Goddard & Brown left the building in 1964, it became the location of a mattress retailer and in the mid-1970s, carpet retailer Carpeteria (R.L. Polk & Co. 1964, 1968; PSI 2024b). Carpeteria appears to have occupied the building through the early 1990s. Field observation and available historical photography indicates t he building’s primary façade has been modified with newer entrance doors, while the pilon element location near the building’s northwest corner has bee n shortened over time, due to changes in occupant signage; originally this element was slightly taller, with three rectangular openings, versus the existing two openings (Mountain View Public Library 1993b). Additional windows and entrances have been inserted on the less prominent north façade, oriented to Fairmont Avenue.
The building’s immediate setting has changed, with Gateway Park constructed on a former gas station site to the south of 903 Castro Street, and development of the bank building on the former site of a gas station and office building at present-day 700 W. El Camino Real to the east.
Historical Resources Evaluation
903 Castro Street does not appear to be significant to the patterns of early twentieth century and post- World War II development in Mountain View and has not been identified as the location of any historically significant events. Research did not identify any other individuals associated with the building who appear to have made significant contributions to history. Investigation of the property’s developmental history failed to identify construction or design professionals associated with the building’s original design. An original permit or plans for the building were not found through review of available City building records and archival research . Overall, the building does not appear to be a significant example of a type, period, method of construction, architectural style, or to possess high artistic value.
The property at 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP, CRHR, and the local register due to a lack of historical and architectural significance.
Historic District Considerations
The six properties comprising the project site are each recommended ineligible for individual listing in the NRHP, CRHR, and local register. None the buildings subject to this study appear to be potential contributors to previously identified, previously designated, or potential historic districts. Although five out of the six properties within the study area contain commercial buildings originally constructed or modified (modernized) during the mid-twentieth century, they do not appear to form an assemblage of properties that lacks individual distinction but is significant as a whole. The four commercial properties along the 800 and 900 blocks of Castro Street within the project site do not form as a grouping that represents the period of post -World War II when commercial development occurred along Castro Street. That historical pattern occurred along the length of Castro Street, including several blocks further northward where the town’s commercial core had historically been focused (Page & Turnbull 2024). Since the mid-twentieth century, subsequent development along Castro Street, including along the opposite side of the 800 and 900 blocks of the street, as well as in the blocks between Church Street (south) and California Street (north), has led to the detachment of Castro Street’s southernmost blocks from its northernmost commercial core , in terms of architectural cohesion and overall character. Beyond the four subject buildings on Castro Street, 700 W. El Camino Real represents a later iteration of commercial development that does not relate strongly to Castro Street’s mid-twentieth century development, or that along El Camino Real in the immediate vicinity, which had consisted of several gas stations and auto -related businesses between the 1930s and 1960s (Page & Turnbull 2024). Further the building’s appearance has been modified such that it is no longer strongly representative of architecture from the period 1945-1979, as identified in the draft HCS.
Historical Resources Evaluation
881 Castro Street Mixed-Use Project, Mountain View, California
The property at 750 Fairmont Avenue does not appear to be a part of a potential historical district that would be composed of residential resources. Observation during fieldwork in the project site indicates that this property is disconnected from concentrations of multi -family apartment buildings by recent residential construction to its immediate north and east . R eview of the draft HCS found that this property’s immediate vicinity was not identified among the City’s primary, post -war multi -family housing development areas.
Conclusions
Based on the results of the CHRIS records search, archival and background research, pedestrian survey, and NRHP, CRHR, and local register evaluations there are no historical or archaeological resources within or adjacent to the project site. As detailed above, the buildings at 700 W. El Camino Real, 750 Fairmont Avenue, 843 Castro Street, 871 Castro Street, 881 Castro Street, and 903 Castro Street are not currently listed in the NRHP, CRHR, or local register either individually or as a historic district. As analyzed above, each building is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP, CRHR, and local register based on applicable eligibility criteria. As such, the properties do not qualify as historical resources as defined by CEQA Section 15064.5(a) and the project would not result in a potentially significant adverse impact or change in the significance of a historic resource as defined by CEQA. Additionally, the demolition of the subject buildings would not result in a cumulative impact to historical resources.
Based on the findings of this investigation, Rincon recommends a finding of no impact to historical resources under CEQA.
Should you have any questions concerning this study, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
Josh Bevan, AICP, MSHP
Architectural Historian
Margo Nayyar
Cultural Resources Principal
Attachments
Attachment A Figures and Photographs
Attachment B CHRIS Records Search Summary
Attachment C California DPR 523 Series Forms
Historical Resources Evaluation
881 Castro Street Mixed-Use Project, Mountain View, California
References
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (Avery Index)
2024 Database search via Los Angeles Public Library, online. https://research-ebsco- com.ezproxy.lapl.org/c/vk7dan/search?defaultdb=bvh (accessed October 2024).
California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP)
2022 Built Environment Resources Directory. Resources by County (Solano). Updated September 2022. Electronic resource: https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30338 (accessed November 2024).
Mountain View, City of
2022 Mountain View Register of Historic Resources. Last updated September 28, 2022.
Electronic resource.
https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7915/638346084894 870000 (accessed October 2024).
2024a Historic Preservation Ordinance. Version: July 26, 2024 (current). Electronic resource. https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=P TIITHCO_CH36ZO_ARTXVIZOORAD_DIV15DEPRHIRE (accessed September 2024). 2024b Mountain View Building Division Property file for subject property. Researched October 2024. E-permit history search accessed via https://epermits.mountainview.gov/h.aspx (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View Register
1950 Nelson’s Radio & TV listing at 845 Castro Street. January 24. On file at Mountain View Public Library History Center.
Mountain View Register Leader
1947 Ballentine Realty listed at 853 Castro Street. September 5. On file at Mountain View Public Library History Center.
Mountain View Public Library
1950-55 Bird’s-eye View of Castro Street, 1950-1955. Photograph. California Revealed. https://californiarevealed.org/do/34e911ec-f0b9-40a2-b17f- 2d3bbc95e01c#page/1 (accessed September 2024).
1970 Aerial photography of Mountain View, California, 1970. Contributed by Mountain View Public Library. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea- 2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed September 2024).
1993 Photography of 903 Castro Street, 1993. Contributed by Mountain View Public Library. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea-2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed October 2024).
2024 Mountain View Historical Newspapers. Database searched in-person at Mountain View Public Library History Center.
Historical Resources Evaluation
881 Castro Street Mixed-Use Project, Mountain View, California
National Archives and Records Administration
1934 California – Mountain View Through Nacimiento Road – NARA – 23934687.jpg. 1934.
National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_-
_Mountain_View_through_Nacimiento_Road_-_NARA_-_23934687.jpg (accessed October 2024).
National Park Service
1983 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Department of the Interior.
Page & Turnbull
2024 City of Mountain View Historic Context Statement. Public Review Draft. May 29, 2024.
Prepared for City of Mountain View. Accessed online:
https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9478/638575818912 170000 (accessed October 2024).
ParcelQuest.com
2024 Santa Clara County Assessor parcel data for subject properties. https://www.parcelquest.com/ (accessed September 2024).
Peninsula Times Tribune
1972 “New Barclays Bank, Where You Get ‘More For Your Money,’ Has a New Branch in Mountain View.” September 28.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/840546183/?match=1&clipping_id=155687456 (accessed September 2024).
PSI
2024a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Gingko Furniture 903 Castro Street and 751 Fairmont Avenue, Mountain View, California 94041. Including aerial photograph, topographic map, Sanborn map, and city directory data.
2024b Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Multi-Tenant Commercial & Multi-Family Residential Buildings 750 Fairmont Avenue and 843, 845, 871, 873, 881, & 889 Castro Street, Mountain View, California 94041. Including aerial photograph, topographic map, Sanborn map, and city directory data.
R.L. Polk & Co.
1962 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_102060153 7_0821-00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1964 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1964. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_102060153 7_0821-00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
Historical Resources Evaluation
881 Castro Street Mixed-Use Project, Mountain View, California
1966 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1966. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_102060153 7_0821-00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1968 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_102060153 7_0821-00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
University of California, Santa Barbara Library Special Collections. FrameFinder Aerial Photography database (UCSB).
1939 Fairchild Aerial Survey. Flight C-5750, Frame 285-82. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024). 1948 California Division of Forestry. Flight cdf5, Frame 2-110. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024). 1956 Aero Services Corporation. Flight CIV-1956, Frame 2r-36. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
U.S. Modernist
2024 Search of online architectural periodical and magazine database for subject property documentation. https://usmodernist.org/library.htm (accessed October 2024).
Attachment A
Figures and Photographs
Figure 1 Project Location
Photograph 1. Project Site Along East Side of Castro Street, Viewed from Castro Street, Camera Facing Southeast Toward Fairmont Avenue
Photograph 2. 700 W. El Camino Real, Camera Facing South
Photograph 3. 750 Fairmont Avenue, Camera Facing Northwest
Photograph 4. 843 Castro Street, Camera Facing Southeast
Photograph 5. 871 Castro Street, Camera Facing Northeast
Photograph 6. 881 Castro Street, Camera Facing Northeast
Photograph 7. 903 Castro Street, Camera Facing Northeast
Attachment B
CHRIS Records Search Summary
9/25/2024 NW IC File No.: 24-0351
Josh Bevan
Rincon Consultants
66 Franklin Street, Suite 300
Oakland, CA 94607
Re:
881 Castro Street (project number 24-16059)
The Northwest Information Center received your record search request for the project area referenced above, located on the Mountain View USGS 7.5’ quad(s). The following reflects the results of the records search for the project area and a ¼ mile radius:
Resources within project area: 0
Resources within ¼ mi. radius: 2: See the resource database printout list
Reports within project area:
0 Reports within ¼ mi. radius: 11: See the report database printout list
Resource Database Printout (list): ☒ enclosed ☐ not requested ☐ nothing listed Resource Database Printout (details): ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed Resource Digital Database Records: ☒ enclosed ☐ not requested ☐ nothing listed Report Database Printout (list): ☒ enclosed ☐ not requested ☐ nothing listed Report Database Printout (details): ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed Report Digital Database Records: ☒ enclosed ☐ not requested ☐ nothing listed Resource Record Copies: ☒ enclosed ☐ not requested ☐ nothing listed Report Copies: ☐ enclosed ☐ not requested ☒ nothing listed OHP Built Environment Resources Directory: ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed Archaeological Determinations of Eligibility: ☐ enclosed ☐ not requested ☒ nothing listed CA Inventory of Historic Resources (1976): ☐ enclosed ☐ not requested ☒ nothing listed Caltrans Bridge Survey: ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed Ethnographic Information: ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed Historical Literature: ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed Historical Maps: ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed Local Inventories: ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed GLO and/or Rancho Plat Maps: ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed Shipwreck Inventory: ☐ enclosed ☒ not requested ☐ nothing listed
Please forward a copy of any resulting reports from this project to the office as soon as possible. Due to the sensitive nature of archaeological site location data, we ask that you do not include resource location maps and resource location descriptions in your report if the report is for public distribution.
If you have any questions regarding the results presented herein, please contact the office at the phone number listed above.
The provision of CHRIS Data via this records search response does not in any way constitute public disclosure of records otherwise exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act or any other law, including, but not limited to, records related to archeological site information maintained by or on behalf of, or in the possession of, the State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, State Historic Preservation Officer, Office of Historic Preservation, or the State Historical Resources Commission.
Due to processing delays and other factors, not all of the historical resource reports and resource records that have been submitted to the Office of Historic Preservation are available via this records search. Additional information may be available through the federal, state, and local agencies that produced or paid for historical resource management work in the search area. Additionally, Native American tribes have historical resource information not in the CHRIS Inventory, and you should contact the California Native American Heritage Commission for information on local/regional tribal contacts.
Should you require any additional information for the above referenced project, reference the record search number listed above when making inquiries. Requests made after initial invoicing will result in the preparation of a separate invoice.
Thank you for using the California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS).
Sincerely,
Lindsey Willoughby
Researcher
*Notes:
** Current versions of these resources are available on-line:
Caltrans Bridge Survey: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/structur/strmaint/historic.htm Soil Survey: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/surveylist/soils/survey/state/?stateld=CA Shipwreck Inventory: http://www.slc.ca.gov/Info/Shipwrecks.html
Report List
Report No. Year Title AffiliationAuthor(s) ResourcesOther IDs S-004893 1978 Cultural Resources Survey, 04-SCl-82, PM
18.8/21.6, 04220-151121, Widening from
Route 85 to Showers Drive in the Cities of
Los Altos and Mountain View, Santa Clara
County
Caltrans District 04Caltrans - 04220-
151121;
Voided - E-390 SCL;
Voided - E-78 SCL;
Voided - S-4512
S-004893a 1978 Archaeological Survey 04-SCl-82, Proposed Widening of El Camino Real, Route 82, P.M.
18.8/21.6, 04220-151121
Caltrans District 04Cindy Desgrandchamp
S-008502 1980 Archaeological Reconnaissance of Areas of Proposed Bus Stops, El Monte Avenue and
Bailey Avenue at El Camino Real, Mt. View
Area (WO #997T173) (letter report)
Archaeological Resource
Service
Katherine FlynnSubmitter - ARS 79-
116;
Submitter - WO
#997T173;
Voided - E-1009 SCL
S-023631 2000 Cultural Resource Overview for the AT&T
San Jose Build, Cities of Redwood City and
San Jose, San Mateo and Santa Clara
Counties
Peak & Associates, Inc.Melinda Peak and Ann
Peak
43-000050, 43-000369, 43-000468Submitter - Job #00-
054
S-025174 2002 Cultural Resources Report for San Bruno to Mountain View Internodal Level 3 Fiber
Optics Project in San Mateo and Santa Clara
Counties, California
Pacific Legacy, Inc.John Holson, Cordelia
Sutch, and Stephanie Pau
41-000302
S-033061 2006 Cultural Resources Final Report of Monitoring and Findings for the Qwest Network
Construction Project, State of California
SWCA Environmental
Consultants
Nancy Sikes, Cindy
Arrington, Bryon Bass,
Chris Corey, Kevin Hunt,
Steve O'Neil, Catherine
Pruett, Tony Sawyer,
Michael Tuma, Leslie
Wagner, and Alex
Wesson
01-000027, 01-000040, 01-000087,
01-000088, 01-000089, 01-000090,
07-000138, 27-000802, 27-001191,
27-001207, 28-000467, 43-000106,
43-000141, 43-000449, 43-000573,
43-000575, 43-000754, 43-000928,
43-001071, 48-000208, 48-000211,
48-000214, 48-000441, 48-000549,
49-001583, 57-000194, 57-000198,
57-000297, 57-000301, 57-000307
Submitter - SWCA
Cultural Resources
Report Database No.
06-507;
Submitter - SWCA
Report No. 10715-
S-033061a 2006 Cultural Resources Final Report of Monitoring and Findings for the Qwest Network
Construction Project, State of California
SWCA Environmental
Consultants
S-033061b 2007 Final Report of Monitoring and Findings for the Qwest Network Construction Project
(letter report)
SWCA Environmental
Consultants
Nancy E. Sikes
Report List
Report No. Year Title AffiliationAuthor(s) ResourcesOther IDs S-036323 2009 Cultural Resources Investigation for Clearwire Project CA-SJC0059A "GHO Executive
Suites", 800 West El Camino Real, Mountain
View, Santa Clara County, California, 94040
(letter report)
Archaeological Resources
Technology
Carolyn Losee
S-039154 2011 Archaeological Survey Report for the Church Street Improvements Project, Mountain View,
Santa Clara County, California, 04-SCL, CML-
5124 (025)
Bayshore ArchaeologyMichelle Touton
S-039616 2011 Historic Property Survey Report, Church
Street from Castro Street to Calderon Avenue
in Mountain View, California
Bayshore ArchaeologyMichelle Touton
S-047006 2015 Historic Property Survey Report, 04-SCL,
CML-5124 (032), Castro Street from El
Camino Real to Miramonte Avenue, Mountain
View, Santa Clara County, California
Bayshore ArchaeologyMichelle Touton Staley 43-003180Caltrans - CML-5124 (032)
S-047006a 2015 Archaeological Survey Report for the Castro Street Complete Street Project 14-36
Mountain View, Santa Clara County,
California, 04-SCL, CML-5124 (032)
Bayshore ArchaeologyMichelle Touton Staley
S-048393 2012 Historical Resources Evaluation for the
Permanente Creek Flood Protection Project,
Santa Clara County, California
ICF International 43-001633, 43-001833, 43-001867,
43-002060, 43-003735, 43-003736,
43-003737, 43-003738, 43-003739,
43-003740, 43-003741, 43-003742,
43-003743, 43-003744, 43-003745,
43-003746, 43-003747, 43-003748,
43-003749, 43-003750, 43-003751,
43-003752, 43-003753, 43-003754,
43-003755, 43-003756, 43-003757,
43-003758, 43-003759, 43-003760,
43-003761, 43-003762, 43-003763,
43-003764, 43-003765, 43-003766,
43-003767, 43-003768, 43-003769,
43-003770, 43-003771, 43-003772,
43-003773, 43-003774, 43-003775,
43-003776, 43-003777, 43-003778,
43-003779, 43-003780
OHP PRN -
COE_2016_0401_00
2 S-048393a 2012 Archaological Survey Report, Permanente Creek Flood Control Project
ICF International
Report List
Report No. Year Title AffiliationAuthor(s) ResourcesOther IDs S-048393b 2016 COE_2016_0401_002 Section 106
Consultation for the Permanente Creek Flood
Protection Project, Santa Clara County (COE
File Number 2013-00362S) (letter report);
Permanente Creek Flood Protection Project
SHPO Consultation (letter report);
Office of Historic
Preservation; U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers; Santa
Clara Valley Water District
Julianne Polanco, Aaron
O. Allen, and Kurt
Lueneburger
S-057516 2020 Archaeological Testing Report for the
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
Second Stage Addition Project, located in the
City of Mountain View, Santa Clara County,
California
Archeo-TecAllen G. Pastron
Primary No. Trinomial
Resource List
Other IDs ReportsType Age Attribute codes Recorded by
P-43-003180 Resource Name -
Street
S-047006Site Prehistoric AP01 2015 (Michelle Touton Staley, Bayshore Archaeology)
P-43-003736 Resource Name - 1120
Miramonte Avenue
S-048393Building Historic HP15 2012 (Aisha Fike, ICF International)
Attachment C
California DPR 523 Series Forms
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
P1. Other Identifier: None
*P2. Location: ◼ Unrestricted *a. County: Santa Clara *b. USGS 7.5' Quad: Mountain View, California Date: 2024 T 6S; R 1W of Sec 32; M.D. B.M. c. Address: 700 W. El Camino Real City: Mountain View Zip: 94041 d. UTM: Zone 10S: 581172.03 mE/ 4138067.88 mN e. Other Locational Data: APN 156-06-008 *P3a. Description:
The property at 700 W. El Camino Real is a 0.42-acre parcel located at the northwest corner of El Camino Real and Hope Street in downtown Mountain View (P5a. Photograph 1). The property is bounded by El Camino Real to the south, Hope Street to the east, Fairmont Avenue to the north, a commercial property at 881 Castro Street to the northwest, and Gateway Park to the west. This property contains a one-story, branch bank building, situated along the center of the east property line, with the remainder of the site containing paved surface parking areas, concrete parking lot islands, and perimeter landscaping. The property was vacant during the survey. Entrance driveways to the property are located at the northeast and southeast corners on Hope Street, and an exit driveway is located at the southwest corner on El Camino Real. The bank building was constructed in 1972 and has been altered to a contemporary appearance while retaining its original footprint and roof shape. It has a concrete foundation and appears to have a steel frame. Its exterior is clad with metal panels with vertical ridges. Fenestration includes floor-to-ceiling tinted storefront windows and glazed metal doors set in dark anodized metal frames around the first story. A clerestory ribbon window that wraps around the entire building is set above the first story ceiling line and has a lighter, bronze anodized finish and narrow mullion profile (Photograph 2). This variation in mullion profile and metal finish indicates the storefront windows are likely replacements to original windows. The metal doors also have high kickplates that indicate they were likely installed ca. 1990s to comply with accessibility code. The roof is set above the clerestory windows and reads as a flat slab floating above the storefronts and has a flat fascia, clad with sheet metal with a similar detail to the cladding along the exterior walls and columns. The soffit beneath the overhanging roof is enclosed with non-original wood panels. Square soffit-mounted lights are placed around the building. (Continued on Page 4).
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP6. Commercial Property 1-3 stories *P4. Resources Present: ◼Building P5b. Description of Photograph 1: Bank
building view from Hope Street and W. El
Camino Real, facing north. October 15, 2024
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources:
◼Historic
1972 (ParcelQuest 2024; Peninsula Times
Tribune 1972)
*P7. Owner and Address: Castro GPRV
10 LLC et al Caputo Orange LLC
843 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
*P8. Recorded by:
Josh Bevan, AICP, MSHP
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
449 15th Street #303
Oakland, CA 94612
*P9. Date Recorded: October 15, 2024
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
*P11. Report Citation: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 2024. Historical Resources Evaluation in Support of CEQA Documentation for the Proposed 881 Castro Street Project. Rincon Consultants Project No. 24-16059.
*Attachments: ◼Location Map ◼Continuation Sheet ◼Building, Structure, and Object Record P5a. Photograph 1.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial
*Map Name: Mountain View, Calif. *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 2024
DPR 523J (1/95) *Required information
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*Resource Name or # 700 W. El Camino Real
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
B1. Historic Name: Barclay’s Bank of California
B2. Common Name: None
B3. Original Use: Commercial – branch bank B4. Present Use: Commercial – vacant *B5. Architectural Style: Commercial Modern (altered)
*B6. Construction History:
Refer to Property History section on continuation sheets for additional information.
Built in 1972 for Barclay’s Bank (Peninsula Times Tribune 1972).
Alterations based on building records on file at the City of Mountain View Building Division (Mountain View, City of 2024b):
1994: Signage for Sumimoto Bank and replacement of stairs at both entrances, replacement of ATM concrete pads at south entrance, alteration of perimeter landscaping and concrete ramps (Plan# 94-1341 and Project #94001143) 2000: Commercial tenant improvements for California Bank (Project #2000-1944) 2008: Tenant improvement for a medical office (Project #2008-0166) 2016: Re-roofing permit (Project #2016-0172)
Alterations observed during survey: Storefront windows and doors appear to be non-original replacements, as they are a much darker finish than remaining visible portions of the apparently original bronze-anodized ribbon window framing visible at the soffit. The original open soffit has been enclosed with wood paneling and sheet metal trim at an unknown date.
*B7. Moved? ◼No
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme: Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979); Commercial Architecture Area: Mountain View Period of Significance: 1972 Property Type: Commercial Applicable Criteria: None
The former bank branch building at 700 W. El Camino Real, which was originally constructed in 1972 for Barclay’s Bank of California, is recommended ineligible for federal, state, and local designation; it therefore is not considered a historical resource as defined by CEQA Section 15064.5(a).
(Refer to Continuation Sheet)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Josh Bevan, MSHP, AICP – Rincon Consultants
*Date of Evaluation: November 20, 2024
(This space reserved for official comments.)
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95) *Required information
P3a. Description (Continued from Page 1):
The main entrance to the building is located on the south façade, with an automatic teller machine (ATM) terminal set into th e façade to the immediate west ( Photograph 3). The east exterior features two banks of windows, with a windowless wall section at center (Photograph 4). The rear (north) façade contains an additional entrance, access via concrete ramp and stairs ( Photograph 4).
The west exterior is set alongside a drive -through lane and contains a two -lite teller’s window ( Photograph 6). The building appears to be in good condition.
Photograph 2. Detail view of altered (enclosed) soffit and original bronze-anodized window framing that varies from the finish of the storefront windows and doors.
Photograph 3. Storefront and concrete ramp at main
entrance, facing north
Photograph 4. East exterior viewed from Hope Street,
facing southwest
Photograph 5. Rear (north) exterior, facing south
Photograph 6. West exterior with drive -thru window ,
facing northeast from neighboring Gateway Park
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
B10. Significance (Continued from Page 3):
The following discussion focuses on the immediate years leading up to and during the period when the existing building on the property was built, 1972. The City of Mountain View’s draft Historic Context Statement (HCS) (Page & Turnbull 2024) identifies the period the subject building was constructed in as Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979).
Unless otherwise notes the following is excerpted from the HCS:
While prior to World War II, commercial activities in Mountain View were primarily concentrated in Old Mountain View and along Castro Street, during the post -World War II period, retail and commercial development expanded beyond the downtown core. During this period, the last remaining commercial buildings in Old Mountain View were demolished, including the Beverly Home and Enterprise Hall. Castro Street remained an active commercial shopping destination in the 1950s and early 1960s, and many of the older commercial buildings were modernized with new storefront facades. However, new suburban shopping malls and shopping centers were built throughout the city, and automobile -oriented businesses sprouted up along El Camino Real. In addition to the shopping mall, many new postwar commercial typologies emerged, including drive -in movie theaters and restaurants, and others evolved to better cater to an increasingly automobile centric populous.
During the postwar period, many of the existing businesses along Castro Street modernized their storefronts with new cladding and large blade signs to attract the attention of drivers -by. These renovations were inspired both by a desire to stay relevant in the changing retail environment, and by a City -initiated “rehabilitation program” and safety inspections in the 1960s that could result in the condemnation of a building if it was found to be beyond repair. The train depot at the north end of Castro Street was demolished in 1959, and the Chamber of Commerce advocated for demolition of buildings for more parking downtown. Buildings along Hope and Bryant streets in particular were demolished for surface parking behind the main blocks of Castro Street.
New commercial buildings just of off Castro Street, on intersecting streets, were also constructed in the 1950s and early 1960s, generally exhibiting the Midcentury Modern style with flat canopies, Roman brick bulkheads, and angled storefront entrances. Other businesses opening along Castro Street included drug stores, a Greyhound bus ticket office, new restaurants, and clothing stores. The Mountain View Theater (originally opened in 1926), underwent an extensive interior and exterior remodeling in 1962 and eventually closed in 1986, and has subsequently been used by various nightclubs and restaurants.
To serve the rapidly growing community, many of whom also needed loans to start new businesses or buy a house, a number of new banking institutions opened along or near Castro Street. Among these were the Mountain View Home Savings & Loan Association, in a Midcentury Modern building at 501 Castro Street (now Bank of the West) built in 1959 by notable local architect Hollis Logue, Jr. Later, the Home Savings & Loan Association, in a New Formalist building at 749 West El Camino Real (now Chase Bank) built in 1977 by renowned designer Millard Sheets and his collaborative design studio, featured integrated artwork including [a] mosaic with motifs related to local history.
In 1962, the City spent some $850,000 on improvements to Castro Street, including widening the street and installing new streetlights and traffic signals. By the late 1960s, however, the shopping malls, with their concentration of department stores and other amenities like climate -controlled interiors and convenient parking, drew many shoppers away from downtown and Castro Street. Although what remained of the historic Chinatown in Mountain View was effectively demolished in a fire in 1946, the 1960s and 1970s comprised a new era for Asian businesses downtown, especially Chinese and Vietnamese businesses. While referred to as “Chinatown,” the microneighborhood around Villa and View streets was also home to a number of Japanese businesses. In the 1970s, many Asian business owners, particularly of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, took advantage of the lower rents along Castro Street, opening new retail stores and restaurants, keeping some life along Castro Street, while many businesses were moving out to suburban shopping centers. An early example of this trend was Andy’s Chinese Restaurant (374 Castro Street), opened in 1962. In contrast to the very long -standing Chinese community, the Vietnamese community grew quickly State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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starting only in the mid -1970s, following the fall of Saigon and American evacuation of Vietnamese refugees; Santa Clara County now has the second largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam.
El Camino Real became a new kind of main street for Mountain View in the postwar period as it catered to new automobile-oriented businesses. By 1940, Ugo Mancini, whose family had opened an auto service station in the 1920s, had expanded the business to become Mancini Motors at the intersection of El Camino Real and Castro Street [opposite El Camino Real from the existing property at 700 W. El Camino] , marking the beginning of this trend […] Other gas stations and service stations soon followed nearby and began to stretch out along El Camino Real. Lozano Car Wash, one of several Googie style carwashes built in the San Francisco Bay Area, was constructed at 2690 West El Camino Real in Mountain View with a cable -suspended roof from dramatically angled metal bracing. It remains extant. New businesses included drive -in restaurants such as Spivey’s, Linda’s, Lane’s, A&W, and Bob’s Big Boy, all designed in the Midcentury Modern or Googie styles (all since demolished). In addition, Monte Vista Drive -In Theater opened 1950 at Grant Road and El Camino Real. It closed in 1950 and was subsequently redeveloped. While most properties developed along El Camino Real in the postwar period embodied some type of Modernist architectural style, a few commercial properties deviated from this norm by using neo-revival or vernacular styles. (HCS, 122-133)
Property History
Review of an online Sanborn map database and a previously prepared Phase I Environmental Site Assessment covering this property indicates that it was not within the area of coverage of historic Sanborn maps (PSI 2024a, 2024b). Historical topographic maps and aerial photographs were reviewed to understand the property’s historical development. During the late nineteenth century, the land within present-day 700 W. El Camino Real was located to the south of the downtown core of Mountain View, which remained concentrated toward Evelyn Avenue and centered on Castro Street, closer to the alignment of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Mountain View station. Present-day El Camino Real was not identified on the map, but the San Francisco-San Jose Road ran to the south of Mountain View, passing through Old Mountain View, where the community had begun prior to the Southern Pacific’s completion, to the southeast (USGS 1897, Figure 1). The subject site, located north of El Camino Real and near the southern end of Castro Street, did not appear to contain any development and was roughly equidistant from Permanente Creek to the west and Stevens Creek to the east, both of which ran roughly north-south and outside of the historic downtown area.
Figure 1. Approximate location of subject site, overlayed on the 1897 Palo Alto Quadrangle map (USGS 1897)
During the early 1900s, development gradually progressed southward in the blocks to the east and west of Castro Street; however, the subject site remained unmapped on Sanborn maps of Mountain View. By 1929, the subject site was located in an area labeled as Nelson Manor, a grid subdivision, according to a map of Santa Clara County (McMillan & McMillan 1929); however, the land within the subject property and its immediate neighboring parcels remained undeveloped until the late 1930s. By 1939, the southern half of the subject site was occupied by a gas or service station building (National Archives and Records Administration 1934; UCSB 1939). A birds-eye view from 1955 showed the southern third of the subject site still contained the gas station, while the remainder of the site was vacant. Neighboring properties contained similar auto-oriented uses (Mountain View Public Library State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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1950-1955, Figure 2). By the early 1960s, the land within present-day 700 W. El Camino Real contained two separate properties, including the gas station and a commercial use at the north. Mountain View city directories published between 1962 in 1964, indicate these properties were 729 Fairmont Avenue, (Mountain View School District Administrative offices) and 700 W. El Camino Real (Jerry’s Richfield gas station) (R.L. Polk & Co. 1962, 1964). By 1968, 729 Fairmont Avenue became the location of Kirby Sanitromic Co. Vacuum Cleaners (R.L. Polk & Co. 1968). Both 729 Fairmont Avenue and 700 W. El Camino Real maintained similar conditions into the early 1970s. Gateway Park, located to the immediate west of the subject site, appeared on a 1970 aerial, while commercial uses were present along the southern end of Castro Street to the west, and El Camino Real, with a residential neighborhood to the northeast (Mountain View Public Library 1970, Figure 3).
Figure 2. Birds-eye aerial view of subject property (approximate current boundary in white) ca. 1950-1955 (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955).
Figure 3. Aerial view of subject property and neighboring properties, 1970 (Mountain View Public Library 1970)
The subject building was constructed in 1972 as a branch bank location for Barclay’s Bank. A rendering of the building, and an announcement of the branch’s grand opening, were publicized in 1972 (Peninsula Times Tribune 1972, Figure 4). Based on available historical occupancy data, Barclay’s continued to occupy the property until ca. 1987 (PSI 2024). Thereafter, the property became the location of several bank branches for companies including Sumitomo Bank (1995) and in the more recent past, California Bank & Trust (2001-2022) (PSI 2024a, 2024b). A comparison of existing conditions and the 1972 rendering indicates that the building’s fenestration has been altered, as its original windows have been replaced with newer commercial windows systems. A circular entrance vestibule that appeared on the east side of the building in the rendering is not present. Additionally, the building no State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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longer features a structural framework or similar panel element beneath its overhanging roof, which appears to have been a continuous feature visible at the exterior and interior of the building. The building’s current design, former ATM locations, and concrete pathways that abut the building appear to date to approximately 1994 and later, based upon review of available permit documentation on file with the City of Mountain View Building Division (hereafter, Building Division) (Building Division 2024).
Beyond the rendering found in a historical newspaper, original building permit and plans related to the 1972 design were not found through research of the Building Division’s records.
Figure 4. Rendering of subject building, 1972 (Peninsula Times Tribune 1972).
Barclay’s Bank of California
Barclay’s Bank and related entities, such as Barclay’s Bank of California, trace their history to late-seventeenth century England, where bankers John Freame and Thomas Gould established a business in London in 1690. Freame’s son, James, joined the firm in 1728, followed by James Barclay, who had married John Freame’s daughter. As leadership in the firm transitioned, the name Barclay’s remained. The bank’s early leadership had strong connections to Quaker clientele (Barclays 2024 n.d.). The company expanded beyond London during the early 1800s and formed the financial enterprise now known as Barclays PLC (public limited company) in 1896, representing the formal establishment of the existing banking institution known as Barclay’s (Brittanica Money n.d). Barclay’s expanded further into areas of the United Kingdom by the early twentieth century and completed several mergers; by the late 1950s it was Britain’s largest bank (Brittanica Money n.d.). During the next decade the institution became the first British financial company to use computers across its branches, introduced the Barclaycard credit card, and introduced the world’s first automated teller machine (ATM) in 1967 (Brittanica Money n.d.). This period also saw Barclay’s form Barclay’s Bank of California, with its first U.S. branch opened in 1965, followed by the first branch of Barclay’s Bank of New York, which opened in 1971 (Brittanica Money n.d.). In 1988, Wells Fargo acquired Barclay’s Bank of California to expand its presence in Southern California; by that year Barclay’s Bank of California consisted of 50 branches distributed across the state and was Californias’ 17th largest bank, with over 1,100 employees (Los Angeles Times 1988).
Late Modern Architecture
As described in the draft HCS:
Late Modernism is a broad term that encompasses the varied designs of the 1960s and 1970s within the Modern Movement when backlash against the perceived uniformity and repetitiveness of International Style architecture inspired many architects to explore other architectural forms. Some architects drew inspiration from historic architectural examples, giving way to New Formalism and eventually Postmodernism. Others pushed the modern aesthetic to new extremes through advancements in technology, engineering, and materials, leading to Brutalism, Expressionism, and High -Tech Structuralism.
Still others transformed the glass -and-steel look into taut glass skin and mirror glass designs, or alternatively, incorporated organic materials and shapes for a more natural, wooded aesthetic. Late Modernism hybridized established Modern rationale and functional forms with aspects of the emerging architectural stylistic trends that would gain prominence from the 1960s through the 1980s.
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Because of this interplay of varied forms within a clearly Modern vocabulary, Late Modernism is difficult to define. This is exacerbated by the number of subgenres like traditional Modernism, New Formalism, Brutalism, and Expressionism that have their own defining characteristics; some Late Modern examples feature elements of these styles in various combinations. Typically, Late Modern commercial, institutional, and government buildings were often monumental in scale, had sculptural qualities within the design, including strong linear elements, pronounced structural components, and interplay of plans or volumes, and comprehensive landscape design in plantings, paving, and features to create a cohesive setting.
In Mountain View, Late Modern architecture is common in office buildings, technology research and manufacturing facilities, institutional properties, and commercial properties. Late Modern may be used for multi-family residential complexes, but is highly unusual in single-family residences.
Period of Significance: mid-1960s-1980s
Associated property types: Commercial properties, institutional properties, offices, research/manufacturing facilities, and residences (more often multi-family than single-family).
Common Character-Defining Features of the Late Modern style:
• Strong geometric forms and monumental scale, with a variety of heights and footprints • Strong pattern of solid and void (i.e. pattern of solid and opening/glazing) • Modular composition, may be symmetrical (New Formalism) or asymmetrical (other Late • Modern subtypes)
• Integrated and expressed structural elements or construction methods • Industrial and prefabricated materials
• Floor-to-ceiling glazing systems at the ground floor
• May include high quality materials at the ground floor • Colored or reflective glazing treatments
• May include some historicist references in form or ornamentation • Designed plaza, art component and/or comprehensive landscape design • Climate controlled environments (Page & Turnbull 2024, 207-209)
The building at 700 W. El Camino Real appears to have originally featured abundant glazing, likely with metal-framed windows, a rectangular footprint, and flat overhanging roof with what appears to have been exposed structural elements, or potentially angled paneling. Overall, the building was originally designed in a fairly late rendition of mid-century commercial Modernism, with a combination of elements that were common to Mid-Century and Commercial Modern architecture, but primarily representative of Late Modern architecture that became prominent between the mid-1960s and 1980s (Page & Turnbull 2024). However, the building currently expresses a contemporary aesthetic, with an enclosed soffit while retaining its original footprint and height. The building has a boxy form and flat roof common to mid-twentieth century commercial architecture and a continuous height. It does not feature a discernable fenestration pattern or rhythm, while its glazing is floor-to-ceiling. Although built during the period of late Modernism, the subject building does not capture many of the aesthetic qualities that define highly representative examples of this style. The building at 700 W. El Camino Real has also not been documented, featured, or identified as an important example of its type in existing architectural scholarship researched through online repositories (Avery Index 2024, U.S. Modernist 2024). Intensive archival research of city building records and historical newspapers did not identify an architect or design professional responsible for this building’s design (Mountain View Public Library 2024, City of Mountain View 2024b, Newspapers.com 2024).
Historical Evaluation
The property at 700 W. El Camino Real is recommended ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) and under the criteria for listing in the City of Mountain View’s Register of Historic Resources, due to a lack of historical and architectural significance.
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NRHP and CRHR
The property at 700 W. El Camino Real was developed with the existing branch bank building in 1972, following a prior use of the site by two separate properties that began by the late 1930s. The existing building was originally built for Barclay’s Bank of California and served as a branch bank facility for several financial institutions after 1987, until the recent past. Barclay’s Bank of California was established in 1965 and by that year, its parent company Barclay’s Bank PLC had existed for several decades, with roots in London, England. No documentation was found indicating that the subject property was integral to any innovations associated with Barclay’s, such as the introduction of ATMs, credit cards, or other events of significance to the finance industry or local commerce. The building was completed toward the end of Mountain View’s post-World War II development period that extended into the late 1970s and was among many commercial buildings constructed in downtown Mountain View, particularly in the area centered on Castro Street and El Camino Real during the mid-twentieth century. El Camino Real emerged as a car-centric commercial corridor during the years immediately following World War II, as restaurants, motels, banks, and other commercial businesses established or continued in operation as the city grew rapidly. However, the subject property does not appear to have been individually significant within the pattern of post-World War II planning and development in Mountain View, as its role as a branch banking institution was not apparently unique, influential, or otherwise impactful to the city’s history, or of that of California or the nation. Research found no evidence that significant events occurred in the building. Therefore, 700 W. El Camino Real is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion A/1.
Research conducted for this study did not suggest that any individual connected with the property made significant historical contributions. Research did not identify any individuals who were employed by Barclay’s, or more recent occupants of the building who appear to have been important figures in the fields of commerce or finance whose productive lives were strongly associated and embodied by the existing building. Therefore, 700 W. El Camino Real is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion B/2.
700 W. El Camino Real does not appear to be individually significant as a building that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, for possessing high art values, or for representing an important work of a master.
Constructed in 1972 and designed with elements of Late Modern architecture, the subject building originally featured a very transparent first story and an overhanging, slab-like roof, with square corner columns. Another apparent original feature, based on a rendering, was an open soffit or similar paneled underside of the building’s roof that had a similar appearance at the exterior and interior ceiling. Although the building appears to have been originally designed with elements of abundant glazing and low-wide rectangular massing that was common to commercial buildings of the mid-twentieth century, the building has taken on a contemporary appearance representative of alteration and updating of its exterior in the more recent past, rather than its original period of construction. The building has also not been documented, featured, or identified as an important example of its type in existing architectural scholarship, while intensive archival research did not identify an architect or design professional responsible for this building’s design. Accordingly, the building is not an apparent work of design professional considered a master.
Nonetheless, the degree of alteration of the building would preclude it from strongly conveying aspects of its original design should future research identify associated design professionals. Therefore, 700 W. El Camino Real is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion C/3.
Finally, the built environment of the subject property is not likely to yield valuable information which will contribute to our understanding of human history because the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or commercial buildings constructed in the early 1970s. Therefore, the property is recommended ineligible for listing under NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4.
Mountain View Register of Historic Resources
Criteria for the designation of buildings, structures, sites, or other improvements to the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources are specified in the City of Mountain View’s Historic Preservation Ordinance, as follows:
SEC. 36.54.65. - Designation criteria
A building, structure, site or other improvement may be designated as a historic resource and placed on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources if the city council finds that it meets one or more of the following criteria:
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a. Is strongly identified with a person who, or an organization which, significantly contributed to the culture, history or development of the City of Mountain View; b. Is the site of a significant historic event in the city's past; c. Embodies distinctive characteristics significant to the city in terms of a type, period, region or method of construction or representative of the work of a master or possession of high artistic value; or d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to the city's prehistory or history. (Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.) (City of Mountain View 2022, 2024a)
Under local criterion (a), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 700 W. El Camino Real is recommended ineligible as the property has not been identified in association with any individuals who significantly contributed to the culture, history, or development of Mountain View.
Under local criterion (b), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 700 W. El Camino Real is recommended ineligible as the property does not appear individually significant with the pattern of post-World War II expansion and commercial development in Mountain View, nor for its as its role as branch banking institution.
Under local criterion (c), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3, 700 W. El Camino Real is recommended ineligible, as the property lacks individual architectural significance and is not representative of the work of design professional considered a master; nor does the building possess high artistic values.
Under local criterion (d), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4, 700 W. El Camino Real is recommended ineligible as the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or commercial buildings constructed in the early 1970s.
B12. References (Continued from Page 3):
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (Avery Index)
2024 Database search via Los Angeles Public Library, online. https://research-ebsco- com.ezproxy.lapl.org/c/vk7dan/search?defaultdb=bvh (accessed October 2024).
Barclay’s
n.d. “Our Story.” Electronic resource. https://home.barclays/who-we-are/our-history/ (accessed November 9, 2024).
Brittanica Money
n.d. “Barclays PLC.” Electronic resource. https://www.britannica.com/money/Barclays-PLC (accessed November 2024) Los Angeles Times
1988 “Wells to Buy Barclays to Expand its Presence in Southland.” Jan 16. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988- 01-16-fi-9306-story.html (accessed November 2024).
McMillan & McMillan
1929 Official Map of Santa Clara County, California. San Francisco, CA: Walkup Map Co. Electronic resource accessed via Archive.org:https://ia601708.us.archive.org/27/items/map_santaclaracounty_1929/map_santaclaracounty_1929_panel
04.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View, City of
2022 City of Mountain View Register of Historic Resources. Last updated September 28, 2022. Electronic resource. https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7915/638346084894870000 (accessed September 2024).
2024a Historic Preservation Ordinance. Version: July 26, 2024 (current). Electronic resource. https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH36ZO_ARTXVIZ OORAD_DIV15DEPRHIRE (accessed September 2024).
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2024b Mountain View Building Division. Property file for 700 W. El Camino Real. Researched in person on October 15, 2024. Reviewed online at https://epermits.mountainview.gov/h.aspx (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View Public Library
1950-55 Bird’s-eye View of Castro Street, 1950-1955. Photograph. https://archive.org/details/cmv_001134 (accessed September 2024).
1970 Aerial photography of Mountain View, California, 1970. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea- 2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed September 2024).
2024 Mountain View Historical Newspapers. Database searched in-person at History Center on October 15, 2024.
National Archives and Records Administration
1934 California – Mountain View Through Nacimiento Road – NARA – 23934687.jpg. National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_- _Mountain_View_through_Nacimiento_Road_-_NARA_-_23934687.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Page & Turnbull
2024 City of Mountain View Historic Context Statement. Public Review Draft. May 29, 2024. Prepared for City of Mountain View. Accessed online: https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9478/638575818912170000 (accessed October 2024).
ParcelQuest.com
2024 Property data for 700 W. El Camino Real. https://www.parcelquest.com/ (accessed September 2024).
Peninsula Times Tribune
1972 “New Barclays Bank, Where You Get ‘More For Your Money,’ Has a New Branch in Mountain View.” September 28. https://www.newspapers.com/image/840546183/?match=1&clipping_id=155687456 (accessed September 2024).
PSI
2024a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Gingko Furniture 903 Castro Street and 751 Fairmont Avenue, Mountain View, California 94041j. Including aerial photograph, topographic map, Sanborn map, and city directory data. 2024b Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Multi-Tenant Commercial & Multi-Family Residential Buildings 750 Fairmont Avenue and 843, 845, 871, 873, 881, & 889 Castro Street, Mountain View, California 94041. Including aerial photograph, topographic map, Sanborn map, and city directory data.
R.L. Polk & Co.
1962 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1964 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1968 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
University of California, Santa Barbara Library Special Collections FrameFinder Aerial Photography database (UCSB). 1939 Fairchild Aerial Survey. Flight C-5750, Frame 285-82. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
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United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1897 Palo Alto, California Quadrangle. Accessed via USGS topoView. https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#15/37.3862/- 122.0828 (accessed October 2024).
U.S. Modernist
2024 Search of online architectural periodical and magazine database for subject property documentation. https://usmodernist.org/library.htm (accessed October 2024).
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NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
P1. Other Identifier: None
*P2. Location: ◼ Unrestricted *a. County: Santa Clara *b. USGS 7.5' Quad: Mountain View, California Date: 2024 T 6S; R 1W of Sec 32; M.D.B.M. c. Address: 750 Fairmont Avenue City: Mountain View Zip: 94041 d. UTM: Zone 10S: 581190.29 mE/ 4138117.26 mN e. Other Locational Data: APN 158-06-036
*P3a. Description:
The property at 750 Fairmont Avenue is a 0.13-acre parcel located at the northwest corner of Fairmont Avenue and Hope Street in downtown Mountain View (P5a. Photograph 1). The property is bound by Fairmont Avenue to the southwest, Hope Street to the southeast, the commercial property at 881 Castro Street to the northwest, and a residential property at 864 Hope Street to the northeast. This property contains a two-story, multi-family residential building situated toward the rear parcel line. The building spans nearly the entire width of the property, with paved driveways on Fairmont Avenue and Hope Street, and landscaped beds adjacent to the driveway at the front of the site. The building appears to have a concrete foundation and has a C-shaped footprint with a recessed central section flanked by left and right wings. The structure is wood framed and capped by a hip roof with a moderate overhang and asphalt shingles. The exterior features lapped wood siding along portions of the first story and textured stucco elsewhere. All windows visible from the public right-of-way appear to have replacement vinyl sash set in rectangular openings. Visible doors appear to be paneled wood or flush wood, depending on their location, with exterior storm doors. The entrance at the right (eastern) side of the first story on Fairmont Avenue is set beneath a bracketed gable (Photograph 2). The building contains two garage bays aligned with each driveway. One set face Fairmont Avenue and another faces Hope Street. The garage doors appear to open overhead and appear to be wood, with decorative border trim. The garages facing Fairmont Avenue are set beneath a carport with a deck at the second story (Photograph 3). The deck’s railing is a replacement made of wood. Views of the secondary exteriors are provided on Page 4 (Photograph 4 and Photograph 5). The building appears to be in good condition. (Continued on Page 4)
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP3. Multiple family property *P4. Resources Present: ◼Building
P5b. Description of Photograph 1:
Apartment building at 750 Fairmont
Avenue, viewed from Fairmont Avenue,
facing northeast. October 15, 2024.
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources:
◼Historic 1956 (ParcelQuest 2024)
*P7. Owner and Address:
Castro GPRV 10 LLC
2323 S. Bascom Avenue Suite 100
Campbell, CA 95008
*P8. Recorded by:
Josh Bevan, AICP, MSHP
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
449 15th Street #303
Oakland, CA 94612
*P9. Date Recorded:
October 15, 2024
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
*P11. Report Citation: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 2024. Historical Resources Evaluation in Support of CEQA Documentation for the Proposed 881 Castro Street Project. Rincon Consultants Project No. 24-16059.
*Attachments: ◼Location Map ◼Continuation Sheet ◼Building, Structure, and Object Record P5a. Photograph 1.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial
*Map Name: Mountain View, Calif. *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 2024
DPR 523J (1/95) *Required information
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*Resource Name or # 750 Fairmont Avenue
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
B1. Historic Name: None
B2. Common Name: None
B3. Original Use: Multi-family residential B4. Present Use: Multi-family residential *B5. Architectural Style: Minimal Traditional
*B6. Construction History: Refer to Property History section on continuation sheets for additional information.
Alterations based on building records on file at the City of Mountain View Building Division (Mountain View, City of 2024b):
1968: Permit # 4957, work description not provided, listed owner as “Bergen” 1977: Richard Mau listed as owner on permit record without a number 2005: Permit 2005-0702, water heater replacement
2006: Permits 2006-1112, 2006-1085, roof shingle replacement Observed alterations: Windows appear to have replacement vinyl sash. Deck railing at front of building appears to be a replacement.
*B7. Moved? ◼No
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme: Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979); Residential Architecture Area: Mountain View Period of Significance: 1956 Property Type: Residential Applicable Criteria: None
750 Fairmont Avenue, which was originally constructed in 1956, is recommended ineligible for federal, state, and local designation; it therefore is not considered a historical resource as defined by CEQA Section 15064.5(a).
(Continued on Continuation Sheet)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Josh Bevan, MSHP, AICP – Rincon Consultants
*Date of Evaluation: November 20, 2024
(This space reserved for official comments.)
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95) *Required information
P5a. Photographs (Continued from Page 1):
Photograph 2 Entrance with bracketed canopy at southeast corner of building, view facing northeast
Photograph 3 East exterior, with two garage bays at first story, facing west
Photograph 4 West exterior, viewed from north side of
Fairmont Avenue near Castro Street, facing northeast
Photograph 5 Oblique view of north exterior along the
north property line, facing west-southwest
B10. Significance (Continued from Page 3):
The following discussion focuses on the immediate years leading up to and during the period when the existing building on the property was built, 1956. The City of Mountain View’s draft Historic Context Statement (HCS) (Page & Turnbull 2024) identifies the period the subject building was constructed within as Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945- 1979). During this post-World War II period, Mountain View’s population grew rapidly, as part of a broader trend within the Bay Area. Many wartime workers who relocated to the Bay Area to support the war effort stayed, and many jobs developed in emerging technology and aerospace sectors (Page & Turnbull 2024). The city’s population grew from 4,000 in 1940 to nearly 31,000 in 1960, as the city annexed land and many single-family tract developments and multi-family housing developments were completed. As described in the HCS, “Generally, the new single-family residential tracts tended to be constructed south of El Camino Real or north of Central Expressway, replacing former orchards and agricultural lands. The majority of the new multi- family housing complexes were built adjacent to and between El Camino Real and Central Expressway and in some areas north of Central Expressway” (Page & Turnbull 2024). The subject property was constructed one block north of El Camino Real in an area to the east of Castro Street were several multi-family residential buildings of a similar period existing as of this evaluation.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
Multi-Family Housing in Mountain View
The following context for Multi-Family Housing is excerpted from the HCS:
By the early 1960s, Mountain View was a majority renter city, owing to the ample amount of land zoned for multi-family housing and the construction of numerous new apartment buildings. As previously noted, this was due to the fact that Mountain View zoned large portions of the city for multi -family zoning, which was not typical in many other suburban communities. In older neighborhoods like Shoreline West, one - or two -story apartment buildings were constructed at a scale to fit in with the existing, generally one - to two-story, single- family homes, often utilizing stylistic features of Midcentury Modern or Minimal Traditional architectural styles.
A large cluster of apartment buildings constructed in the 1950s and 1960s was built along California Street, between Chiquita and Rengstorff avenues. The block between Escuela and Rengstorff was populated with two - story, U - and O-shaped apartments with exterior corridors and central courtyards, most of which had a pool.
The architectural styles included Minimal Traditional, Midcentury Modern, and Neo-Mansard. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 121-122)
Property History
Review of an online Sanborn map database and a previously prepared Phase I Environmental Site Assessment covering this property indicates that it was not within the area of coverage of historic Sanborn maps (PSI 2024). Historical topographic maps and aerial photography were reviewed to understand the property’s historical development. During the late nineteenth century, this subject site was located to the south of the downtown core of Mountain View, which remained concentrated toward Evelyn Avenue and centered on Castro Street. The Southern Pacific Railroad’s Mountain View station. Present-day El Camino Real was not identified on the map, but the San Francisco-San Jose Road ran to the south of Mountain View, passing through Old Mountain View, where the community had begun prior to the Southern Pacific’s completion, to the southeast (USGS 1897, Figure 1). The subject site, located immediately north of El Camino Real and near the southern end of Castro Street, did not appear to contain any development and was roughly from Permanente Creek to the west and Stevens Creek to the east, both of which ran roughly north- south and outside of the historic downtown area.
Figure 1. Approximate location of subject site, overlayed on the 1897 Palo Alto Quadrangle map (USGS 1897)
During the early 1900s, development gradually progressed southward in the blocks to the immediate east and west of Castro Street; however, the subject site remained unmapped on Sanborn maps of Mountain View. By 1929, the subject site was located in an area labeled as Nelson Manor, a grid subdivision to the north of El Camino Real, at the southeastern edge of the downtown (McMillan & McMillan 1929). As of 1934, the subject site remained undeveloped, with an unpaved path extending from Castro Street to El Camino Real (a convenient, ad hoc connector) trending southeastward through the site. Nelson Manor subdivision and the southern extent of Castro Street remained sparsely developed (National Archives and Records Administration [NARA] 1934, State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
). The site remained vacant through the early 1950s, by which time properties to the immediate west and north were developed with commercial and residential uses, respectively (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955, Figure 3).
Figure 2. Aerial view of subject property (approximate
current boundary shown with white dashed line), 1934
(NARA 1934)
Figure 3. Birds-eye aerial view of subject property
(approximate current boundary in white) ca. 1950-1955
(Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955).
Santa Clara County Assessor date lists 1956 as the year built for the existing building at 750 Fairmont Avenue (ParcelQuest 2024).
Original building permit records and other documentation of the building’s origination were not found through review of Building Division’s records. An aerial photograph from 1956 captured the building early in its existence, with its existing C-shaped plan, hip roof, and immediate setting, with a residential neighborhood to the east and commercial development along Castro Street and El Camino Real to the west and south (UCSB 1956, Figure 4). Aerial photography from the early 1970s depicted similar conditions with no apparent changes to the building’s footprint, roof form, or site characteristics in general (Mountain View Public Library 1970, Error! Reference source not found.).
Figure 4. Aerial view of subject property (identified with white arrow), 1956 (UCSB 1956)
Figure 5. Aerial view of subject property (identified with white arrow), 1970 (Mountain View Public Library 1970)
Available historical occupancy data for the property identifies multiple past tenants between 1960 and the early 1980s, as well as an owner with the last name Bergen (1968) and an S. Mau (1977), who appeared in city building records (Mountain View Building Division 2024); no additional occupancy data for Mau was found, while Bergen did not appear as an occupant or owner of the property in available city directories from 1962 to 1968, suggesting this individual’s place of residence was located elsewhere. By 1968 the building was listed as Clarice Apartments (PSI 2024). The occupancy of the property between 1960 and 1981 was gathered State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
from occupancy data provided in a previously prepared Environment Site Assessment of the property (PSI 2024) and available Mountain View city directories (R.L. Polk & Co. 1962, 1964, 1966a, 1968) as listed in the table below:
Historical Occupancy of 750 Fairmont Avenue
Year Occupants (Owner in bold if
listed)
Occupations (if listed)
1960 (PSI 2024) J.R. Baker
Theodora Gregory
H. Woods
Draftsman at Lockheed Martin
Unknown
Unknown
1962 (R.L. Polk & Co.) John R. Baker and Yolanda Baker
Anita Holland
John R. and Marjorie A. Wurster
Austin M. and Margaret Bower
John, draftsman at Lockheed Martin
Office secretary
John, electrician
Austin, Repairman
1964 (R.L. Polk & Co.) Frank Brown, Jr. and Ruth Brown
John L. and Mary Smith
Vacant
Brady Anderson
Rank, employee at Lockheed
John, employee at Moffett Field
N/A
Employee at Lockheed
1966a (R.L. Polk & Co.) A.E. Hassler
Ralph Baender
Vacant
Helen Woncowski
Not listed
Not listed
N/A
1968 (R.L. Polk & Co.) James R. Whitledge
Vacant
Richard W. Travers
J Garibaldi
Mechanic, City Corp Dept
N/A
Not listed
Not listed
1976 (PSI 2024) Robert Bergen
David Broman
Unknown
Unknown
1981 (PSI 2024) Vaugh S. Henrie Unknown
Of the past occupants of the property only Robert Bergen appears to have owned and resided at the property historically. Research of occupancy data identified a Robert S. Bergen as a resident of San Jose in 1966 (R.L. Polk & Co 1966b). Robert S. Bergen’s occupation was listed as a salesman for Longview Fibre (R.L. Polk & Co. 1966b). A Robert K. Bergen was listed as a department manager of Dorn Stores and a resident of Los Gatos in 1962 (R.L. Polk & Co. 1966a). No additional documentation relating to these individuals was found through available property records (Ancestry 2024). Research of historical newspapers and biographical information on individuals named in the table below produced no information indicating any that any of the former building occupants were associated with significant events or achievements with association to the subject property (Ancestry.com 2024; Newspapers.com 2024; Mountain View Public Library 2024c).
Minimal Traditional and Traditional Ranch Architecture
Intensive archival research of city building records and historical newspapers did not identify an architect or design professional responsible for this building’s design (Mountain View Public Library 2024c, City of Mountain View 2024b, Newspapers.com 2024).
The building’s style incorporates elements of Minimal Traditional architecture, a style that emerged in the decade before World War II and continued to be built after war (sometimes referred to as Postwar Minimal), and limited detailing that is common to traditional ranch styling (Caltrans 2011). The period of significance identified for Minimal Traditional architecture is 1930s-1940s, and the period of significance for the Traditional Ranch style is 1940s-1970s. Character-defining features identified for each style in the draft HCS are listed below:
Character-Defining Features
Minimal Traditional Traditional Ranch
• One story, small scale • One story tall
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
• Wood construction with horizontal wood siding most
common; other siding types may include asbestos, stucco, or aluminum
• Hipped or gable roofs
• Hung or casement windows are typical, often with wide divided lites
• May include angled bay windows or windows at building corners
• May include front portico
• Modest decorative features may include wood window
shutters, window awnings, attic vents and/or wood trim in the gable end, brick accent cladding (Page & Turnbull 2024, 200-201)
• Rectangular or L-shaped plan, with horizontal emphasis • Asymmetrical primary façade
• Low pitched roof, generally hipped, gabled, or Dutch
gabled (gable-on-hip) roof with overhanging eaves.
• Roof cladding may be wood or asphalt shingle
• Street-facing attached garage (single-family residences), or a carport
• Wood construction with wood or stucco siding typical
• Picture windows at the primary façade are common
• Brick or stone chimney, typically at the side
• Limited ornamentation may include wood shutters, brick base, detailing on the garage doors, exposed rafter tails, a birdhouse (dovecote) feature, bargeboard, or diamond
patterned window muntins (Page & Turnbull 2024, 201-
202)
Of the features listed above 750 Fairmont Avenue features wood-frame construction, a hip roof, casement windows (vinyl replacement), corner windows, a front portico (bracketed canopy) at one apartment entrance, and modest decorative features common to the Minimal Traditional style. The building’s stucco siding is typical of both Minimal Traditional and Traditional Ranch style buildings, as is the border trim on each garage door.
Evaluation
The property at 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR)and under the criteria listed in the City of Mountain View Register of Historic Resources, due to a lack of historical and architectural significance.
NRHP and CRHR
The property at 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible under Criterion A/1. Constructed in 1956, the multi-family residential building on the property is a four-unit building constructed during a period of post-World War II population growth and extensive residential construction in Mountain View. Although Mountain View’s post-war development included a relatively high amount of multi-family housing development in the region, the property at 750 Fairmont Avenue has not been found to be individually significant to that pattern of development. The property’s development in 1956 did not mark the start of the trend or significantly influence housing development Mountain View. Research of historical newspapers and the Mountain View History Center’s collections found no documentation of any singular events of historical importance having occurred at this property.
Therefore, 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion A/1.
Research conducted for this evaluation did not suggest that any individual connected with the property has made significant historical contributions. The individuals documented as past occupants whose historic occupations are known held jobs that required labor at locations beyond the subject buildings. Further, the building’s known former owners do not appear to have worked at the subject building, beyond in the capacity as a landlord, and no documentation on their productive lives was found that indicates they made significant contributions to history. Therefore, 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion B/2.
750 Fairmont Avenue does not appear to be individually significant as a property that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, for possessing high art values, or for representing an important work of a master. The multi- family residential building at 750 Fairmont Avenue is a two-story, vernacular apartment building with limited elements of Minimal Traditional and Traditional Ranch styling, namely the decorative border trim applied to each garage door and the bracketed canopy and paneled wood door located at the entrance to the one of the apartments at the southeast corner of the building. Although these elements appear to be original and are intact, the building’s expression of its type, ranch styling, and its period of construction do not appear to be among the best examples in the city, California, or the nation. The building does not express the aesthetic ideal of a style or art form; therefore, it is not significant for possessing high art values. The building’s C- shaped footprint, exterior materials, and roof form are common to apartment buildings of its period but do not represent distinctive features that differentiate this building’s design as being outstanding. Research of building records and local and online State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
repositories found no documentation relating to the building’s original design and construction, nor professionals linked to the building’s origination. As such, the building has not been identified as the work of a master in the field of construction or architecture. Therefore, 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion C/3.
Finally, the built environment of the subject property is not likely to yield valuable information which will contribute to our understanding of human history because the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or industrial-commercial buildings constructed in the mid-twentieth century.
Therefore, the property is recommended ineligible for listing under NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4.
bracketed canopy over one of the building’s entrances, border trim at each garage door
Mountain View Register of Historic Resources
Criteria for the designation of buildings, structures, sites, or other improvements to the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources are specified in the City of Mountain View’s Historic Preservation Ordinance:
SEC. 36.54.65. - Designation criteria
A building, structure, site or other improvement may be designated as a historic resource and placed on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources if the city council finds that it meets one or more of the following criteria:
a. Is strongly identified with a person who, or an organization which, significantly contributed to the culture, history or development of the City of Mountain View; b. Is the site of a significant historic event in the city's past; c. Embodies distinctive characteristics significant to the city in terms of a type, period, region or method of construction or representative of the work of a master or possession of high artistic value; or d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to the city's prehistory or history. (Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.) (City of Mountain View 2022, 2024a)
Under local criterion (a), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible, as the property has not been identified in association with any individuals who significantly contributed to the culture, history, or development of Mountain View.
Under local criterion (b), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible, as the property does not appear individually significant within the pattern of post-World War II expansion and residential development in Mountain View.
Under local criterion (c), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3, 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible, as the property lacks individual architectural significance and is not representative of the work of design professional considered a master; nor does the property possess high artistic values.
Under local criterion (d), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4, 750 Fairmont Avenue is recommended ineligible as the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or commercial buildings constructed in the mid-1950s.
B12. References (Continued from Page 3):
Ancestry.com
2024 Various occupancy, public, and genealogical records reviewed for subject property. https://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed October 2024).
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (Avery Index)
2024 Database search via Los Angeles Public Library, online. https://research-ebsco- com.ezproxy.lapl.org/c/vk7dan/search?defaultdb=bvh (accessed October 2024).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
Caltrans (California Department of Transportation)
2011 Tract Housing in California, 1945-1973: A Context for National Register Evaluation. Sacramento, CA: Caltrans. Electronic resource: https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/environmental-analysis/documents/ser/tract-housing-in-ca- 1945-1973-a11y.pdf (accessed November 2024).
McMillan & McMillan
1929 Official Map of Santa Clara County, California. San Francisco, CA: Walkup Map Co. https://ia601708.us.archive.org/27/items/map_santaclaracounty_1929/map_santaclaracounty_1929_panel04.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View, City of
2022 City of Mountain View Register of Historic Resources. Last updated September 28, 2022. Electronic resource. https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7915/638346084894870000 (accessed September 2024).
2024a Historic Preservation Ordinance. Version: July 26, 2024 (current). Electronic resource. https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH36ZO_ARTXVIZ OORAD_DIV15DEPRHIRE (accessed September 2024).
2024b Mountain View Building Division. Property file for Fairmont Avenue. Researched in person on October 15, 2024.
Mountain View Public Library
1950-55 Bird’s-eye View of Castro Street, 1950-1955. Photograph. https://archive.org/details/cmv_001134 (accessed September 2024).
1970 Aerial photography of Mountain View, California, 1970. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea- 2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed September 2024).
2024 Mountain View Historical Newspapers. Database searched in-person at History Center.
National Records and Archives Administration (NARA)
1934 California – Mountain View Through Nacimiento Road – NARA – 23934687.jpg. National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_- _Mountain_View_through_Nacimiento_Road_-_NARA_-_23934687.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Newspapers.com
2024 Online newspaper database search. https://www.newspapers.com/ (accessed October 2024).
Page & Turnbull
2024 City of Mountain View Historic Context Statement. Public Review Draft. May 29, 2024. Prepared for City of Mountain View. Accessed online: https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9478/638575818912170000 (accessed October 2024).
ParcelQuest.com
2024 Property data for 750 Fairmount Avenue. https://www.parcelquest.com/ (accessed September 2024).
PSI
2024 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Multi-Tenant Commercial & Multi-Family Residential Buildings 750 Fairmont Avenue and 843, 845, 871, 873, 881, & 889 Castro Street, Mountain View, California 94041. Including aerial photograph, topographic map, Sanborn map, and city directory data.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
R.L. Polk & Co.
1962 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1964 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1964. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1966a Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1966. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1966b San Jose (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1966. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0895- 00000?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1968 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1968. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
University of California, Santa Barbara Library Special Collections. FrameFinder Aerial Photography database (UCSB). 1956 Aero Services Corporation. Flight CIV-1956, Frame 2r-36. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1897 Palo Alto, California Quadrangle. Accessed via USGS topoView. https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#15/37.3862/- 122.0828 (accessed October 2024).
U.S. Modernist
2024 Search of online architectural periodical and magazine database for subject property documentation. https://usmodernist.org/library.htm (accessed October 2024).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
P1. Other Identifier: None
*P2. Location: ◼ Unrestricted *a. County: Santa Clara *b. USGS 7.5' Quad: Mountain View, California Date: 2024 T 6S; R 1W of Sec 32; M.D.B.M. c. Address: 843 Castro Street City: Mountain View Zip: 94041 d. UTM: Zone 10S: 588679.42 mE/ 4136595.81 mN e. Other Locational Data: APN 158-06-039
*P3a. Description:
The property at 843 Castro Street is a 0.07-acre parcel located on the east side of Castro Street, between Yosemite Avenue (north) and Fairmont Avenue (south) in downtown Mountain View. The property is bounded by Castro Street to the west, a neighboring commercial building at 825 Castro Street to the north, neighboring residences on Hope Street to the east, and a neighboring commercial building at 871 Castro Street to the south. This property contains a one-story commercial-office building constructed in 1947-1948. The rear of the parcel is paved ground, including parking directly behind the building and a driveway that parallels Castro Street between Yosemite and Fairmont Avenue. The building’s façade is symmetrical with two storefronts that mirror each other; one for the address 843 Castro Street and the other for 845 Castro Street; at the time of survey, the building appeared to be occupied by a single business across both interior units. Replacement entrance doors are set in narrow bays at the outer sides of the façade and are metal with full glazing. The two inner bays have single-lite rectangular windows with similar replacement metal frames, single-lite display windows set on Roman brick bulkheads. Roman brick columns divided the four bays, and an opaque transom tops each bay. A pent eave mounted to the parapet and covered with clay tiles overhangs the façade. It features a gutter with streamline/stripe detailing. The north and south sides of the building abut neighboring buildings. The rear exterior has a painted concrete block exterior and two entrances, each with a flush metal door and an adjacent vinyl casement window set behind a metal security. The building appears to be in good condition. (Continued on Page 4)
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP6. Commercial property 1-3 stories *P4. Resources Present: ◼Building
P5b. Description of Photograph: Primary
(west) façade of 843 Castro Street, viewed
from sidewalk on east side of Castro Street,
facing south. October 15, 2024
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources:
◼Historic ca. 1947-1948 (Mountain View
Leader Review 1947; UCSB 1948)
*P7. Owner and Address:
Castro GPRV 10 LLC
843 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
*P8. Recorded by:
Josh Bevan, AICP, MSHP
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
449 15th Street #303
Oakland, CA 94612
*P9. Date Recorded:
October 15, 2024
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
*P11. Report Citation: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 2024. Historical Resources Evaluation in Support of CEQA Documentation for the Proposed 881 Castro Street Project. Rincon Consultants Project No. 24-16059.
*Attachments: ◼Location Map ◼Continuation Sheet ◼Building, Structure, and Object Record P5a. Photograph 1.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial
*Map Name: Mountain View, Calif. *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 2024
DPR 523J (1/95) *Required information
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*Resource Name or # 843 Castro Street
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
B1. Historic Name: None
B2. Common Name: None
B3. Original Use: Commercial B4. Present Use: Commercial *B5. Architectural Style: Commercial Modern
*B6. Construction History:
Existing building constructed ca. 1947-1948 (Mountain View Register Leader 1947, UCSB 1948) Refer to Property History section on continuation sheets for additional information Alterations based on building records on file at the City of Mountain View Building Division (Mountain View, City of 2024b):
1985: Dated November 15, permit # not discernable due to document scan quality- Owner, Fred McKell applied for a permit to change the front façade. No additional details were provided on the permit card 1995: Permit #95001346 Owner, Fred McKell applied for a permit to finalize an exterior façade remodeling, potentially the work originally permitted in 1985
Observed alterations: replacement storefront windows and doors, replacement vinyl windows at rear of building
*B7. Moved? ◼No
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme: Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979); Commercial Architecture
Area: Mountain View Period of Significance: 1947-1948 Property Type: Commercial Applicable Criteria: None
843 Castro Street, which was originally constructed ca. 1947-1948, is recommended ineligible for federal, state, and local designation; it therefore is not considered a historical resource as defined by CEQA Section 15064.5(a).
(Continued on Continuation Sheet)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Josh Bevan, MSHP, AICP – Rincon Consultants
*Date of Evaluation: November 20, 2024
(This space reserved for official comments.)
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
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Description (Continued from Page 1):
Photograph 2. Rear (east) exterior, viewed from alley at rear of building, facing west.
B10. Significance (Continued from Page 3):
The following discussion focuses on the immediate years leading up to and during the period when the existing building on the property was constructed ca. 1947-1948. The City of Mountain View’s draft Historic Context Statement (HCS) (Page & Turnbull 2024) identifies the period the subject building was constructed within as Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979). The following context is excerpted from the HCS:
While prior to World War II, commercial activities in Mountain View were primarily concentrated in Old Mountain View and along Castro Street, during the post -World War II period, retail and commercial development expanded beyond the downtown core. During this period, the last remaining commercial buildings in Old Mountain View were demolished, including the Beverly Home and Enterprise Hall. Castro Street remained an active commercial shopping destination in the 1950s and early 1960s, and many of the older commercial buildings were modernized with new storefront facades. However, new suburban shopping malls and shopping centers were built throughout the city, and automobile -oriented businesses sprouted up along El Camino Real. In addition to the shopping mall, many new postwar commercial typologies emerged, including drive -in movie theaters and restaurants, and others evolved to better cater to an increasingly automobile centric populous.
During the postwar period, many of the existing businesses along Castro Street modernized their storefronts with new cladding and large blade signs to attract the attention of drivers -by (Figure 96). These renovations were inspired both by a desire to stay relevant in the changing retail environment, and by a City -initiated “rehabilitation program” and safety inspections in the 1960s that could result in the condemnation of a building if it was found to be beyond repair. The train depot at the north end of Castro Street was demolished in 1959, and the Chamber of Commerce advocated for demolition of buildings for more parking downtown. Buildings along Hope and Bryant streets in particular were demolished for surface parking behind the main blocks of Castro Street.
New commercial buildings just of off Castro Street, on intersecting streets, were also constructed in the 1950s and early 1960s, generally exhibiting the Midcentury Modern style with flat canopies, Roman brick bulkheads, and angled storefront entrances. Other businesses opening along Castro Street included drug stores, a Greyhound bus ticket office, new restaurants, and clothing stores. The Mountain View Theater (originally opened in 1926), underwent an extensive interior and exterior remodeling in 1962 and eventually closed in 1986, and has subsequently been used by various nightclubs and restaurants.
To serve the rapidly growing community, many of whom also needed loans to start new businesses or buy a house, a number of new banking institutions opened along or near Castro Street. Among these were the State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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Mountain View Home Savings & Loan Association, in a Midcentury Modern building at 501 Castro Street (now Bank of the West) built in 1959 by notable local architect Hollis Logue, Jr. Later, the Home Savings & Loan Association, in a New Formalist building at 749 West El Camino Real (now Chase Bank) built in 1977 by renowned designer Millard Sheets and his collaborative design studio, featured integrated artwork including an mosaic with motifs related to local history.
In 1962, the City spent some $850,000 on improvements to Castro Street, including widening the street and installing new streetlights and traffic signals. By the late 1960s, however, the shopping malls, with their concentration of department stores and other amenities like climate -controlled interiors and convenient parking, drew many shoppers away from downtown and Castro Street. Although what remained of the historic Chinatown in Mountain View was effectively demolished in a fire in 1946, the 1960s and 1970s comprised a new era for Asian businesses downtown, especially Chinese and Vietnamese businesses. While referred to as “Chinatown,” the microneighborhood around Villa and View streets was also home to a number of Japanese businesses. In the 1970s, many Asian business owners, particularly of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, took advantage of the lower rents along Castro Street, opening new retail stores and restaurants, keeping some life along Castro Street, while many businesses were moving out to suburban shopping centers. An early example of this trend was Andy’s Chinese Restaurant (374 Castro Street), opened in 1962. In contrast to the very long -standing Chinese community, the Vietnamese community grew quickly starting only in the mid -1970s, following the fall of Saigon and American evacuation of Vietnamese refugees; Santa Clara County now has the second largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam.
El Camino Real became a new kind of main street for Mountain View in the postwar period as it catered to new automobile-oriented businesses. By 1940, Ugo Mancini, whose family had opened an auto service station in the 1920s, had expanded the business to become Mancini Motors at the intersection of El Camino Real and Castro Street, marking the beginning of this trend; the complex of Art Deco and Quonset hut buildings, which served as a Plymouth and DeSoto dealership, was later demolished in the late 1970s. Other gas stations and service stations soon followed nearby and began to stretch out along El Camino Real. Lozano Car Wash, one of several Googie style carwashes built in the San Francisco Bay Area, was constructed at 2690 West El Camino Real in Mountain View with a cable -suspended roof from dramatically angled metal bracing. It remains extant. New businesses included drive -in restaurants such as Spivey’s, Linda’s, Lane’s, A&W, and Bob’s Big Boy, all designed in the Midcentury Modern or Googie styles (all since demolished). In addition, Monte Vista Drive -In Theater opened 1950 at Grant Road and El Camino Real. It closed in 1950 and was subsequently redeveloped. While most properties developed along El Camino Real in the postwar period embodied some type of Modernist architectural style, a few commercial properties deviated from this norm by using neo-revival or vernacular styles. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 205-207)
Property History
Review of an online Sanborn map database and a previously prepared Phase I Environmental Site Assessment covering this property indicates that it was not within the area of coverage of historic Sanborn maps (PSI 2024). Historical topographic maps, aerial photographs, newspapers, and building records on file with the Mountain View Building Division were reviewed to understand the property’s historical development. During the late nineteenth century, the land within present-day 843 Castro Street was located to the south of the downtown core of Mountain View, which remained concentrated toward Evelyn Avenue and centered on Castro Street, closer to the alignment of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Mountain View station. Present-day El Camino Real was not identified on the map, but the San Francisco-San Jose Road ran to the south of Mountain View, passing through Old Mountain View, where the community had begun prior to the Southern Pacific’s completion, to the southeast (USGS 1897, Figure 1). The subject site, located north of El Camino Real and near the southern end of Castro Street, did not appear to contain any development and was roughly equidistant from Permanente Creek to the west and Stevens Creek to the east, both of which ran roughly north-south and outside of the historic downtown area.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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Figure 1. Approximate location of subject site, overlayed on the 1897 Palo Alto Quadrangle map (USGS 1899)
During the early 1900s, development gradually progressed southward in the blocks to the east and west of Castro Street; however, the subject site remained unmapped on Sanborn maps of Mountain View. Although Santa Clara County Assessor data for 843 Castro Street lists a year of construction of 1928, research for this study found that no buildings were present on property’s site as of 1934; as such, the 1928 date is inaccurate (National Archives and Records Administration [NARA] 1934, Figure 2). By 1929, the subject site was located in an area labeled as Nelson Manor, a grid subdivision, according to a map of Santa Clara County (McMillan & McMillan 1929); however, the land within the subject property and its immediate neighboring parcels remained undeveloped as of 1934 (NARA 1934, Figure 2). Research of historical newspapers via the Mountain View History Center’s database determined that Ballentine Realty advertised its location as 853 Castro Street, one the subject property’s historic addresses, in 1947 (Mountain View Register Leader 1947). Review of historical aerial photography found that the subject site appeared to contain a relatively small building with a similar footprint to the existing building by 1948 (UCSB 1948, Figure 3).
Therefore, with an absence of an original construction permit, these sources indicate the existing building was constructed ca. 1947- 1948.
Figure 2. Aerial view of subject property (approximate
current boundary shown with white dashed line), 1934
(NARA 1934)
Figure 3. Aerial view over site of subject property (identified with black arrow), 1948 (UCSB 1948)
A birds-eye view from 1950-1955 showed the subject building during the first decade of its existence (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955, Figure 4). The rear façade was similar present conditions with two entrances and related windows. The building does not appear to have featured the existing pent eave with red tiles during this period. It appears that a blade sign was mounted to the primary façade. During this period, the lot to the immediate south (present-day 871 Castro Street) was undeveloped. The existing alley behind the subject building was not present; rather, the rear areas of the individual properties were divided with fences. The alley was present by 1956, based on subsequent aerial photography (UCSB 1956). A 1965 photograph shows the subject State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
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building features a sign for Gordon’s TV and appears to show a large display window of similar size to the existing display windows (Los Altos News-Mountain View News 1965, Figure 5).
Figure 4. Birds-eye aerial view of subject property (identified with white arrow) ca. 1950-1955 (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955)
Figure 5. View of Castro Street, with subject building at middle-left, 1965 (Los Altos News-Mountain View News 1965)
Similar conditions persisted as of 1970. The subject building was shown with its existing footprint, flat roof, and without its existing roof tiles in an aerial photograph (Mountain View Public Library 1970, Figure 6). Building permit records indicate that between 1985 and 1995, owner Fred McKell completed a remodeling of the building’s primary façade. This remodeling work appears to have been completed ca. 1993, based on a photograph below, as the 1995 permit was applied for to “finalize” changes to the front of the building (Mountain View Public Library 1993, Figure 7).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
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Figure 6. Aerial view of subject property (identified with white arrow) and neighboring properties, 1970 (Mountain View Public Library 1970)
Figure 7. Photograph showing subject building (identified with black arrow) in 1993 (Mountain View Public Library 1993)
Available historical occupancy data for the property between 1947 and 1960 and the more recent past was sourced from historical newspapers, available Mountain View city directories (R.L. Polk & Co. 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968), and a previously prepared Environment Site Assessment of the property (PSI 2024), as listed and referenced in the table below. The earliest occupant identified is Ballentine Realty in 1947. During the mid-1950s the building housed Tom’s Auto Supply, Davila Paint, and Spot Realty Co. By 1960, Gordon’s TV & Radio Co. and Mountain View Realty replaced prior occupants. Gordon’s remained an occupant until 1966, while Mountain View Realty and cleaning business were replaced by a succession of realty estate brokerages into the 1970s. Tax preparation businesses also occupied the building between the early 1970s and ca. 1981. The buildings remodeling ca. 1985 to 1995 occurred during a period when permit applicant and owner, Fred McKell, occupied the building; the business contained a State Farm Insurance location during that period (PSI 2024). Research of historical newspapers and biographical information on individuals named in the table below produced no information indicating any that any of the former building occupants were associated with significant events or achievements with association to the subject property (Ancestry.com 2024; Newspapers.com 2024; Mountain View Public Library 2024).
Historical Occupancy of 843 Castro Street (historically encompassed addresses 843, 845 and 853 Castro Street) Year Occupants (Owner in bold if listed) Business
Type/Occupation
1947 (Mountain View
Register Leader)
853 Ballentine Realty Real Estate brokerage
1950 (Mountain View
Register)
845 Nelson’s Radio & TV Electronics
1954 (Mountain View
Daily Register)
845 Tom’s Auto Supply
853 Spot Realty Co. (D.B. Christensen & Staff)
Auto Supply
Real Estate brokerage
1956 (PSI 2024) 845 Davila Paint
853 Spot Realty Co.
Paint business
Real Estate brokerage
1960 (PSI 2024) 845 Gordons TV & Radio Co
853 Mountain View Realty
Electronics
Real Estate brokerage
1962 (PSI 2024, (R.L.
Polk & Co.)
845 Gordon’s TV Sales & Service
853 Mountain View Realty and
Quality Plus Cleaners
Electronics
Real Estate brokerage
Cleaning service
1964 (R.L. Polk & Co.) 845 Gordon’s TV
853 Daffern Marmon Realty
Electronics
Real Estate brokerage
1966 (R.L. Polk & Co.) 845 Gordon’s TV
853 Daffern Realty
Electronics
Real Estate brokerage
1968 (R.L. Polk & Co.) 845 Sierra Printing Printing
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Year Occupants (Owner in bold if listed) Business
Type/Occupation
853 H. Carskadon Real Estate, Arthur L. Childers Real Estate, H. Ross Coleman Real Estate, Eight Fifty Three Realty
Real Estate brokerages
1971 (PSI 2024) 845 The Tax People Inc
853 H. Carskadon Realtor, Childers Realty, Coleman Ross Realtor
Tax consultation
Real Estate brokerage
1976 (PSI 2024) 845 No Listing
853 Coleman Ross Realtor, H. Carskadon Realtor
N/A
Real Estate brokerages
1981 (PSI 2024) 845 Tax Preparer Service Co.
853 Pat Pyne Realty
Tax consultation
Real Estate brokerage
1990-2002 (PSI 2024) 845 Fred A. McKell, State Farm Ins. Agency, Bradley McKell Insurance agency
2016-Present (PSI 2024,
survey)
843 Aim Library & Info Staffing/AIM Staffing Inc. (2020-22) GPR Ventures (2022-present)
845 Giorgi Asatiani (2016-2022)
Staffing
Venture capital
Unknown
Commercial Modern Architecture
The draft HCS provides the following context and character-defining features of commercial buildings designed in Modern architectural styles:
Commercial Modern is the expression of the Modern Movement in commercial architecture in the postwar period, including in commercial retail buildings, offices, corporate campuses, and technology laboratory and manufacturing facilities. Like the Midcentury Modern style, the Commercial Style has geometric massing with simple lines, often with expressed structural systems, and eschews most historical forms of architectural ornamentation. Some automobile-oriented postwar businesses such as drive-in restaurants and carwashes were designed in the Googie style, a subtype of Commercial Modern architecture, which expressed the values of the atomic/space/jet age with dramatic rooflines and signate. Another Commercial Modern subtype is the Quonset hut, which is a prefabricated corrugated metal semi -cylindrical building which was often military surplus. As are certain property types that were often designed in Modernist styles, including drive -in restaurants, bowling alleys, theaters, shopping malls/centers, motels, gas stations, and car washes. Office and technology sector buildings that fully express the Commercial Modern style are increasingly rare; many extant technology -sector office, research, and manufacturing facilities are simple boxy concrete buildings that are not a full expression of the Modernist style.
Period of Significance: 1940s-early 1960s
Associated property types: Retail stores; mixed use buildings; shopping malls/centers; motels; restaurants; auto-oriented businesses, such as gas stations, service centers, car washes, drive -in restaurants, drive -in theaters, etc.; banks; signs; offices; research and development laboratories; and manufacturing facilities.
Common Character-Defining Features of the Commercial Modern style:
▪ One- to two-story massing (one story is most common)
▪ Wood, steel, or concrete construction where the structural system may be expressed outwardly ▪ Flat roofs are typical, but other roof forms may include butterfly, low -pitch shed, barrel vault, or low-pitch gable
▪ Roofs may include projecting canopies (flat, folded plate, or barrel vault) ▪ Cladding materials range from exposed concrete or concrete masonry unit (CMU) to stucco, wood, or brick
▪ Roman (narrow horizontal) brick bulkheads are common
▪ Massing is typically highly geometric and simplified
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▪ Large expanses of glazing are typical
▪ Inward angled storefront entrances are common
▪ Absence of applied ornamentation
▪ Brise-soleils, screens, or other sunshades may be included ▪ Googie style buildings often include dramatic roof forms, structural systems, and/or signage (Page & Turnbull 2024, 205-207).
The building at 843 Castro Street is one -story commercial building that appears to have a wood and concrete block structure, is capped by a flat roof with a parapet and a pent eave that forms a sidewalk canopy. The building is clad with stucco and Roman brick and has replacement metal -frame windows and doors in its storefronts. The building does not feature a dramatic roof form, exposed structural elements, or large expanses of glass that typically represent a Googie variation of Commercial Modern architecture. No information was found relating to the design and construction professionals associated with the building’s original design in available city and online repositories (Avery Index 2024; Mountain View, City of 2024c; Mountain View Public Library 2024 , USModernist 2024, Newspapers.com 2024).
Evaluation
The property at 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) and under the criteria for listing in the City of Mountain Register of Historic Resources, due to a lack of historical and architectural significance.
NRHP and CRHR
The property at 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible under Criterion A/1. Constructed ca. 1947-1948, the commercial building on the property was built during the immediate years after World War II, as Mountain View’s population grew and Castro Street entered a period of increased commercial development between 1945 and the late 1970s, which included new construction and remodeling of many preexisting buildings. Although part of a trend of commercial development and one of several buildings constructed along Castro Street during immediate post-war years, 843 Castro Street has not been demonstrated to have initiated, significantly informed, or otherwise influenced commercial development, or commerce in general, in Mountain View, California, or the nation. No events of historic importance are known to have occurred at this property. Therefore, 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion A/1.
Research conducted for this evaluation did not find evidence that suggests that any individuals historically associated with this property have made significant historical contributions. Review of available occupancy data, historical newspapers, and archival research revealed little information past occupants of the property who ran or were employed by the businesses that occupied the building. Overall, none of the past occupants have been identified for having made significant contributions to their professions or commercial history in Mountain View that is represented by the existing building. Therefore, 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion B/2.
843 Castro Street does not appear to be individually significant as a property that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, for possessing high artistic values, or for representing an important work of a master. The subject building was constructed ca. 1947 to 1948 by an unknown builder or contractor, and its original design and any responsible designer or architect are unknown As such, the building has not been identified as the work of a master in the field of construction or architecture. Based upon historical aerials of the building, and one historical street view, the building appears to have been constructed with its existing footprint and flat roof, and likely feature to storefronts, with rectangular display windows and a façade-mounted sign common to Modern commercial buildings that were built across the nation in the mid-twentieth century. The building’s current design appears to incorporate original brick, while the existing windows, doors, and roof tiles non-original features. Overall, the building lacks individually distinctive features that would enable it to stand out as a significant example of Commercial Modern architecture in Mountain View, California, or the nation. The building does not express the aesthetic ideal of a style or art form, rather it is representative of multiple eras of construction and stylistic alteration; therefore, it is not significant for possessing high art values. Therefore, 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion C/3.
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Finally, the built environment of the subject property is not likely to yield valuable information which will contribute to our understanding of human history because the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or industrial-commercial buildings constructed in the mid-twentieth century.
Therefore, the property is recommended ineligible for listing under NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4.
Mountain View Register of Historic Resources
Criteria for the designation of buildings, structures, sites, or other improvements to the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources are specified in the City of Mountain View’s Historic Preservation Ordinance:
SEC. 36.54.65. - Designation criteria
A building, structure, site or other improvement may be designated as a historic resource and placed on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources if the city council finds that it meets one or more of the following criteria:
a. Is strongly identified with a person who, or an organization which, significantly contributed to the culture, history or development of the City of Mountain View; b. Is the site of a significant historic event in the city's past; c. Embodies distinctive characteristics significant to the city in terms of a type, period, region or method of construction or representative of the work of a master or possession of high artistic value; or d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to the city's prehistory or history. (Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.) (City of Mountain View 2022, 2024)
Under local criterion (a), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property has not been identified in association with any individuals who significantly contributed to the culture, history, or development of Mountain View.
Under local criterion (b), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property does not appear individually significant within the pattern of post-World War II expansion and residential development in Mountain View.
Under local criterion (c), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3, 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property lacks individual architectural significance and is not representative of the work of design professional considered a master; nor does the property possess high artistic values.
Under local criterion (d), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4, 843 Castro Street is recommended ineligible as the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or commercial buildings constructed in the mid-1950s.
B12. References (Continued from Page 3):
Ancestry.com
2024 Various occupancy, public, and genealogical records reviewed for subject property. https://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed October 2024).
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (Avery Index)
2024 Database search via Los Angeles Public Library, online. https://research-ebsco- com.ezproxy.lapl.org/c/vk7dan/search?defaultdb=bvh (accessed October 2024).
Los Altos-Mountain View News
1965 “Miracle Mile Grand Opening.” November 10. On file at Mountain View History Center.
McMillan & McMillan
1929 Official Map of Santa Clara County, California. San Francisco, CA: Walkup Map Co. https://ia601708.us.archive.org/27/items/map_santaclaracounty_1929/map_santaclaracounty_1929_panel04.jpg (accessed October 2024).
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Mountain View, City of
2022 City of Mountain View Register of Historic Resources. Last updated September 28, 2022. Electronic resource. https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7915/638346084894870000 (accessed September 2024).
2024a Historic Preservation Ordinance. Version: July 26, 2024 (current). Electronic resource. https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH36ZO_ARTXVIZ OORAD_DIV15DEPRHIRE (accessed September 2024).
2024b Mountain View Building Division Property file for subject property. Researched October 2024. E-permit history search accessed via https://epermits.mountainview.gov/h.aspx (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View Daily Register
1954 Armed Forces Day advertisement listing business addresses and occupants. May 14. On file at Mountain View Public Library History Center.
Mountain View Register
1950 Nelson’s Radio & TV listing at 845 Castro Street. January 24. On file at Mountain View Public Library History Center.
Mountain View Register Leader
1947 Ballentine Realty listed at 853 Castro Street. September 5. On file at Mountain View Public Library History Center.
Mountain View Public Library
1950-55 Bird’s-eye View of Castro Street, 1950-1955. Photograph. https://californiarevealed.org/do/34e911ec-f0b9-40a2-b17f- 2d3bbc95e01c#page/1 (accessed September 2024).
1970 Aerial photography of Mountain View, California, 1970. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea- 2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed September 2024).
1993 Photography of 843 Castro Street, 1993. (accessed October 2024). 2024 Mountain View Historical Newspapers. Database searched in-person at History Center.
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
1934 California – Mountain View Through Nacimiento Road – NARA – 23934687.jpg. National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_- _Mountain_View_through_Nacimiento_Road_-_NARA_-_23934687.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Page & Turnbull
2024 City of Mountain View Historic Context Statement. Public Review Draft. May 29, 2024. Prepared for City of Mountain View. Accessed online: https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9478/638575818912170000 (accessed October 2024).
ParcelQuest.com
2024 Property data for 750 Fairmount Avenue. https://www.parcelquest.com/ (accessed September 2024).
PSI
2024 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Multi-Tenant Commercial & Multi-Family Residential Buildings 750 Fairmont Avenue and 843, 845, 871, 873, 881, & 889 Castro Street, Mountain View, California 94041. Including aerial photograph, topographic map, Sanborn map, and city directory data.
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R.L. Polk & Co.
1962 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1964 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1964. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1966 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1966. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1968 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
University of California, Santa Barbara Library Special Collections. FrameFinder Aerial Photography database (UCSB). 1948 California Division of Forestry. Flight cdf5, Frame 2-110. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
1956 Aero Services Corporation. Flight CIV-1956, Frame 2r-36. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1897 Palo Alto, California Quadrangle. Accessed via USGS topoView. https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#15/37.3862/- 122.0828 (accessed September 2024).
U.S. Modernist
2024 Search of online architectural periodical and magazine database for subject property documentation. https://usmodernist.org/library.htm (accessed October 2024).
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NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
P1. Other Identifier: 873 Castro Street
*P2. Location: ◼ Unrestricted *a. County: Santa Clara *b. USGS 7.5' Quad: Mountain View, California Date: 2024 T 6S; R 1W of Sec 32; M.D.B.M. c. Address: 871 Castro Street City: Mountain View Zip: 94041 d. UTM: Zone 10S: 581159.83 mE/ 4138151.03 mN e. Other Locational Data: APN 156-06-038 *P3a. Description:
The property at 871 Castro Street is a 0.07 -acre parcel located on the east side of Castro Street, between Yosemite Avenue (north) and Fairmont Avenue (south) in downtown Mountain View (P5a. Photograph 1). The property is bounded by Castro Street to the west, a commercial property at 843 Castro Street to the north, a commercial property at 881 Castro Street to the south, and residences on Hope Street to the east. The property contains a one -story commercial building constructed in 1949. The rear of the parcel is paved ground, including parking directly behind the building and a driveway that parallels Castro Street between Yosemite and Fairmont Avenue. The building’s façade is symmetrical and has a concave profile, with two storefronts angled inward toward the cente r. Each storefront features a large , nearly floor-to-ceiling, rectangular display window with a n aluminum frame, set on a Roman brick bulkhead with a short wood sill . Replacement, aluminum glazed entrance doors for each unit are placed near the center of the façade, with a single-lite, wood transom window above. At the time of survey, both commercial units appeared to be addressed as 873 Castro Street and occupied by a single use. The remainder of the façade is clad with Roman brick.
The building is capped by a flat roof with a parapet and a short, flat canopy that overhangs the entrance area . The canopy appears to have metal fascia with a shadow line detail, and the soffit beneath is finished with plaster . The rear exterior is finished with stucco and contains a rear entrance with a flush door set behind a wood screen door with painted over glazing (Photograph 2). To the right of the door are two one -over-one wood windows, set behind metal security grilles, and a third window is located further to the right, with a replacement vinyl sash set behind a security grille. The building appears to be in good condition. (Continued on
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP6. Commercial Property 1-3 stories *P4. Resources Present: ◼Building
P5b. Description of Photograph: Primary
(west) façade, viewed from sidewalk along
east side of Castro Street, facing northeast.
October 15, 2024
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources:
◼Historic
ca. 1950-1956 (Mountain View Public
Library 1950-1955, UCSB 1956)
*P7. Owner and Address:
Castro GPRV 10 LLC
843 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
*P8. Recorded by:
Josh Bevan, AICP, MSHP
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
449 15th Street #303
Oakland, CA 94612
*P9. Date Recorded:
October 15, 2024
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
*P11. Report Citation: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 2024. Historical Resources Evaluation in Support of CEQA Documentation for the Proposed 881 Castro Street Project. Rincon Consultants Project No. 24-16059.
*Attachments: ◼Location Map ◼Continuation Sheet ◼Building, Structure, and Object Record P5a. Photograph 1.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial
*Map Name: Mountain View, Calif. *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 2024
DPR 523J (1/95) *Required information
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*Resource Name or # 871 Castro Street
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
B1. Historic Name: Parker’s Flowers
B2. Common Name: None
B3. Original Use: Commercial B4. Present Use: Commercial *B5. Architectural Style: Commercial Modern
*B6. Construction History:
Existing building constructed ca. 1950-1956 (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955; UCSB 1956) Refer to Property History section on continuation sheets for additional information.
Alterations based on building records on file at the City of Mountain View Building Division:
Permit 9222 (date illegible), owner Joe Musse and Builder Marshall Shirley, related to electrical work.
*B7. Moved? ◼No
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme: Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979); Commercial Architecture Area: Mountain View Period of Significance: 1950-1956 Property Type: Commercial Applicable Criteria: None
871 Castro Street, which was originally constructed ca. 1950-1956, is recommended ineligible for federal, state, and local designation is recommended ineligible for federal, state, and local designation; it therefore is not considered a historical resource as defined by CEQA Section 15064.5(a).
(Continued on Continuation Sheet)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Josh Bevan, MSHP, AICP – Rincon Consultants
*Date of Evaluation: November 20, 2024
(This space reserved for official comments.)
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95) *Required information
P5a. Photograph (Continued from Page 1):
Photograph 2. Rear (east) exterior, viewed from alley behind building, facing southwest.
B10. Significance (Continued from Page 3):
The following discussion focuses on the immediate years leading up to and during the period when the existing building on the property was built ca. 1950-1956 The City of Mountain View’s draft Historic Context Statement (HCS) (Page & Turnbull 2024) identifies the period the subject building was constructed within as Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979). The following context is excerpted from the HCS:
While prior to World War II, commercial activities in Mountain View were primarily concentrated in Old Mountain View and along Castro Street, during the post -World War II period, retail and commercial development expanded beyond the downtown core. During this period, the last remaining commercial buildings in Old Mountain View were demolished, including the Beverly Home and Enterprise Hall. Castro Street remained an active commercial shopping destination in the 1950s and early 1960s, and many of the older commercial buildings were modernized with new storefront facades. However, new suburban shopping malls and shopping centers were built throughout the city, and automobile -oriented businesses sprouted up along El Camino Real. In addition to the shopping mall, many new postwar commercial typologies emerged, including drive -in movie theaters and restaurants, and others evolved to better cater to an increasingly automobile centric populous.
During the postwar period, many of the existing businesses along Castro Street modernized their storefronts with new cladding and large blade signs to attract the attention of drivers -by. These renovations were inspired both by a desire to stay relevant in the changing retail environment, and by a City -initiated “rehabilitation program” and safety inspections in the 1960s that could result in the condemnation of a building if it was found to be beyond repair. The train depot at the north end of Castro Street was demolished in 1959, and the Chamber of Commerce advocated for demolition of buildings for more parking downtown. Buildings along Hope and Bryant streets in particular were demolished for surface parking behind the main blocks of Castro Street.
New commercial buildings just of off Castro Street, on intersecting streets, were also constructed in the 1950s and early 1960s, generally exhibiting the Midcentury Modern style with flat canopies, Roman brick bulkheads, and angled storefront entrances. Other businesses opening along Castro Street included drug stores, a Greyhound bus ticket office, new restaurants, and clothing stores. The Mountain View Theater (originally opened in 1926), underwent an extensive interior and exterior remodeling in 1962 and eventually closed in 1986, and has subsequently been used by various nightclubs and restaurants.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
To serve the rapidly growing community, many of whom also needed loans to start new businesses or buy a house, a number of new banking institutions opened along or near Castro Street. Among these were the Mountain View Home Savings & Loan Association, in a Midcentury Modern building at 501 Castro Street (now Bank of the West) built in 1959 by notable local architect Hollis Logue, Jr. Later, the Home Savings & Loan Association, in a New Formalist building at 749 West El Camino Real (now Chase Bank) built in 1977 by renowned designer Millard Sheets and his collaborative design studio, featured integrated artwork including an mosaic with motifs related to local history.
In 1962, the City spent some $850,000 on improvements to Castro Street, including widening the street and installing new streetlights and traffic signals. By the late 1960s, however, the shopping malls, with their concentration of department stores and other amenities like climate -controlled interiors and convenient parking, drew many shoppers away from downtown and Castro Street. Although what remained of the historic Chinatown in Mountain View was effectively demolished in a fire in 1946, the 1960s and 1970s comprised a new era for Asian businesses downtown, especially Chinese and Vietnamese businesses. While referred to as “Chinatown,” the microneighborhood around Villa and View streets was also home to a number of Japanese businesses. In the 1970s, many Asian business owners, particularly of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, took advantage of the lower rents along Castro Street, opening new retail stores and restaurants, keeping some life along Castro Street, while many businesses were moving out to suburban shopping centers. An early example of this trend was Andy’s Chinese Restaurant (374 Castro Street), opened in 1962. In contrast to the very long -standing Chinese community, the Vietnamese community grew quickly starting only in the mid -1970s, following the fall of Saigon and American evacuation of Vietnamese refugees; Santa Clara County now has the second largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam.
El Camino Real became a new kind of main street for Mountain View in the postwar period as it catered to new automobile-oriented businesses. By 1940, Ugo Mancini, whose family had opened an auto service station in the 1920s, had expanded the business to become Mancini Motors at the intersection of El Camino Real and Castro Street, marking the beginning of this trend; the complex of Art Deco and Quonset hut buildings, which served as a Plymouth and DeSoto dealership, was later demolished in the late 1970s. Other gas stations and service stations soon followed nearby and began to stretch out along El Camino Real. Lozano Car Wash, one of several Googie style carwashes built in the San Francisco Bay Area, was constructed at 2690 West El Camino Real in Mountain View with a cable -suspended roof from dramatically angled metal bracing. It remains extant. New businesses included drive -in restaurants such as Spivey’s, Linda’s, Lane’s, A&W, and Bob’s Big Boy, all designed in the Midcentury Modern or Googie styles (all since demolished). In addition, Monte Vista Drive -In Theater opened 1950 at Grant Road and El Camino Real. It closed in 1950 and was subsequently redeveloped. While most properties developed along El Camino Real in the postwar period embodied some type of Modernist architectural style, a few commercial properties deviated from this norm by using neo-revival or vernacular styles. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 205-207)
Property History
Review of an online Sanborn map database and a previously prepared Phase I Environmental Site Assessment covering this property indicates that it was not within the area of coverage of historic Sanborn maps (PSI 2024). Historical topographic maps, aerial photographs, newspapers, and building records on file with the Mountain View Building Division were reviewed to understand the property’s historical development. During the late nineteenth century, the land within present-day 843 Castro Street was located to the south of the downtown core of Mountain View, which remained concentrated toward Evelyn Avenue and centered on Castro Street, closer to the alignment of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Mountain View station. Present-day El Camino Real was not identified on the map, but the San Francisco-San Jose Road ran a similar alignment to the south of Mountain View, passing through Old Mountain View, where the community had begun prior to the Southern Pacific’s completion, to the southeast (USGS 1897, Figure 1). The subject site, located north of El Camino Real and near the southern end of Castro Street, did not appear to contain any development and was roughly equidistant from Permanente Creek to the west and Stevens Creek to the east, both of which ran roughly north-south and outside of the historic downtown area.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
Figure 1. Approximate location of subject site, overlayed on the 1897 Palo Alto Quadrangle map (USGS 1897)
During the early 1900s, development gradually progressed southward in the blocks to the east and west of Castro Street; however, the subject site remained unmapped on Sanborn maps of Mountain View. By 1929, the subject site was located in an area labeled as Nelson Manor, a grid subdivision, according to a map of Santa Clara County (McMillan & McMillan 1929); however, the land within the subject property and its immediate neighboring parcels remained undeveloped as of 1934 (NARA 1934, Figure 2). Santa Clara County Assessor data lists a date of 1949 for construction of the subject building; however, this date appears to be inaccurate, as the site containing the subject building appears to have been vacant on available aerial photographs taken between 1948 and ca. 1950-1955 (UCSB 1948, Figure 3). The business Romero’s Flower Shop was listed at the address 871 Castro Street as in 1949; however, the address appears to have been associated with the building located further to the south (present day 881 Castro Street), which was present by 1949, and was expanded by the mid-1950s (Mountain View Register Leader 1949).
Figure 2. Aerial view of subject property (approximate
current boundary shown with white dashed line), 1934
(NARA 1934)
Figure 3. Aerial view over site of subject property (identified with black arrow), 1948 (UCSB 1948)
The subject building was constructed ca. 1950-1956, based on historical aerial photographs, and appears to have taken on the addresses 871 and 873 Castro Street, while the neighboring building became 881 and 889 Castro Street. A birds-eye view from 1950-1955 showed the subject site as vacant and located between buildings that stood at present-day 843 Castro Street and 881 Castro Street by that year (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955, Figure 4). The existing alley behind the subject building was not present; rather, the rear areas of the individual properties within the block were divided with fences. A partial view of the building appeared in a 1965 photograph, which captured a sign for Parker’s Flowers above the façade (Los Altos News-Mountain View News 1965, Figure 5).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
Figure 4. Birds-eye aerial view of subject property, which appeared to be a vacant lot (identified with white arrow), ca. 1950-1955 (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955).
Figure 5. View of Castro Street, with subject building at middle-left, 1965 (Los Altos News-Mountain View News 1965)
Similar conditions persisted as of 1970. The subject building was shown with its existing footprint, flat roof, and without its existing roof tiles in an aerial photograph (Mountain View Public Library 1970, Figure 6). Building permit records indicate that between 1985 and 1995, owner Fred McKell completed a remodeling of the building’s primary façade. This remodeling work appears to have been completed ca. 1993, based on a photograph below, as the 1995 permit was applied for to “finalize” changes to the front of the building (Mountain View Public Library 1993, Figure 7).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
Figure 6. Aerial view of subject property (identified with white arrow), 1970 (Mountain View Public Library 1970)
Figure 7. Photograph showing subject building (identified with black arrow) in 1993 (Mountain View Public Library 1993)
Available historical occupancy data for the property between 1956 and the 2010s was sourced from available Mountain View city directories (R.L. Polk & Co. 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968), and a previously prepared Environment Site Assessment of the property (PSI 2024), The earliest occupants identified are AAA California State Association and Parker’s Flowers. Parker’s Flowers was the sole occupant of the building through ca. 1991, while occupants in the more recent past included restaurants, based upon the available data, as listed and referenced in the table below.
Historical Occupancy of 871 Castro Street (historically encompassed addresses 871 and 873 Castro Street) Year Occupants (Owner in bold if listed) Business Type/Occupation 1956 (PSI 2024) 871 AAA California State Association
873 Parker’s Flowers
Automobile related
Flower shop
1962 (PSI 2024, (R.L. Polk & Co.) 871-873 Parker’s Flowers Flower shop 1964 (R.L. Polk & Co.) 871-873 Parker’s Flowers Flower shop 1966 (R.L. Polk & Co.) 873 Parker’s Flowers Flower shop 1968 (R.L. Polk & Co.) 873 Parker’s Flowers Flower shop 1971-1991 (PSI 2024) 873 Parker’s Flowers Flower shop
2001-2012 (PSI 2024) 873 Rene Rose Philippine Cuisine (2001-2003) Asia Spice Café (2008), Morocco’s Restaurant (2012)
Restaurants
Parker’s Flowers
The flower shop, Parker’s Flowers was listed as the occupant of the subject building in available city and business directories between 1956, when it shared the building with AAA, through 1991 (R.L. Polk and Co. 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, PSI 2024). Research of historical newspapers identified Orville W. Parker (1923-1985) as the shop’s proprietor (Peninsula Times Tribune 1971). Parker was born in Mangum, Oklahoma in 1923 and resided in Fresno, California with parents and siblings by 1940 (Ancestry.com 2024).
Orville enlisted in the Army and served during World War II from 1943 to 1946 (Ancestry.com 2024). By 1950 he resided in Healdsburg, California, with his wife Letha and daughter Sharon Mae. Orville was the only person identified in association with the business, based on available information on Parker’s Flowers. Based on an advertisement published in 1968, and a newspaper article in 1971, Parker’s Flowers provided flowers for hospital arrangements, potted plants, ceramic and brass gifts, and was a franchised dealer of Mission Pak fruit and candy gifts (R.L. Polk & Co. 1968). Orville’s services also included consultation on terrariums (Peninsula Times Tribune 1971). Orville appears to have continued to lead the business until his death in 1985. Available occupancy records indicate Parker’s Flowers was last listed at 873 Castro Street in 1991, nearly four decades after it began its association with the subject building in ca. 1956.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
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DPR 523L (1/95)
Commercial Modern Architecture
The draft HCS provides the following context and character-defining features of commercial buildings designed in Modern architectural styles:
Commercial Modern is the expression of the Modern Movement in commercial architecture in the postwar period, including in commercial retail buildings, offices, corporate campuses, and technology laboratory and manufacturing facilities. Like the Midcentury Modern style, the Commercial Style has geometric massing with simple lines, often with expressed structural systems, and eschews most historical forms of architectural ornamentation. Some automobile-oriented postwar businesses such as drive-in restaurants and carwashes were designed in the Googie style, a subtype of Commercial Modern architecture, which expressed the values of the atomic/space/jet age with dramatic rooflines and signate. Another Commercial Modern subtype is the Quonset hut, which is a prefabricated corrugated metal semi -cylindrical building which was often military surplus. As are certain property types that were often designed in Modernist styles, including drive -in restaurants, bowling alleys, theaters, shopping malls/centers, motels, gas stations, and car washes. Office and technology sector buildings that fully express the Commercial Modern style are increasingly rare; many extant technology -sector office, research, and manufacturing facilities are simple boxy concrete buildings that are not a full expression of the Modernist style. (Page & Turnbull 2024)
Period of Significance: 1940s-early 1960s
Associated property types: Retail stores; mixed use buildings; shopping malls/centers; motels; restaurants; auto-oriented businesses, such as gas stations, service centers, car washes, drive -in restaurants, drive -in theaters, etc.; banks; signs; offices; research and development laboratories; and manufacturing facilities.
Common Character-Defining Features of the Commercial Modern style:
▪ One- to two-story massing (one story is most common)
▪ Wood, steel, or concrete construction where the structural system may be expressed outwardly ▪ Flat roofs are typical, but other roof forms may include butterfly, low -pitch shed, barrel vault, or low-pitch gable
▪ Roofs may include projecting canopies (flat, folded plate, or barrel vault) ▪ Cladding materials range from exposed concrete or concrete masonry unit (CMU) to stucco, wood, or brick
▪ Roman (narrow horizontal) brick bulkheads are common
▪ Massing is typically highly geometric and simplified
▪ Large expanses of glazing are typical
▪ Inward angled storefront entrances are common
▪ Absence of applied ornamentation
▪ Brise-soleils, screens, or other sunshades may be included ▪ Googie style buildings often include dramatic roof forms, structural systems, and/or signage. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 205-207)
The building at 843 Castro Street is one -story, appears to have a wood and concrete block structure, is capped by a flat roof with a parapet and canopy. The building is clad with stucco and Roman brick and has an inward angled storefront. The building does not feature a dramatic roof form, exposed structural elements, or large expanses of glass that typically represent a Googie variation of Commercial Modern architecture. No information was found relating to the design and construction professionals associated with the building’s original design in available city and online repositories (Avery Index 2024; Mountain View, City of 2024c; Mountain View Public Library 2024 , USModernist 2024, Newspapers.com 2024).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
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DPR 523L (1/95)
Evaluation
The property at 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) and under the criteria for listing in the City of Mountain Register of Historic Resources, due to a lack of historical and architectural significance.
NRHP and CRHR
The property at 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible under Criterion A/1. Constructed ca. 1950-1956, the commercial building on the property was built with the first decade of post-World War II period, as Mountain View population grew and Castro Street witnessed increased commercial development, between 1945 and the late 1970s, including new construction and remodeling of many preexisting buildings. Research did not find evidence that this property was individually significant to the pattern of post-war commercial development in Mountain View, commercial history, or for being the location of any events with significance to the city, California, or the nation. Although part of a trend of commercial development and one of several buildings constructed along Castro Street during immediate post-war years, 871 Castro Street has not been demonstrated to have initiated, informed, or otherwise influenced commercial development, or commerce in general, in Mountain View, California, or the nation.
No events of historic importance are known to have occurred at this property. Therefore, 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion A/1.
Research conducted for this evaluation did not find evidence that suggests any individuals historically associated with this property have made significant historical contributions. Review of available occupancy data, historical newspapers, and archival research found that Orville W. Parker, owner of Parker’s Flowers is the individual with longest association with the property as a former occupant. During his lifetime, the business was located within the building between ca. 1956 and 1985, and appears to have ceased occupancy ca. 1991. Although Mr. Parker was an occupant for roughly three decades, no evidence was found that suggests his contributions to local commerce and history were demonstrably significant. Additionally known historical occupants of the building were associated with the property for relatively short durations and no information was found that suggests any additional persons associated with the building made significant contributions to history. Therefore, 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion B/2.
843 Castro Street does not appear to be individually significant as a property that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, for possessing high art values, or for representing an important work of a master. The subject building was constructed ca. 1950-1956 by an unknown builder or contractor, and little information is available regarding the building’s original design beyond aerial photograph and a historic photograph that provides a limited view of the building. No information was found relating to the design and construction professionals associated with the building’s original design in available city and online repositories. Therefore, the building is not identified as the work of a master. The building does not appear to have been subject to extensive alteration, such that the existing features of the building, excepting replacement doors and a replacement window at the rear façade, likely represent features that date to the building’s origination. In consideration of the character-defining features of Commercial Modern architecture identified above, the subject building exhibits common features of mid-twentieth century Commercial Modern buildings constructed in Mountain View and generally in downtown areas in the region ca. 1945 to the late 1970s. The building’s footprint, height, parapet and canopy, inward angled storefronts with brick bulkheads and large display windows, and Roman brick are Commercial Modern features. However, these features and the building’s overall form do not appear to be individually distinctive such that the building rises to a level of individual significance.
The building does not express the aesthetic ideal of a style or art form and, therefore, is not significant for possessing high art values. Therefore, 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion C/3.
Finally, the built environment of the subject property is not likely to yield valuable information which will contribute to our understanding of human history because the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or industrial-commercial buildings constructed in the mid-twentieth century.
Therefore, the property is recommended ineligible for listing under NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4.
Mountain View Register of Historic Resources
Criteria for the designation of buildings, structures, sites, or other improvements to the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources are specified in the City of Mountain View’s Historic Preservation Ordinance:
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SEC. 36.54.65. - Designation criteria
A building, structure, site or other improvement may be designated as a historic resource and placed on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources if the city council finds that it meets one or more of the following criteria:
a. Is strongly identified with a person who, or an organization which, significantly contributed to the culture, history or development of the City of Mountain View; b. Is the site of a significant historic event in the city's past; c. Embodies distinctive characteristics significant to the city in terms of a type, period, region or method of construction or representative of the work of a master or possession of high artistic value; or d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to the city's prehistory or history. (Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.) (City of Mountain View 2022, 2024)
Under local criterion (a), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property has not been identified in association with any individuals who significantly contributed to the culture, history, or development of Mountain View.
Under local criterion (b), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property does not appear individually significant within the pattern of post-World War II expansion and residential development in Mountain View.
Under local criterion (c), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3, 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property lacks individual architectural significance and is not representative of the work of design professional considered a master; nor does the property possess high artistic values.
Under local criterion (d), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4, 871 Castro Street is recommended ineligible as the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or commercial buildings constructed in the mid-1950s.
B12. References (Continued from Page 3):
Ancestry.com
2024 Various occupancy, public, and genealogical records reviewed for subject property. https://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed October 2024).
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (Avery Index)
2024 Database search via Los Angeles Public Library, online. https://research-ebsco- com.ezproxy.lapl.org/c/vk7dan/search?defaultdb=bvh (accessed October 2024).
Los Altos-Mountain View News
1965 “Miracle Mile Grand Opening.” November 10. On file at Mountain View History Center.
McMillan & McMillan
1929 Official Map of Santa Clara County, California. San Francisco, CA: Walkup Map Co. Electronic resource accessed via Archive.org:https://ia601708.us.archive.org/27/items/map_santaclaracounty_1929/map_santaclaracounty_1929_panel
04.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View, City of
2022 City of Mountain View Register of Historic Resources. Last updated September 28, 2022. Electronic resource. https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7915/638346084894870000 (accessed September 2024).
2024a Historic Preservation Ordinance. Version: July 26, 2024 (current). Electronic resource. https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH36ZO_ARTXVIZ OORAD_DIV15DEPRHIRE (accessed September 2024).
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2024b Mountain View Building Division Property file for subject property. Researched October 2024. E-permit history search accessed via https://epermits.mountainview.gov/h.aspx (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View Public Library
1950-55 Bird’s-eye View of Castro Street, 1950-1955. Photograph. California Revealed. https://californiarevealed.org/do/34e911ec-f0b9-40a2-b17f-2d3bbc95e01c#page/1 (accessed September 2024). 1970 Aerial photography of Mountain View, California, 1970. Contributed by Mountain View Public Library. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea-2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed September 2024). 1993 Historical photograph of 881 Castro Street, showing portion of subject building. 2024 Mountain View Historical Newspapers. Database searched in-person at History Center.
National Records and Archives Administration
1934 California – Mountain View Through Nacimiento Road – NARA – 23934687.jpg. National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_- _Mountain_View_through_Nacimiento_Road_-_NARA_-_23934687.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Newspapers.com
2024 Online newspaper database searched October 2024. https://www.newspapers.com/ Page & Turnbull
2024 City of Mountain View Historic Context Statement. Public Review Draft. May 29, 2024. Prepared for City of Mountain View. Accessed online: https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9478/638575818912170000 (accessed October 2024).
ParcelQuest.com
2024 Property data for 750 Fairmount Avenue. https://www.parcelquest.com/ (accessed September 2024).
Peninsula Times Tribune 1971
1971 “Terrarium—Gardening in a Goblet.” April 15. https://www.newspapers.com/image/839958804/ (accessed October 2024)
PSI
2024 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Multi-Tenant Commercial & Multi-Family Residential Buildings 750 Fairmont Avenue and 843, 845, 871, 873, 881, & 889 Castro Street, Mountain View, California 94041. Including aerial photograph, topographic map, Sanborn map, and city directory data.
R.L. Polk & Co.
1962 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1964 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1964. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1966 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1966. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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1968 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
University of California, Santa Barbara Library Special Collections. FrameFinder Aerial Photography database (UCSB). 1939 Fairchild Aerial Survey. Flight C-5750, Frame 285-82. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
1948 California Division of Forestry. Flight cdf5, Frame 2-110. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
1956 Aero Services Corporation. Flight CIV-1956, Frame 2r-36. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1897 Palo Alto, California Quadrangle. Accessed via USGS topoView. https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#15/37.3862/- 122.0828 (accessed September 2024).
USModernist
2024 Search of online architectural periodical and magazine database for subject property documentation. https://usmodernist.org/library.htm (accessed October 2024).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
P1. Other Identifier: None
*P2. Location: ◼ Unrestricted *a. County: Santa Clara *b. USGS 7.5' Quad: Mountain View, California Date: 2024 T 6S; R 1W of Sec 32; M.D.B.M. c. Address: 881 Castro Street City: Mountain View Zip: 94041 d. UTM: Zone 10S: 581153.05 mE/ 4138139.57 mN e. Other Locational Data: APN 158-06-037 *P3a. Description:
The property at 881 Castro Street is a 0.13-acre parcel located at the northeast corner of Castro Street and Fairmont Avenue in downtown Mountain View (P5a. Photograph 1). The property is bounded by Castro Street to the west, a commercial property at 871 Castro Street to the north, Fairmont Avenue to the south, and residences on Hope Street to the east. The property contains a one-story commercial building constructed ca. 1934-1939 and expanded ca. 1950-1956. The rear of the parcel is paved ground, with surface parking located along the rear (east) property line. The building and parking area are separate by a driveway that parallels Castro Street between Yosemite and Fairmont avenues. The building is nearly rectangular in plan, with its front property line and set parallel to Castro Street. The foundation appears to be concrete, and the building features a front section capped with a flat parapeted roof and rear side-gabled section. The façade features two storefronts, one for the unit addressed 881 Castro Street at the north and one for 889 Castro Street at the south. The north storefront is recessed and angled into the building footprint, with an aluminum-frame window set above a Roman brick-clad bulkhead (Photograph 2). The entrance contains a replacement aluminum glazed door set beneath a glazed transom. To the south, a wall panel clad with Roman brick separates the two storefronts, just left (north) of center of the façade. The south storefront has a short, angled bulkhead to the left of an entrance that consists of a glazed aluminum door set within an aluminum storefront (Photograph 3). The entrance door and its storefront section appear to be replacements. To the right of the entrance, the storefront has a shallower angle, with a low bulkhead of Roman brick supporting a wood-framed storefront window that wraps around the southwest corner of the building. Thus, across the two storefronts, this building has three different window framing systems. The storefronts are set below a flat canopy that spans across the primary façade at the first story ceiling line. The canopy’s fascia appears to be painted metal, with horizontal grooves (sometimes referred to as speed stripes). The soffit is finished with plaster and has rectangular recessed lights as well as soffit-mounted signage.
Additional signage is placed on the parapet above the canopy. (Continued on Page 4) *P3b. Resource Attributes: HP6. Commercial Property 1-3 stories *P4. Resources Present: ◼Building
P5b. Description of Photograph 1: 881
Castro Street, view from Castro Street facing
northeast. October 15, 2024
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources:
◼Historic
Original construction :ca.1934-1939 (NARA
1934; UCSB 1939)
Expansion ca. 1950-1956 (Mountain View
Public Library 1950-1955, UCSB 1956)
*P7. Owner and Address:
Castro GPRV 10 LLC
843 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
*P8. Recorded by:
Josh Bevan, AICP, MSHP
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
449 15th Street #303
Oakland, CA 94612
*P9. Date Recorded:
October 15, 2024
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
*P11. Report Citation: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 2024. Historical Resources Evaluation in Support of CEQA Documentation for the Proposed 881 Castro Street Project. Rincon Consultants Project No. 24-16059.
*Attachments: ◼Location Map ◼Continuation Sheet ◼Building, Structure, and Object Record P5a. Photograph 1
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial
*Map Name: Mountain View, Calif. *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 2024
DPR 523J (1/95) *Required information
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*Resource Name or # 881 Castro Street
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
B1. Historic Name: Eddy’s Sport Shop (1950-2000)
B2. Common Name: None
B3. Original Use: Commercial Retail B4. Present Use: Commercial/Medical Office *B5. Architectural Style: Commercial Modern
*B6. Construction History:
Originally constructed ca. 1934-1939 (National Archives and Records Administration [NARA]1934), UCSB 1939) and altered ca. 1950-1956 (History Center 1950-1955, UCSB 1956). Current Assessor year-built data, 1955, falls within this period of alteration (ParcelQuest.com 2024).
No original building permit or plans are on file with City of Mountain View Building Division (Mountain View, City of 2024b).
Alterations based on building records on file at the City of Mountain View Building Division:
1975: Permit #13333, New sign for National Auto Supply
1991: Permit # 91000730. Repair brick veneer due to car damage Observed alterations:
Removal of two windows on south façade; removal of original rear wing by 1956 Storefront window system replacement from wood to aluminum and contemporary metal framing
Refer to Property History section on continuation sheets for additional information.
*B7. Moved? ◼No
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme: Early Twentieth-Century Development, Immigration & Multiculturalism (1910-1944) and Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979); Commercial Architecture Area: Mountain View Period of Significance: ca. 1934-1939, ca. 1950-1956 Property Type: Commercial Applicable Criteria:
None
881 Castro Street, which was originally constructed ca. 1934-1939 and altered between 1950 and 1956, is recommended ineligible for federal, state, and local designation is recommended ineligible for federal, state, and local designation; it therefore is not considered a historical resource as defined by CEQA Section 15064.5(a).
(Continued on Continuation Sheet)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Josh Bevan, MSHP, AICP – Rincon Consultants
*Date of Evaluation: November 20, 2024
(This space reserved for official comments.)
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Description (Continued from Page 1):
Photograph 2. North storefront (881 address), facing east.
Photograph 3. South storefront (889 address), facing
south.
The south exterior, oriented to Fairmont Avenue, is finished with stucco and features two fixed, single-lite wood windows located in the rear (gabled) portion of the building ( Photograph 4). Two louvered gable vents are visible above the windows. The rear exterior is also finished with stucco and has two similar single-lite horizontal windows, as well as a smaller vinyl -sash window at center, and another single -lite horizontal window near the north end. A rear entrance with a flush wood door and metal outer screen door with scrolled iron detailing is located at the north end (Photograph 5). The north exterior is mostly obscured from view by the abutting building at 871 Castro Street ; only a short section near the northwest corner is visible and it consists of painted concrete masonry units (CMU). The building appears to be in good condition.
Photograph 4. South exterior, viewed from Castro Street and Fairmont Avenue, facing north.
Photograph 5. Rear exterior, viewed from alley, facing
west.
B10. Significance (Continued from Page 3):
The following discussion focuses on the immediate years leading up to and during the period when the existing building on the property was built, ca. 1934-1939, and expanded during post-World War II years ca. 1950-1956. The City of Mountain View’s draft Historic Context Statement (HCS) (Page & Turnbull 2024) identifies the periods the subject building was constructed within as “Early Twentieth-Century Development, Immigration & Multiculturalism (1910-1944)” and “Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979)”. The following context is excerpted from the draft HCS and focuses on themes of commercial development that are examined in the HCS:
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The early decades of the twentieth century were initially marked by repair and rebuilding following the 1906 earthquake as well as infill and expansion as a newly incorporated city. In 1910, Mountain View’s population was almost 1,200 residents and Castro Street offered a wider variety of goods and services. Women were becoming increasingly involved in local political decisions through the woman’s club and municipal boards. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 74) […]
The 1910s and 1920s were a boom era for commercial activity along Castro Street and the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce established in 1922. This business district now stretched several blocks south from the train station. Buildings along Castro Street housed various stores and offices, city hall, a high school, pool halls, liquor stores, drug stores, banks, a theater, and a hotel, predominately owned by Euro -American businessman. Increasingly more businesses were oriented to auto -related goods and services and construction needs, such as paints, hardware, and plumbing supplies.
Progressively more businesses were established by immigrants, particularly Japanese, including a nursery, a florist, a tea and rice shop, a few billiard parlors, and laundries. Commercial buildings of this period were usually of one- or two-story, wood-framed construction, often following the Mission style to varying degrees.
Stucco was the most common exterior cladding, though some commercial buildings were faced with brick or stone. Evidence of Mountain View’s growing prosperity can be found in the several less practical businesses that began to operate on Castro Street, such as movie theaters, a jeweler, a confectionary shop, a stationary shop, and a musical instruments shop. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 80-81) […]
The Great Depression halted most new construction in downtown and building owners settled for less expensive improvements during these years, as evidenced by the profusion of neon signs topping Castro Street businesses. Since many downtown businesses did not survive the Depression, the previous trend of local ownership gave way to one of chain stores in the 1940s in a variety of industries, from grocers to hardware.
Spangler Mortuary was established in 1934 at 895 Castro Street by Martin and Mary Spangler. At the time of construction, this southern section of Castro Street was relatively vacant and illustrates the commercial growth and diversity of businesses operating in Mountain View during this period. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 83-85) […]
The Great Depression (1929 to 1939) took longer to affect California compared to other parts of the United States, since its economy was not reliant on heavy manufacturing and the Santa Clara Valley alone produced 30 percent of American canned fruit by 1925. Thousands of displaced farm workers from the Dust Bowl region of the American Midwest drove westward to California with the hope of finding work in the state’s vast fields and orchards. However, demand for fresh and canned fruit declined, which led to plummeting prices for the goods and lowering laborer wages. As Santa Clara Valley farmers found it increasingly difficult to turn a profit, many farms were foreclosed and those located within the planned area of the proposed Sunnyvale Naval Air Station (later renamed Moffett Airfield) were particularly targeted. The air station, constructed in the vicinity of Mountain View, was completed in 1933. The station and its huge hangar for the USS Macon dirigible brought much -needed jobs to the area. Along with the Ames Research Center, established in 1939, Sunnyvale Naval Air Station initiated Mountain View’s transition from an agricultural economy to one of aeronautics, national defense, and technology. New inventions resulting from research performed at Stanford University, such as electronics and television transmission, sparked new industries in the Mountain View vicinity. (Page & Turnbull, 74) […]
While prior to World War II, commercial activities in Mountain View were primarily concentrated in Old Mountain View and along Castro Street, during the post -World War II period, retail and commercial development expanded beyond the downtown core. During this period, the last remaining commercial buildings in Old Mountain View were demolished, including the Beverly Home and Enterprise Hall. Castro Street remained an active commercial shopping destination in the 1950s and early 1960s, and many of the older commercial buildings were modernized with new storefront facades. However, new suburban State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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shopping malls and shopping centers were built throughout the city, and automobile -oriented businesses sprouted up along El Camino Real. In addition to the shopping mall, many new postwar commercial typologies emerged, including drive -in movie theaters and restaurants, and others evolved to better cater to an increasingly automobile centric populous.
During the postwar period, many of the existing businesses along Castro Street modernized their storefronts with new cladding and large blade signs to attract the attention of drivers -by. These renovations were inspired both by a desire to stay relevant in the changing retail environment, and by a City -initiated “rehabilitation program” and safety inspections in the 1960s that could result in the condemnation of a building if it was found to be beyond repair. The train depot at the north end of Castro Street was demolished in 1959, and the Chamber of Commerce advocated for demolition of buildings for more parking downtown. Buildings along Hope and Bryant streets in particular were demolished for surface parking behind the main blocks of Castro Street.
New commercial buildings just of off Castro Street, on intersecting streets, were also constructed in the 1950s and early 1960s, generally exhibiting the Midcentury Modern style with flat canopies, Roman brick bulkheads, and angled storefront entrances. Other businesses opening along Castro Street included drug stores, a Greyhound bus ticket office, new restaurants, and clothing stores. The Mountain View Theater (originally opened in 1926), underwent an extensive interior and exterior remodeling in 1962 and eventually closed in 1986, and has subsequently been used by various nightclubs and restaurants.
To serve the rapidly growing community, many of whom also needed loans to start new businesses or buy a house, a number of new banking institutions opened along or near Castro Street. Among these were the Mountain View Home Savings & Loan Association, in a Midcentury Modern building at 501 Castro Street (now Bank of the West) built in 1959 by notable local architect Hollis Logue, Jr. Later, the Home Savings & Loan Association, in a New Formalist building at 749 West El Camino Real (now Chase Bank) built in 1977 by renowned designer Millard Sheets and his collaborative design studio, featured integrated artwork including an mosaic with motifs related to local history.
In 1962, the City spent some $850,000 on improvements to Castro Street, including widening the street and installing new streetlights and traffic signals. By the late 1960s, however, the shopping malls, with their concentration of department stores and other amenities like climate -controlled interiors and convenient parking, drew many shoppers away from downtown and Castro Street. Although what remained of the historic Chinatown in Mountain View was effectively demolished in a fire in 1946, the 1960s and 1970s comprised a new era for Asian businesses downtown, especially Chinese and Vietnamese businesses. While referred to as “Chinatown,” the microneighborhood around Villa and View streets was also home to a number of Japanese businesses. In the 1970s, many Asian business owners, particularly of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, took advantage of the lower rents along Castro Street, opening new retail stores and restaurants, keeping some life along Castro Street, while many businesses were moving out to suburban shopping centers. An early example of this trend was Andy’s Chinese Restaurant (374 Castro Street), opened in 1962. In contrast to the very long -standing Chinese community, the Vietnamese community grew quickly starting only in the mid -1970s, following the fall of Saigon and American evacuation of Vietnamese refugees; Santa Clara County now has the second largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam.
El Camino Real became a new kind of main street for Mountain View in the postwar period as it catered to new automobile-oriented businesses. By 1940, Ugo Mancini, whose family had opened an auto service station in the 1920s, had expanded the business to become Mancini Motors at the intersection of El Camino Real and Castro Street, marking the beginning of this trend; the complex of Art Deco and Quonset hut buildings, which served as a Plymouth and DeSoto dealership, was later demolished in the late 1970s. Other gas stations and service stations soon followed nearby and began to stretch out along El Camino Real. Lozano Car Wash, one of several Googie style carwashes built in the San Francisco Bay Area, was constructed at 2690 West El Camino Real in Mountain View with a cable -suspended roof from dramatically angled metal bracing. It State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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remains extant. New businesses included drive -in restaurants such as Spivey’s, Linda’s, Lane’s, A&W, and Bob’s Big Boy, all designed in the Midcentury Modern or Googie styles (all since demolished). In addition, Monte Vista Drive -In Theater opened 1950 at Grant Road and El Camino Real. It closed in 1950 and was subsequently redeveloped. While most properties developed along El Camino Real in the postwar period embodied some type of Modernist architectural style, a few commercial properties deviated from this norm by using neo-revival or vernacular styles. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 1922-133)
Property History
Review of an online Sanborn map database and a previously prepared Phase I Environmental Site Assessment covering this property indicates that it was not within the area of coverage of historic Sanborn maps (PSI 2024). Historical topographic maps, aerial photographs, newspapers, and building records on file with the Mountain View Building Division were reviewed to understand the property’s historical development. During the late nineteenth century, the land within present-day 881 Castro Street was located to the south of the downtown core of Mountain View, which remained concentrated toward Evelyn Avenue and centered on Castro Street, closer to the alignment of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Mountain View station. Present-day El Camino Real was not identified on the map, but the San Francisco-San Jose Road ran along a similar alignment to the south of Mountain View, passing through Old Mountain View, where the community had begun prior to the Southern Pacific’s completion, to the southeast (USGS 1897, Figure 1). The subject site, located north of El Camino Real and near the southern end of Castro Street, did not appear to contain any development and was roughly equidistant from Permanente Creek to the west and Stevens Creek to the east, both of which ran roughly north-south and outside of the historic downtown area.
Figure 1. Approximate location of subject site, overlayed on the 1897 Palo Alto Quadrangle map (USGS 1897)
During the early 1900s, development gradually progressed southward in the blocks to the east and west of Castro Street; however, the subject site remained unmapped on Sanborn maps of Mountain View. By 1929, the subject site was located in an area labeled as Nelson Manor, a grid subdivision, according to a map of Santa Clara County (McMillan & McMillan 1929); however, the land within the subject property and its immediate neighboring parcels remained undeveloped as of 1934 (NARA 1934, Figure 2). By 1939, however, it appears a building was constructed at present-day 881 Castro Street, based on historical aerial photography (UCSB 1939, Figure 3). The 1939 aerial photograph offers limited detail regarding the building; however, it appears the building had a gable roof, and may have had a front addition or smaller mass as of that year. The location of the building pictured in 1939 matches the location of the existing building the existing building at 881 Castro Street. Therefore, although Santa Clara County Assessor data lists a date of 1955 for construction of the subject building, aerial photography suggests a constructed date of ca. 1934-1939, with subsequent expansion of the building as explained further below.
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Figure 2. Aerial view of subject property (approximate
current boundary shown with white dashed line), 1934
(NARA 1934)
Figure 3. Aerial view over site of subject property (identified with black arrow), 1939 (UCSB 1939)
A 1948 aerial photograph over Mountain View depicted similar conditions at the subject property, as additional properties in the immediate vicinity were constructed and commercial developed extended further southward along Castro Street, and along El Camino Real in the immediate vicinity (UCSB 1948). A birds-eye view photograph capturing the subject property ca. 1950-1955 is the clearest, early depiction of the property at 881 Castro Street (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955, Figure 4). The aerial showed the gabled building first pictured in 1939 had by this year been expanded with a front mass with clipped corners. Four rectangular windows were visible along the south façade of the gabled section of the building. The rear façade appears to have had a rear entrance, as well as a shed wing at the northeast corner. The existing alley behind the subject building was not present; rather, the rear areas of the individual properties within the block were divided with fences. By 1956, the front addition was further modified such that the building reached its current rectangular footprint (NETR 1956, UCSB 1956). Thus, the existing building reflects original construction that occurred after and by 1939, and a second period of alteration and expansion that occurred between 1950 and 1956.
Figure 4. Birds-eye aerial view of subject property, which appeared to be a vacant lot (identified with white arrow), ca. 1950-1955 (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955).
During the 1950s the property housed several auto supplies businesses, including Aatom’s and Tom’s in the unit addressed 881.
The unit addressed 889 housed, Eddy’s Sport Shop by 1956; Eddy’s remained an occupant of the building until ca. 2000 (PSI 2024; R.L. Polk & Co. 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968; Strebe 2002). By 1965, the subject building reach a similar appearance to its existing design.
A photograph taken along Castro Street, shows the subject building with its angled storefronts, canopy, and a canopy-mounted sign for Eddy’s Sport Shop. By this year, the building’s primary façade had been altered, and no longer featured the clipped State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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corners that were present ca. 1950-1955 (Los Altos News-Mountain View News 1965, Figure 5). Thus, the existing primary façade’s features appear to date to ca. 1955-1965.
Figure 5. View of Castro Street, with subject building at middle-left, 1965 (Los Altos News-Mountain View News, November 15, 1965)
An aerial photograph from 1965 indicates the building reached its existing footprint, without a rear wing at the northeast corner, by that year (UCSB 1965, Figure 6). A subsequent 1970 birds-eye view of the building shows its south façade was modified by this year with removal of preexisting rectangular windows (Mountain View Public Library 1970, Figure 7). Finally, the area behind the building remained separated from the rear parking areas of properties to the north, in comparison to its existing condition as an alley.
Figure 6. Aerial photograph capturing subject property
(identified with white arrow),1965 (UCSB 1965)
Figure 7. Birds-eye Aerial capturing subject property
(identified with white arrow), 1970 (Mountain View Public Library 1970)
The building’s form has remained similar to its ca. 1965 footprint and fenestration. By 1993, signage for Eddy’s above the storefront canopy was nonextant. Signage has also been removed from the fascia of the canopy, revealing the horizontal grooves in the canopy across its length. Entrance doors appear to have been replaced after 1993, as their existing kickplates are taller than the door pictured in the 1993 photograph. The storefront windows appear to be of similar design, with variation in their mullion profiles noted in the 1993 photograph (Mountain View Public Library 1993, Figure 8).
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Figure 8. Subject building photographed in December 1993 (Mountain View Public Library 1993)
Historical occupancy data for the property between 1956 and the 2010s was sourced from and a previously prepared Environment Site Assessment of the property (PSI 2024), available Mountain View city directories (R.L. Polk & Co. 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968), and historical newspaper research. The earliest occupants identified are Aatom’s Auto Supply and Eddy’s Sport Shop. Aatom’s occupancy ended by 1962, and was replaced by Tom’s Auto Supplies for roughly four years before National Auto Supply became an occupant in 1976 until 2002. Eddy’s Sport Shop remained the occupant of the 889 address until ca. 2000. Of the building’s known historical occupants, Eddy’s occupancy spanned across the building’s early years and more recent years, covering the period when the design of the building transitioned from its early form to its existing form.
Historical Occupancy of 881 Castro Street (historically encompassed addresses 881 and 889 Castro Street) Year Occupants (Owner in bold if listed) Business Type/Occupation 1950 889 Eddy’s Sport Shop Sporting goods
1956-1961 (PSI 2024) 881 Aatom’s Auto Supply
889 Eddy’s Sport Shop
1962-1967 (R.L. Polk & Co.) 881 Tom’s Auto Supplies
889 Eddy’s Sport Shop
Auto supplies
Sporting goods
1967-2002 (R.L. Polk & Co. 1967, PSI 2024) 881 National Auto Supply (1976 first year) 889 Eddy’s Sport Shop (1995 last year)
Auto supplies
Sporting goods
Eddy’s Sport Shop
Eddy’s Sport Shop was established by proprietor Edward M. “Eddy” David (1913-1973) (Strebe 2002). A former bartender and World War II veteran, Edward M. David and his family resided in South San Francisco in 1950, but relocated in the same year to Mountain View (Ancestry 2024; Daily Palo Alto Times 1959). Eddy’s Sport Shop was located at 889 Castro Street from 1950 until approximately 2000, when it relocated to another building on El Camino Real until it ceased operation in February 2002 (Strebe 2002). Edward M. David died in 1973 and the business transitioned to management by his son, Gerald (Jerry) David (1939-2012), and in the late 1990s to Eddy’s grandson, Brian. Between the 1950s and ca. 1980, the business “sold everything from athletic equipment, clothing and shoes to bicycles and hunting supplies” (Strebe 2002). Under Jerry’s management, the business expanded with a gun shop, to diversify its offerings from those of competing sports retailers in the area (Strebe 2002).
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Commercial Modern Architecture
The draft HCS provides the following context and character-defining features of commercial buildings designed in Modern architectural styles:
Commercial Modern is the expression of the Modern Movement in commercial architecture in the postwar period, including in commercial retail buildings, offices, corporate campuses, and technology laboratory and manufacturing facilities. Like the Midcentury Modern style, the Commercial Style has geometric massing with simple lines, often with expressed structural systems, and eschews most historical forms of architectural ornamentation. Some automobile-oriented postwar businesses such as drive-in restaurants and carwashes were designed in the Googie style, a subtype of Commercial Modern architecture, which expressed the values of the atomic/space/jet age with dramatic rooflines and signate. Another Commercial Modern subtype is the Quonset hut, which is a prefabricated corrugated metal semi -cylindrical building which was often military surplus. As are certain property types that were often designed in Modernist styles, including drive -in restaurants, bowling alleys, theaters, shopping malls/centers, motels, gas stations, and car washes. Office and technology sector buildings that fully express the Commercial Modern style are increasingly rare; many extant technology -sector office, research, and manufacturing facilities are simple boxy concrete buildings that are not a full expression of the Modernist style. (Page & Turnbull 2024)
Period of Significance: 1940s-early 1960s
Associated property types: Retail stores; mixed use buildings; shopping malls/centers; motels; restaurants; auto-oriented businesses, such as gas stations, service centers, car washes, drive -in restaurants, drive -in theaters, etc.; banks; signs; offices; research and development laboratories; and manufacturing facilities.
Common Character-Defining Features of the Commercial Modern style:
▪ One- to two-story massing (one story is most common)
▪ Wood, steel, or concrete construction where the structural system may be expressed outwardly ▪ Flat roofs are typical, but other roof forms may include butterfly, low -pitch shed, barrel vault, or low-pitch gable
▪ Roofs may include projecting canopies (flat, folded plate, or barrel vault) ▪ Cladding materials range from exposed concrete or concrete masonry unit (CMU) to stucco, wood, or brick
▪ Roman (narrow horizontal) brick bulkheads are common
▪ Massing is typically highly geometric and simplified
▪ Large expanses of glazing are typical
▪ Inward angled storefront entrances are common
▪ Absence of applied ornamentation
▪ Brise-soleils, screens, or other sunshades may be included ▪ Googie style buildings often include dramatic roof forms, structural systems, and/or signage. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 205-207)
881-889 Castro Street features one-story massing with a flat roof along its northern, front section, which was modified during the 1950s to reach its current footprint. Commercial Modern elements of the building are limited to that portion of the building and include a wood frame, flat canopy, angeled storefronts with wood and metal window framing materials, and Roman brick cladding. Intensive research of city building records, online repositories, and historical newspapers failed to identify a builder or contractor, or architect or other design professionals associated with the building’s origination or modification between the 1950s and mid -1960s (Avery Index 2024, Mountain View Building Division 2024, History Center 2024, USModernist 2024, Newspapers.com 2024).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
Evaluation
The property at 881-889 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) and under the criteria for listing in the City of Mountain Register of Historic Resources, due to a lack of historical and architectural significance.
NRHP and CRHR
The property at 881-889 Castro Street is recommended ineligible under Criterion A/1. Constructed ca. 1934-1939, with alterations ca. 1950-1965, the commercial building on the property was originally built during the later years of the Great Depression, leading up to World War II. During the Depression, construction in downtown Mountain View was limited, while post-World War II, the City’s population boomed and commerce increased, with residential and commercial construction greatly increased during immediate post-war years. The subject property appears to have been one and potentially the earliest building to have been constructed on its block bounded by Castro Street, Fairmont Avenue, Hope Street, an Yosemite Avenue and appeared on a 1939 aerial with another building situated near present-day 805 Castro Street. After World War II, the building present by 1939 was modified and expanded and reached its current footprint by 1965. Although built prior to the war, only a portion of the existing building’s rear, gabled section is associated with pre-war development, and within that context, little documentation of the property exists. The property at 881 Castro Street is reflective of additional development of the property after World War II, when commercial construction along Castro Street experienced an uptick, as well as a pattern of redevelopment that brought demolition, modernization, and new construction along the City’s main commercial street. Research did not find evidence that this property was individually significant to the pattern of post-war commercial development in Mountain View, commercial history, or for being the location of any events with significance to the city, California, or the nation. Additionally, through review of the draft HCS, research of historical newspapers, and review of available documentation of the property, no evidence was found that suggests this property is significant to themes of cultural history in Mountain View. Therefore, 881-889 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion A/1.
Research conducted for this evaluation did not find evidence that suggests any individuals historically associated with this property have made significant historical contributions. Review of available occupancy data, historical newspapers, and archival research found that Edward M. “Eddy” David, founder of Eddy’s Sport Shop, a business that occupied the property between 1950 and ca. 2000, occupied the subject building for parts of three decades until his death in 1973. During his lifetime, the business provided a variety of sporting goods to customers, and under subsequent generations of family ownership expanded to include a gun shop, before closing in 2002 at another location. Although Eddy David was business proprietor of a relatively long tenure, no evidence was found that suggests his contributions to local commerce and history were demonstrably individually significant.
Similarly, additional past occupants of the building, including several auto part retailers were not found to have made any significant contributions to local history, or in general, to have a strong association to the subject building. Therefore, 881-889 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion B/2.
881-889 Castro Street does not appear to be individually significant as a property that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, for possessing high art values, or for representing an important work of a master. The subject building was originally constructed ca. 1934-1939. Between 1950 and 1956 the building was modified to reach its current footprint, which likely involved the redesign of the primary façade to its current configuration with two storefronts and a canopy. Review of city building records, online repositories, and historical newspapers failed to identify a builder or contractor, or architect or other design professionals associated with the building’s origination or modification between the 1950s and mid-1960s. Therefore, due to a lack of building documentation, the building is not identified as the work of an individual considered a master. In consideration of the character-defining features of Commercial Modern architecture identified above, the subject building exhibits common features of mid-twentieth century Commercial Modern buildings constructed in Mountain View and generally in downtown areas in the region ca. 1945 to the late 1970s. The building’s height, front section with flat roof and parapet, canopy, angled storefronts with Roman brick bulkheads, and large display windows, are Commercial Modern features. However, these features and the building’s overall form do not appear to be individually distinctive such that the building rises to a level of individual significance.
Rather, these features are similar to other buildings of similar periods of construction in Mountain View. Overall, the building does not strongly express the aesthetic ideal of a style or art form, or a particular period of construction, given that its existing design results from several periods of construction and alteration. As such, is not significant for possessing high art values. Therefore, 881- 889 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion C/3.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Recorded By: Josh Bevan, AICP – Rincon Consultants *Date: October 15, 2024 ◼ Continuation
DPR 523L (1/95)
Finally, the built environment of the subject property is not likely to yield valuable information which will contribute to our understanding of human history because the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or industrial-commercial buildings constructed in the mid-twentieth century.
Therefore, the property is recommended ineligible for listing under NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4.
Mountain View Register of Historic Resources
Criteria for the designation of buildings, structures, sites, or other improvements to the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources are specified in the City of Mountain View’s Historic Preservation Ordinance:
SEC. 36.54.65. - Designation criteria
A building, structure, site or other improvement may be designated as a historic resource and placed on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources if the city council finds that it meets one or more of the following criteria:
a. Is strongly identified with a person who, or an organization which, significantly contributed to the culture, history or development of the City of Mountain View; b. Is the site of a significant historic event in the city's past; c. Embodies distinctive characteristics significant to the city in terms of a type, period, region or method of construction or representative of the work of a master or possession of high artistic value; or d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to the city's prehistory or history. (Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.) (City of Mountain View 2022, 2024)
Under local criterion (a), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 881 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property has not been identified in association with any individuals who significantly contributed to the culture, history, or development of Mountain View.
Under local criterion (b), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 881 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property does not appear individually significant within the patterns of early twentieth century commerce, or development, or post-World War II expansion and commercial development in Mountain View.
Under local criterion (c), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3, 881 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property lacks individual architectural significance and is not representative of the work of design professional considered a master; nor does the property possess high artistic values.
Under local criterion (d), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4, 881 Castro Street is recommended ineligible as the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or commercial buildings constructed in the late 1930s or mid-1950s.
B12. References (Continued from Page 3):
Ancestry.com
2024 Various occupancy, public, and genealogical records reviewed for subject property. https://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed October 2024).
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (Avery Index)
2024 Database search via Los Angeles Public Library, online. https://research-ebsco- com.ezproxy.lapl.org/c/vk7dan/search?defaultdb=bvh (accessed October 2024).
City of Mountain View
2022 City of Mountain View Register of Historic Resources. Last updated September 28, 2022. Electronic resource. https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7915/638346084894870000 (accessed September 2024).
2024 Historic Preservation Ordinance. Version: July 26, 2024 (current). Electronic resource. https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH36ZO_ARTXVIZ OORAD_DIV15DEPRHIRE (accessed September 2024).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
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DPR 523L (1/95)
Daily Palo Alto Times
1959 “Mrs. David of Mt. View Dies at 45.” April 1.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/994135695/?match=1&clipping_id=158013502 (accessed October 2024).
Los Altos News-Mountain View News
1965 “Miracle Mile Grand Opening.” November 15. On file at Mountain View History Center.
McMillan & McMillan
1929 Official Map of Santa Clara County, California. San Francisco, CA: Walkup Map Co. Electronic resource accessed via Archive.org:https://ia601708.us.archive.org/27/items/map_santaclaracounty_1929/map_santaclaracounty_1929_panel
04.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View Building Division
2024 Property file for Fairmont Avenue. Researched in person on October 15, 2024.
Mountain View Public Library
1950-55 Bird’s-eye View of Castro Street, 1950-1955. Photograph. California Revealed. https://californiarevealed.org/do/34e911ec-f0b9-40a2-b17f-2d3bbc95e01c#page/1 (accessed September 2024). 1970 Aerial photography of Mountain View, California, 1970. Contributed by Mountain View Public Library. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea-2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed September 2024). 1993 Photograph of 881 Castro Street, December 1993. On file at History Center. 2024 Mountain View Historical Newspapers. Database searched in-person at History Center on October 15, 2024.
National Records and Archives Administration
1934 California – Mountain View Through Nacimiento Road – NARA – 23934687.jpg. National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:California_- _Mountain_View_through_Nacimiento_Road_-_NARA_-_23934687.jpg (accessed October 2024).
NETR Online Historic Aerials (NETR)
2024 Aerial view of subject property, 1956. Accessed online. https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer (accessed November 2024).
Page & Turnbull
2024 City of Mountain View Historic Context Statement. Public Review Draft. May 29, 2024. Prepared for City of Mountain View. Accessed online: https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/9478/638575818912170000 (accessed October 2024).
ParcelQuest.com
2024 Property data for 750 Fairmount Avenue. https://www.parcelquest.com/ (accessed September 2024).
Peninsula Times Tribune
1973 Obituary for Edward M. Martin. June 15.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/840493374/?match=1&clipping_id=158013769 (October 2024).
PSI
2024 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Multi-Tenant Commercial & Multi-Family Residential Buildings 750 Fairmont Avenue and 843, 845, 871, 873, 881, & 889 Castro Street, Mountain View, California 94041.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
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DPR 523L (1/95)
R.L. Polk & Co.
1962 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1964 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1964. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1966 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1966. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1968 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
Strebe, Amy Goodpaster
2002 “Caught in the Crossfire.” Mountain View Voice. February 1. https://www.mv- voice.com/morgue/2002/2002_02_01.eddy.html (accessed October 2024).
University of California, Santa Barbara Library Special Collections. FrameFinder Aerial Photography database (UCSB). 1939 Fairchild Aerial Survey. Flight C-5750, Frame 285-82. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
1948 California Division of Forestry. Flight cdf5, Frame 2-110. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
1956 Aero Services Corporation. Flight CIV-1956, Frame 2r-36. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1897 Palo Alto, California Quadrangle. Accessed via USGS topoView. https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#15/37.3862/- 122.0828 (accessed October 2024).
U.S. Modernist
2024 Search of online architectural periodical and magazine database for subject property documentation. https://usmodernist.org/library.htm (accessed October 2024).
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date
DPR 523A (1/95) *Required information
P1. Other Identifier: 751 Fairmont Avenue
*P2. Location: ◼ Unrestricted *a. County: Santa Clara *b. USGS 7.5' Quad: Mountain View, California Date: 2024 T 6S; R 2W of Sec 28; M.D.B.M. c. Address: 903 Castro Street City: Mountain View Zip: 94041 d. UTM: Zone 10S: 581142.15 mE/ 4138104.51 mN e. Other Locational Data: APN 158-06-010
*P3a. Description:
The property at 903 Castro Street is a 0.22-acre parcel located at the southeast corner of Castro Street and Fairmont Avenue in downtown Mountain View (P5a. Photograph 1). The property is bounded by Castro Street to the west, Fairmont Avenue to the north, the commercial property at 700 W. El Camino Real to the east, and Gateway Park to the south. The property contains a one- story commercial building with storefronts along Castro Street addressed 903 Castro Street and an additional commercial unit addressed as 751 Fairmont Avenue. The building was constructed in 1955-1956 and is designed in the Commercial Modern style.
The building is roughly rectangular in plan and is composed of a front (west) one-story mass (903 Castro Street unit) and a slightly lower rear (east) mass (751 Fairmont Avenue unit), both of which are capped by flat roofs. The building is primarily finished with stucco, excepting portions of the primary façade that feature stone veneer as described further below. The façade features a recessed northwest corner, which contains a corner entrance and a pilon element with two rectangular openings that rises above the roofline (Photograph 2 and Photograph 3). Storefronts within the façade feature large display windows divided by narrow metal mullions, the windows are set on low bulkheads that are clad with orange-brown-beige Roman brick and framed with columns that are either clad with the same brick or finished with stucco. Projecting columns clad with brick divide the façade into two primary storefronts (Photograph 4). The south storefront is recessed, with an angled bulkhead and contains aluminum glazed doors separated by a brick column. A set of three metal pole, rising from a small planting bed supports the overhanging canopy at this location (Photograph 5). The canopy is flat and has metal coping. It spans across the entire façade and intersects with the pilon element. Above the canopy a short parapet is visible along the roofline. The east and south exteriors are not fenestrated; they feature painted concrete masonry units (CMU) and stucco finishes, respectively (Photograph 6). The north exterior is oriented to Fairmont Avenue and features a modern aluminum-frame storefront with a glazed aluminum door within its east end (Photograph 7). The storefront is flanked to the east by a garage bay with a roll-up door and to the west by a narrow garage bay with roll-up door. A secondary entrance with a flush door is located near the center of the façade, as well as a loading bay with roll-up door. Two horizontal windows with aluminum frames are located in the west end of the building. The building appears to be in good condition. (Continued on Page 4)
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP6. Commercial Property 1-3 stories *P4. Resources Present: ◼Building P5b. Description of Photograph 1: South
façade, viewed from Sonora Court, facing
north. October 15, 2024
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources:
◼Historic
1955-1956 (ParcelQuest.com 2024, History
Center 1950-1955 UCSB 1956)
*P7. Owner and Address: Castro GPRV 10
LLC et al Caputo Orange LLC
843 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041
*P8. Recorded by:
Josh Bevan, AICP, MSHP
Rincon Consultants, Inc.
449 15th Street #303
Oakland, CA 94612
*P9. Date Recorded:
October 15, 2024
*P10. Survey Type: Intensive
*P11. Report Citation: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 2024. Historical Resources Evaluation in Support of CEQA Documentation for the Proposed 881 Castro Street Project. Rincon Consultants Project No. 24-16059.
*Attachments: ◼Location Map ◼Continuation Sheet ◼Building, Structure, and Object Record P5a. Photograph 1
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial
*Map Name: Mountain View, Calif. *Scale: 1:24,000 *Date of Map: 2024
DPR 523J (1/95) *Required information
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
*Resource Name or # 903 Castro Street
DPR 523B (1/95) *Required information
B1. Historic Name: None
B2. Common Name: None
B3. Original Use: Commercial B4. Present Use: Commercial *B5. Architectural Style:
*B6. Construction History:
Built in 1951 according to Santa Clara County Assessor data.
The following building records are on file with the Mountain View Building Division (Mountain View, City of 2024b):
1975: Permit #13811, roof sign for Carpeteria
1995: Permit #unknown, rebuild collapsed roof
1996: Permit 96000780, New HVAC equipment installation
2006: Project #2006-0668, commercial tenant improvement (TI) “Specialized”; #2006-0950, tear off built up roof; #2006-1177, install storefront illuminated marquee sign for “bike spring”
2010: Project #2010-1215, channel letters for Cognition Cyclery; # 2010-1791 and 2010-2682, commercial TI (trash room) and sprinklers at 751 Fairmont Avenue
2011: Project #2011-15756, commercial TI for new tenant Kid Space #2 at 751 Fairmont Avenue 2015: Project #2015-0457, commercial TI, new non-load-bearing partitions and lighting for Cognition Cyclery 2020: 751 Fairmont, Project #2020-3184 (active), commercial TI Observed alterations:
Pilon element alteration
Entrance and window alteration at 751 Fairmont Avenue unit ca. 2007-2011 (Google Street View imagery 2007, 2011)
*B7. Moved? ◼No
*B8. Related Features: None
B9a. Architect: Unknown b. Builder: Unknown
*B10. Significance: Theme: Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979); Commercial Architecture Area: Mountain View Period of Significance: 1955-1956 Property Type: Commercial Applicable Criteria: None.
903 Castro Street, which was originally constructed in 1955-1956, is recommended ineligible for federal, state, and local designation; it therefore is not considered a historical resource as defined by CEQA Section 15064.5(a).
(Continued on Continuation Sheet)
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None.
*B12. References: See Continuation Sheet
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Josh Bevan, MSHP, AICP – Rincon Consultants
*Date of Evaluation: November 20, 2024
(This space reserved for official comments.)
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
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DPR 523L (1/95) *Required information
Description (Continued from Page 1):
Photograph 2. Entrance at northwest corner and pilon
element above canopy, facing south.
Photograph 3. Detail view of corner entrance and
finishes, facing southeast.
Photograph 4. Oblique view of façade, facing south.
Photograph 5. Recessed entry and three-pole column
beneath canopy, view facing southeast.
Photograph 6. South exterior and adjacent Gateway Park, facing northwest.
Photograph 7. North exterior along Fairmont Avenue,
facing southwest.
State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
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B10. Significance (Continued from Page 3):
The following discussion focuses on the immediate years leading up to and during the period when the existing building on the property was built, 1951. The City of Mountain View’s draft Historic Context Statement (HCS) identifies the period the subject building was constructed within as Postwar Suburbanization, City Building & Silicon Valley Innovation (1945-1979). As described in the HCS:
While prior to World War II, commercial activities in Mountain View were primarily concentrated in Old Mountain View and along Castro Street, during the post -World War II period, retail and commercial development expanded beyond the downtown core. During this period, the last remaining commercial buildings in Old Mountain View were demolished, including the Beverly Home and Enterprise Hall. Castro Street remained an active commercial shopping destination in the 1950s and early 1960s, and many of the older commercial buildings were modernized with new storefront facades. However, new suburban shopping malls and shopping centers were built throughout the city, and automobile -oriented businesses sprouted up along El Camino Real. In addition to the shopping mall, many new postwar commercial typologies emerged, including drive -in movie theaters and restaurants, and others evolved to better cater to an increasingly automobile centric populous.
During the postwar period, many of the existing businesses along Castro Street modernized their storefronts with new cladding and large blade signs to attract the attention of drivers -by. These renovations were inspired both by a desire to stay relevant in the changing retail environment, and by a City -initiated “rehabilitation program” and safety inspections in the 1960s that could result in the condemnation of a building if it was found to be beyond repair. The train depot at the north end of Castro Street was demolished in 1959, and the Chamber of Commerce advocated for demolition of buildings for more parking downtown. Buildings along Hope and Bryant streets in particular were demolished for surface parking behind the main blocks of Castro Street.
New commercial buildings just of off Castro Street, on intersecting streets, were also constructed in the 1950s and early 1960s, generally exhibiting the Midcentury Modern style with flat canopies, Roman brick bulkheads, and angled storefront entrances. Other businesses opening along Castro Street included drug stores, a Greyhound bus ticket office, new restaurants, and clothing stores. The Mountain View Theater (originally opened in 1926), underwent an extensive interior and exterior remodeling in 1962 and eventually closed in 1986, and has subsequently been used by various nightclubs and restaurants.
To serve the rapidly growing community, many of whom also needed loans to start new businesses or buy a house, a number of new banking institutions opened along or near Castro Street. Among these were the Mountain View Home Savings & Loan Association, in a Midcentury Modern building at 501 Castro Street (now Bank of the West) built in 1959 by notable local architect Hollis Logue, Jr. Later, the Home Savings & Loan Association, in a New Formalist building at 749 West El Camino Real (now Chase Bank) built in 1977 by renowned designer Millard Sheets and his collaborative design studio, featured integrated artwork including an mosaic with motifs related to local history.
In 1962, the City spent some $850,000 on improvements to Castro Street, including widening the street and installing new streetlights and traffic signals. By the late 1960s, however, the shopping malls, with their concentration of department stores and other amenities like climate -controlled interiors and convenient parking, drew many shoppers away from downtown and Castro Street. Although what remained of the historic Chinatown in Mountain View was effectively demolished in a fire in 1946, the 1960s and 1970s comprised a new era for Asian businesses downtown, especially Chinese and Vietnamese businesses. While referred to as “Chinatown,” the microneighborhood around Villa and View streets was also home to a number of Japanese businesses. In the 1970s, many Asian business owners, particularly of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, took advantage of the lower rents along Castro Street, opening new retail stores and restaurants, keeping some life along Castro Street, while many businesses were moving out to suburban shopping centers. An early example of this trend was Andy’s Chinese Restaurant (374 Castro Street), opened in 1962. In contrast to the very long -standing Chinese community, the Vietnamese community grew quickly State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
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starting only in the mid -1970s, following the fall of Saigon and American evacuation of Vietnamese refugees; Santa Clara County now has the second largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam.
El Camino Real became a new kind of main street for Mountain View in the postwar period as it catered to new automobile-oriented businesses. By 1940, Ugo Mancini, whose family had opened an auto service station in the 1920s, had expanded the business to become Mancini Motors at the intersection of El Camino Real and Castro Street, marking the beginning of this trend; the complex of Art Deco and Quonset hut buildings, which served as a Plymouth and DeSoto dealership, was later demolished in the late 1970s. Other gas stations and service stations soon followed nearby and began to stretch out along El Camino Real. Lozano Car Wash, one of several Googie style carwashes built in the San Francisco Bay Area, was constructed at 2690 West El Camino Real in Mountain View with a cable -suspended roof from dramatically angled metal bracing. It remains extant. New businesses included drive -in restaurants such as Spivey’s, Linda’s, Lane’s, A&W, and Bob’s Big Boy, all designed in the Midcentury Modern or Googie styles (all since demolished). In addition, Monte Vista Drive -In Theater opened 1950 at Grant Road and El Camino Real. It closed in 1950 and was subsequently redeveloped. While most properties developed along El Camino Real in the postwar period embodied some type of Modernist architectural style, a few commercial properties deviated from this norm by using neo-revival or vernacular styles. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 205-207)
Property History
Review of an online Sanborn map database and a previously prepared Phase I Environmental Site Assessment covering this property indicates that it was not within the area of coverage of historic Sanborn maps (San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) 2024, PSI 2024). Historical topographic maps, aerial photographs, newspapers, and building records on file with the Mountain View Building Division were reviewed to understand the property’s historical development. During the late nineteenth century, the land within present-day 903 Castro Street was located to the south of the downtown core of Mountain View, which remained concentrated toward Evelyn Avenue and centered on Castro Street, closer to the alignment of the Southern Pacific Railroad’s Mountain View station. Present-day El Camino Real was not identified on the map, but the San Francisco-San Jose Road ran along a similar alignment to the south of Mountain View, passing through Old Mountain View, where the community had begun prior to the Southern Pacific’s completion, to the southeast (USGS 1897, Figure 1). The subject site, located north of El Camino Real and near the southern end of Castro Street, did not appear to contain any development and was roughly equidistant from Permanente Creek to the west and Stevens Creek to the east, both of which ran roughly north-south and outside of the historic downtown area.
Figure 1. Approximate location of subject site, overlayed on the 1897 Palo Alto Quadrangle map (USGS 1897)
During the early 1900s, development gradually progressed southward in the blocks to the east and west of Castro Street; however, the subject site remained unmapped on Sanborn maps of Mountain View. By 1929, the subject site was located in an area labeled as Nelson Manor, a grid subdivision (McMillan & McMillan 1929). As of the early 1950s the site of 903 Castro Street remained undeveloped. A service station or similar property was located to the immediate south, while land to the east and southeast was State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
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DPR 523L (1/95)
partially developed with a gas station. Commercial development along Castro Street was present in the block opposite Fairmont Avenue by this period, as well as across Castro Street (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955, Figure 2).
Figure 2. Birds-eye aerial view of subject property (approximate current boundary in white) ca. 1950-1955 (Mountain View Public Library 1950-1955).
The subject building was constructed in 1955-1956 according to Santa Clara County Assessor data and review of historical aerial photography. The building housed Goddard & Brown Furniture by 1956 (Parcel Quest 2024, PSI 2024, UCSB 1956). A 1956 aerial photograph indicates the building’s rectangular footprint, composition of front and rear masses, and the existing pilon element that projects above the primary façade at the northwest corner façade were original features (UCSB 1956, Figure 3). The 1956 aerial shows the building was bordered at the east by a parking lot and to the south by a neighboring gas station.
Figure 3. Aerial view of subject property (identified with white arrow) and vicinity, 1956 (UCSB 1956)
A 1957 photograph taken from the intersection of Castro Street and El Camino Real captured the subject building within two years of its original construction. The building featured painted or draped signage on its southwest corner, stone veneer cladding along portions of its primary (west) façade, signage for Goddard & Brown and Westinghouse Television along the face of its storefront canopy, and the pilon element, shown in 1957 with three rectangular openings and a slightly taller height, varying from the State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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existing pilon’s two-opening appearance. The front of the property along Castro Street appears to have been a surface parking area. A short planting bed along the southern property line buffered the 903 Castro Street parking lot from the adajcent gas station’s parking area (Mountain View Public library 1957, Figure 4).
Figure 4. Subject building (middle-right, identified with white arrow), pictured along Castro Street, 1957 (Mountain View Public Library 1957)
In 1964 Goddard & Brown went out of business and the building was listed as vacant as of 1966 (Peninsula Times Tribune 1964, R.L.
Polk & Co. Publishers [Polk] 1966). The furniture retailer, Sleepmasters Sleep Shop, was listed at the property in 1968 (PSI 2024).
Gateway Park, located to the immediate south of 903 Castro Street, appeared on a 1970 aerial and was developed across a former gas station site (Mountain View Public Library 1970, Figure 5). No apparent alterations to the building footprint or exterior are known to have occurred during the construction of Gateway Park; however, by 1970, it appears that Castro Street had been widened and resulted in modification of the parking area and vehicular circulation along the front side of 903 Castro Street.
Figure 5. Aerial view of subject property (identified with arrow) and neighboring properties, 1970 (Mountain View Public Library 1970)
By 1971, the subject building housed John Keller Co. and by 1976 it became the location of Carpeteria (later known as Carpeteria Carpets), which remained the building occupant into the mid-1990s (PSI 2024). An advertisement from 1978 indicates that Carpeteria was a carpet retailing chain with locations in the Bay Area communities of Mountain View, Campbell, Fremont, San Carlos, and San Leandro (Peninsula Times Tribune 1978). A 1993 photograph of the building shows that the pilon above the roof was modified and extended rearward, with two additional rectangular openings, to support signage for Carpeteria (Mountain View
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Public Library 1993, Figure 6). The Carpeteria signage appears to have required shortening of the pilon as well. Since 1993, the Carpeteria signage has been removed and the pilon’s original width appears to have been restored, while it remains at a shorter height than was documented ca. 1950s.
Figure 6. Subject building photographed in December 1993 (Mountain View Public Library 1993)
More recent occupants of the subject building have included bicycle shops and a furniture company (PSI 2024, field observation 2024). Research of historical newspapers and biographical information on individuals named in the table below produced no information indicating any that any of the former building occupants were associated with significant events or achievements with association to the subject property (Ancestry.com 2024, Newspapers.com 2024, History Center 202).
Historical Occupancy of 903 Castro Street (historically encompassed addresses 903 Castro Street and 751 Fairmont Avenue) Year Occupants (Owner in bold if listed) Business Type/Occupation 1956-1964 (PSI 2024, R.L. Polk & Co.) Goddard & Brown Furniture sales 1966 (R.L. Polk & Co.) Vacant N/A
1968 (R.L. Polk & Co.) Sleepmasters Sleep Shop Furniture, mattress sales 1971 (PSI 2024) John Keller Co.
1975 to ca. 1993 (PSI 2024) Carpeteria Carpet sales
Ca. 2000s and later (Mountain View Building
Division, field observation)
Cognition Cyclery, Ginkgo Furniture Cycling shop, furniture sales
Commercial Modern Architecture
The draft HCS provides the following context and character-defining features of commercial buildings designed in Modern architectural styles:
Commercial Modern is the expression of the Modern Movement in commercial architecture in the postwar period, including in commercial retail buildings, offices, corporate campuses, and technology laboratory and manufacturing facilities. Like the Midcentury Modern style, the Commercial Style has geometric massing with simple lines, often with expressed structural systems, and eschews most historical forms of architectural ornamentation. Some automobile-oriented postwar businesses such as drive-in restaurants and carwashes were designed in the Googie style, a subtype of Commercial Modern architecture, which expressed the values of the atomic/space/jet age with dramatic rooflines and signate. Another Commercial Modern subtype is the Quonset hut, which is a prefabricated corrugated metal semi -cylindrical building which was often military surplus. As are certain property types that were often designed in Modernist styles, including drive -in restaurants, bowling alleys, theaters, shopping malls/centers, motels, gas stations, and car washes. Office and technology sector buildings that fully express the Commercial Modern style are increasingly rare; many extant technology -sector office, research, and manufacturing facilities are simple boxy concrete buildings that are not a full expression of the Modernist style.
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Period of Significance: 1940s-early 1960s
Associated property types: Retail stores; mixed use buildings; shopping malls/centers; motels; restaurants; auto-oriented businesses, such as gas stations, service centers, car washes, drive -in restaurants, drive -in theaters, etc.; banks; signs; offices; research and development laboratories; and manufacturing facilities.
Common Character-Defining Features of the Commercial Modern style:
▪ One- to two-story massing (one story is most common)
▪ Wood, steel, or concrete construction where the structural system may be expressed outwardly ▪ Flat roofs are typical, but other roof forms may include butterfly, low -pitch shed, barrel vault, or low-pitch gable
▪ Roofs may include projecting canopies (flat, folded plate, or barrel vault) ▪ Cladding materials range from exposed concrete or concrete masonry unit (CMU) to stucco, wood, or brick
▪ Roman (narrow horizontal) brick bulkheads are common
▪ Massing is typically highly geometric and simplified
▪ Large expanses of glazing are typical
▪ Inward angled storefront entrances are common
▪ Absence of applied ornamentation
▪ Brise-soleils, screens, or other sunshades may be included ▪ Googie style buildings often include dramatic roof forms, structural systems, and/or signage. (Page & Turnbull 2024, 121-122)
903 Castro Street features a rectangular footprint, flat roof with storefront canopy, a vertical pilon element with some evidence of alteration (shortened), and wide primary façade with metal-framed storefronts and replacement doors. The building is clad with stucco and stone veneer along its Castro Street storefronts. Intensive research of city building records, online repositories, and historical newspapers failed to identify a builder or contractor, or architect or other design professionals associated with the building’s origination (Avery Index 2024, City of Mountain View 2024c, History Center 2024e, USModernist 2024, Newspapers.com 2024).
Evaluation
The property at 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) and under the criteria for listing in the City of Mountain Register of Historic Resources, due to a lack of historical and architectural significance.
NRHP and CRHR
The property at 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible under Criterion A/1. Constructed in 1955-1956, the commercial building on the property was built during the immediate years after World War II, as Mountain View’s population grew and Castro Street entered a period of increased commercial development between 1945 and the late 1970s, which included new construction and remodeling of many preexisting buildings. Although part of a trend of commercial development and one of several buildings constructed along Castro Street during immediate post-war years, 903 Castro Street has not been demonstrated to have initiated, significantly informed, or otherwise influenced commercial development, or commerce in general, in Mountain View, California, or the nation. No events of historic importance are known to have occurred at this property. Therefore, 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion A/1.
Research conducted for this evaluation did not find evidence that suggests any individuals historically associated with this property have made significant historical contributions. Review of available occupancy data, historical newspapers, and archival research did not identify any past owners or employees of the businesses that occupied the building historically, such as furniture and carpet business employees owners. Although several businesses occupied the building for multiple years, with Carpeteria using the building as one of its regional locations for almost two decades, research did not evidence that suggests the labor conducted within the building was of significance to Mountain View’s commercial history, or that any individuals who worked State of California ⎯ The Resources Agency Primary #
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within the building made significant contributions to history. Therefore, 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion B/2.
903 Castro Street does not appear to be individually significant as a property that embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, for possessing high art values, or for representing an important work of a master. The building was constructed in 1955-1956 and features a rectangular footprint composed of front and rear one-story sections, generally unadorned and minimally fenestrated north, east, and south façades, contrasting the primary façade that featured abundant storefront glazing, stone veneer along bulkheads and columns, and a pilon element at the northwest corner. The building features several elements of Commercial Modern architecture, including its metal-frame storefront glazing, stone veneer, canopy, pilon, and flat roof. Several alterations, including modification of the pilon element and replacement entrance and sidelights at the northwest corner and secondary entrance at the south end of the façade occurred as the building’s occupancy changed. Although much of the building’s original design is intact, research did not find that this building’s design was considered an important or noteworthy example of Modernism or a commercial typology in Mountain View, relative to other buildings of similar period and style that were constructed in the city during the post-war period. Review of city building records, online repositories, and historical newspapers failed to identify a builder or contractor, or architect or other design professionals associated with the building’s origination. Thus, the building has not been identified as the work of a master. Although the building’s primary façade features elements of Commercial Modern architecture, the building does not express Commercial Modern architecture in an individually distinctive way. The building does not express the aesthetic ideal of a style or art form and, therefore, does not appear to be significant for possessing high art values. Therefore, 881 Castro Street is recommended ineligible for listing in the NRHP/CRHR under Criterion C/3.
Finally, the built environment of the subject property is not likely to yield valuable information which will contribute to our understanding of human history because the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or industrial-commercial buildings constructed in the mid-twentieth century.
Therefore, the property is recommended ineligible for listing under NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4.
Mountain View Register of Historic Resources
Criteria for the designation of buildings, structures, sites, or other improvements to the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources are specified in the City of Mountain View’s Historic Preservation Ordinance:
SEC. 36.54.65. - Designation criteria
A building, structure, site or other improvement may be designated as a historic resource and placed on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources if the city council finds that it meets one or more of the following criteria:
a. Is strongly identified with a person who, or an organization which, significantly contributed to the culture, history or development of the City of Mountain View; b. Is the site of a significant historic event in the city's past; c. Embodies distinctive characteristics significant to the city in terms of a type, period, region or method of construction or representative of the work of a master or possession of high artistic value; or d. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to the city's prehistory or history. (Ord. No. 18.13, § 1, 12/10/13.) (City of Mountain View 2022, 2024a)
Under local criterion (a), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property has not been identified in association with any individuals who significantly contributed to the culture, history, or development of Mountain View.
Under local criterion (b), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion B/2, 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property does not appear individually significant within the patterns of early twentieth century commerce, or development, or post-World War II expansion and commercial development in Mountain View.
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Under local criterion (c), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion C/3, 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible, as the property lacks individual architectural significance and is not representative of the work of design professional considered a master; nor does the property possess high artistic values.
Under local criterion (d), which is similar to NRHP/CRHR Criterion D/4, 903 Castro Street is recommended ineligible as the property is not and never was the principal source of information pertaining to significant events, people, architectural style, or commercial buildings constructed in the mid-1950s.
B12. References (Continued from Page 3):
Ancestry.com
2024 Various occupancy, public, and genealogical records reviewed for subject property. https://www.ancestry.com/ (accessed October 2024).
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals (Avery Index)
2024 Database search via Los Angeles Public Library, online. https://research-ebsco- com.ezproxy.lapl.org/c/vk7dan/search?defaultdb=bvh (accessed October 2024).
City of Mountain View
2022 City of Mountain View Register of Historic Resources. Last updated September 28, 2022. Electronic resource. https://www.mountainview.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/7915/638346084894870000 (accessed September 2024).
2024a Historic Preservation Ordinance. Version: July 26, 2024 (current). Electronic resource. https://library.municode.com/ca/mountain_view/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH36ZO_ARTXVIZ OORAD_DIV15DEPRHIRE (accessed September 2024).
2024b Mountain View Building Division. Property file for subject property. Researched in person October 15, 2024.
Researched online at https://epermits.mountainview.gov/h.aspx (accessed October 2024).
Google Street View
Var. Street View imagery of 751 Fairmont Avenue. June 2007. https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3862109,- 122.0831582,3a,75y,211.98h,89.6t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sE1xxcaon69YaPucON74syQ!2e0!5s20070601T000000!6shttps:% 2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-
pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0. 3951689773000595%26panoid%3DE1xxcaon69YaPucON74syQ%26yaw%3D211.97754795479153!7i3328!8i1664?coh=20 5410&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAyNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D (accessed October 2024). Street View imagery of 751 Fairmont Avenue. March 2011. https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3862347,- 122.083168,3a,75y,211.98h,89.6t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sNPNesbXGodPQ0dd9bTzZjg!2e0!5s20110301T000000!6shttps:% 2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-
pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0. 3951689773000595%26panoid%3DNPNesbXGodPQ0dd9bTzZjg%26yaw%3D211.97754795479153!7i13312!8i6656?coh= 205410&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAyNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D (accessed October 2024).
McMillan & McMillan
1929 Official Map of Santa Clara County, California. San Francisco, CA: Walkup Map Co. Electronic resource accessed via Archive.org:https://ia601708.us.archive.org/27/items/map_santaclaracounty_1929/map_santaclaracounty_1929_panel
04.jpg (accessed October 2024).
Mountain View Public Library History Center (History Center) 1950-55 Bird’s-eye View of Castro Street, 1950-1955. Photograph. California Revealed. https://californiarevealed.org/do/34e911ec-f0b9-40a2-b17f-2d3bbc95e01c#page/1 (accessed October 2024). 1957 View of Castro Street from El Camino Real, 1957. Photograph. California Revealed. https://californiarevealed.org/do/34e911ec-f0b9-40a2-b17f-2d3bbc95e01c#page/1 (accessed October 2024).
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1970 Aerial photography of Mountain View, California, 1970. Contributed by Mountain View Public Library. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea-2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed October 2024). 1993 Photograph of 903 Castro Street (Carpeteria), 1993. Contributed by Mountain View Public Library. https://californiarevealed.org/do/6865ddcf-02e8-413d-a6ea-2de30c55a538#page/1 (accessed October 2024). 2024 Mountain View Historical Newspapers. Database searched in-person at History Center. https://library.mountainview.gov/learn/mountain-view-history/mountain-view-historical-newspapers-online (accessed October 2015).
ParcelQuest.com
2024 Property data for 750 Fairmount Avenue. https://www.parcelquest.com/ (accessed September 2024).
Peninsula Times Tribune
1973 Obituary for Edward M. Martin. June 15.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/840493374/?match=1&clipping_id=158013769 (October 2024).
PSI
2024 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Gingko Furniture 903 Castro Street and 751 Fairmont Avenue, Mountain View, California 94041. Including aerial photograph, topographic map, Sanborn map, and city directory data.
R.L. Polk & Co.
1962 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1964 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1964. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1966 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1966. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024). 1968 Mountain View (Santa Clara County, Calif.) City Directory. 1962. Via Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/32701_1020601537_0821- 00006?ssrc=&backlabel=Return (accessed September 2024).
Strebe, Amy Goodpaster
2002 “Caught in the Crossfire.” Mountain View Voice. February 1. https://www.mv- voice.com/morgue/2002/2002_02_01.eddy.html (accessed October 2024).
University of California, Santa Barbara Library Special Collections. FrameFinder Aerial Photography database (UCSB). 1956 Aero Services Corporation. Flight CIV-1956, Frame 2r-36. https://mil.library.ucsb.edu/ap_indexes/FrameFinder/ (accessed September 2024).
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
1897 Palo Alto, California Quadrangle. Accessed via USGS topoView. https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#15/37.3862/- 122.0828 (accessed September 2024).
U.S. Modernist
2024 Search of online architectural periodical and magazine database for subject property documentation. https://usmodernist.org/library.htm (accessed October 2024).