927 Construction Date
126
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 19
c) A general written description of the architectural styles found within the proposed district The proposed Cleveland Knoll Historic District is comprised of 238 homes, some of which will be non-contributors, built after the period of significance. Other non-qualifiers may have been extensively modified over the years. However, majority of homes (estimated to be more than 80 percent) comprise a rich variety of intact popular building styles.
Architectural Number of Percentage Decade Number of Percentage Style Homes Homes
Spanish 101 42.5 1910s and 4 1.7
English 22 9.2 earlier
Traditional 112 47 1920s 87 36.5
Craftsman 3 1.3 1930s 122 51.3
1940s 20 8.4
1950s and later 5 2.1
Spanish Colonial Revival: In 1915, the Panama Canal opened to shipping traffic, and to celebrate the event, San Diego-the first United States port of call on the Pacific Coast—hosted a world's fair or exposition. The chief designer of the event was Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, who had a fascination for Spanish or Mediterranean styles of architecture. Goodhue did not want the cold, formal Renaissance and Neoclassical architecture that was normally use for exposition and fairs.
Instead, he envisioned a "fairytale city" with a festive, Mediterranean flavor. The style features low- pitched roofs with little or no overhang covered with distinctive red roofing tiles. These structures were almost always wood frame with stucco exterior. The arch motif was also common, especially above doors, porch entries, and main windows.
English Inspired Styles: The Tudor style sought to imitate the architectural forms of medieval Britain, France, and Germany with particular emphasis on the use of half-timbering. Considered a sub-category of Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival was popular in California from as early as 1900 until the 1950s. Tudor houses range from smaller "cottages" to more grand, high style residences.
Storybook and other English Inspired styles often have very similar elements. The Storybook frequently has rounded edges to shingled roofs and a smaller scale than the grander Tudor style.
While Storybook houses are often smaller in their overall scale, they frequently have exaggerated proportions (such as large door or window openings) further giving them the Storybook character.
Minimal Traditional: A housing type that developed as a simplification of historic styles is the Minimal Traditional. The style emerged in the late 1930s to become one of Southern California's dominant styles for housing in the 1940s. Generally, architectural detail is kept at a minimum. The restrained use of ornament and space in traditional form characterizes the style and gives it its name.
This type of house was built in large numbers in the years immediately before and after World War II, especially in large tract-housing developments. The style enjoyed great popularity in Southern California where, as a result of thriving local industry, housing construction continued to boom throughout the Depression and World War II. The Minimal Traditional style was popular for both single and multi-family residences in Glendale. These houses are found in large concentration within Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 20
Glendale's neighborhoods that were developed in the 1930s and 1940s. In addition, they can be found as later infill construction within those neighborhoods that were developed in an earlier era. (Source: Bellehurst Historic District Application, June 2018) d) Photographs representing the architectural styles and features within the proposed district Historic Property located within the Proposed District: In addition to the city of Glendale's two historic adobes (i.e., the Casa Adobe de San Rafael and the Tomas Sanchez Adobe, both constructed in 1871) which share honors as the oldest structures in Glendale, there stands a wood frame house located at 1027 Glenwood Road (the northeast corner of the intersection of Idlewood and Glenwood Roads) that dates to approximately the same period. The County Assessor's office records show that the Taylor House was initially constructed in 1873, just two years after the historic adobes. The original site of the structure was six blocks east of its current location, at the corner of Pacific Avenue and Sixth Street (now Glenwood Road). The house was moved to its present location in the 1920s, during the development of the Cleveland Knoll residential development.
James Conner leased 26 acres of land with the house and barn from Jesse and George Taylor.
Conner made his livelihood at the time by ranching and maintaining a dairy at the Pacific and Glenwood site. Aside from the age of the structure, the old wood frame house is not lacking in features of historical interest. The structure represents various attributes of what is generally considered pioneer construction: the siding of the house is of rustic channel redwood boards; square iron nails were used; and beneath the wallpaper is horsehair plaster on wood lath. Rehabilitation efforts, including a historically compatible addition, were begun in the mid-1990s.
Exhibit 12. The Historic Taylor House Located within Cleveland Knoll. (Source: City of Glendale Register of Historic Places, September 30, 1997) Historic District Application (revised 05/201 3) 21
Other Unique and/or Potentially Historic Homes within Cleveland Knoll: In 1928, Victor Gabler, a partner of the Wolfram & Gabler Printing Company, constructed a Spanish Revival home at 1457 Cleveland Road. At the time, the Wolfram & Gabler Printing Company was located on South Maryland Avenue (now Artsakh Avenue) near the present-day Glendale Central Library. Initially constructed at a cost of $5,000 (the upper limit of the Cleveland Knoll allowed construction cost per home), the Gabler house is unique in that it displays extensive use of Claycraft Tiles on the exterior turret and entryway areas as well as in the home's interior. Claycraft Potteries was a high-quality decorative tile design and manufacturer located on 3101 San Fernando Road in Los Angeles from between approximately 1920 and 1939. The exterior of this unique home is shown in Exhibit 13.
Exhibit 13. The Unique Gabler House at 1457 Cleveland Road Showcasing Historic Claycraft Tiles.
CLAYCRAFT POTTERIES. Los ANGELES, CALIF
No. IL SPANISH INLAID FIRE ARCH
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 22
Examples of other architectural styles (e.g., Craftsman, English, Spanish, and Traditional) in the Cleveland Knoll Residential Area:
This 1940s home at 1419 Idlewood Road features the steeply pitched roof, clapboard siding, central chimney, and shutter-clad windows in a more or less rectangular shape of the Cape Cod revival style. 1235 Glenwood Road - Craftsman 1251 Glenwood Road, Craftsman Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 23
1456 Cleveland Road - Traditional 1450 Bruce Avenue - English 1440 Bruce Avenue - Spanish 1344 Bruce Avenue - Traditional 1131 Glenwood Road - Craftsman 1312 Cleveland Road - Traditional Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 24
1353 Cleveland Road - Craftsman 1366 Cleveland Road - Spanish 1337 Idlewood Road - Spanish 1339 Graynold Avenue - English mail
1400 Graynold Avenue - Spanish 1413 Graynold Avenue - Spanish 1432 Cleveland Road - Spanish 1441 Graynold Avenue - English Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 25
e) Submit any supplements to the Historic District Design Guidelines (e.g., special features or architectural styles not included in the design guidelines Not applicable
f) Submit proposed design guidelines for any non-residential buildings located within the proposed study area
Not applicable
g) Any additional material that supports the nomination of a historic district
8. All Applicants MUST Sign This Application:
1. Annette Banks
Name - Please Print
Annett Banks
Signature
5/23/23
Date
2. JOIN CHiCCA + /HAY KWAN
Property Owner Signature(s)
5/18/23
Jat
LUCIA MAZRIAN
Property Owners) Name - Please Print
Proper bine Signatures)
5/18/23
Date
Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 26
FOR STAFF USE ONLY
Date received in Permit Services Center - Received by Date Stamp Fee paid Receipt No.
9. Background Information Sources:
a. History of Glendale & Vicinity, John Calvin Sherer, 1922) b. Bellehurst Historic District Application, June 2018
c. North Glendale Historic District Application
d. The Glendale Historic Society (TGHS)
e. North Glendale Historic Context, City of Glendale, November 2011 f. Glendale City Directories (digital copies: 1923, 1925, 1929, 1935) g. City of Glendale Historic Preservation Commission, Historic District Design Guidelines h. Los Angeles Public Library, TESSA, Digital Collections i. City of Glendale Library, Arts, & Culture Digital Library j. University of Southern California (USC) Digital Library k. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens Digital Library I. City of Glendale Register of Historic Places, September 30, 1997 m. University of California, Riverside, Digital Library Historic District Application (revised 05/2013) 27