October 1, 2021
Herb Spence
[email protected]
RE: Historic Status of 2501 Curtis Avenue, Redondo Beach, CA Mr. Spence,
Thank you for providing the Historic Inquiry Form on September 9th requesting the historic status of the property located at 2501 Curtis Avenue. Staff has completed the review of the City records and the following are the findings:
Building and Planning Records
The City’s survey of potential historic resources notes this property as B-rated in the Craftsman style. Building records show that the residence was built in 1933, including the original house and garage. A new garage permit was processed in 1968, but was subsequently cancelled. Repairs were completed in 1984 for fire damage. Planning records reflect a request for a Zone Variance in 1943. The application requested a nonstandard subdivision of the northern portion of the property, but the request was ultimately denied by the Planning Commission.
Site Conditions
Photos of the existing site were provided to staff via email on September 20th. Staff also performed a site walk on September 23rd. The house is indeed Craftsman with a generally square floor plan, wood exterior shingles, and an open north-south gable. The majority of the openings appear to be original with wood frames and trim. The picture windows on either side of the south-facing entry, however, have been replaced. There are dormers on both the east and west sides of the gable roof. These dormers allow for light and ventilation in the two upper bedrooms. These dormers have vertical wood board and batten siding.
The house also exhibits a partial stone exterior, most likely added after the original construction was completed. The stone appears to be applied on the outside of the original wood shingles. The stone includes rounded river rock as well as flat, stacked stone. There is a chimney along the east elevation that also exhibits this stonework. It is worth noting that the fireplace on the inside of the house exhibits stonework, but of a Community Development Department
Planning Division
415 Diamond Street, P.O. Box 270
Redondo Beach, California 90277-0270
www.redondo.org
tel: 310 318-0637
fax: 310 372-8021
different style. This stonework was most likely constructed as part of the original home. The majority of the windows and doorways inside the house have decorative wood trim.
The roof, exposed rafters ends, and fascia appear to need maintenance. The remainder of the exterior materials appear to be in acceptable shape.
Historic Background
Claude C. Campbell and Mae Campbell built the house in 1933 and lived there until 1942. Reverend Mae Campbell is noted in the Redondo Reflex as the pastor of the Temple of the Holy Cross with weekly services held at the site from around 1940 to 1942. Claude is referenced as a machinist in the city directories. The application for the Zone Variance was processed by Martin O. and Lucille L. Landers. Both were active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). Martin is listed as a machinist at Northrop and Lucille’s obituary notes her as one of only three female engineers (of about 800) at the Northrop Aeronautical School of Engineering. City records note the Landers family as owners from 1943 to at least 1960.
Per the Historic Inquiry Form provided to staff, the Lester family lived here briefly from about 1968 to 1971.
The most recent owner, Gloria Spence, purchased the property in 1971.
Conclusion
While the property needs some maintenance and has unusual exterior stonework, the building overall is a good example of Craftsman architecture. The Craftsman style is the most prominent style in Redondo Beach and it could even be argued that the stonework makes it all the more unique. With the site hosting weekly services, it could also be argued that the property served as a religious center during the early development of this community. Lastly, this site was home to one of the few local female engineers with ties to an industry that became very important to the growth of the northern portion of Redondo Beach. For the reasons noted above, it is staff’s opinion that this property is most likely eligible for local landmark designation.
The current owners have the option to explore designation or to engage with a Preservation Consultant to obtain a formal Historic Resources Evaluation. The evaluation is a much more in-depth review of research beyond the City records. Please note that designating a property as a local historic landmark does not preclude the property from being expanded through the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application process.
Through the COA review process, the owners could explore compatible floor area additions as well as accessory dwelling units. Likewise, the interior of the home can be further renovated to meet more modern standards.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at [email protected].
Thank you,
Stacey Kinsella
Stacey Kinsella
Associate Planner
Liaison to the Preservation Commission