Item 11 2024-01355 Ordinance Listing 2025 P Street as a Landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (M24-003) [Noticed 08032024]

City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2024-01355 8/13/2024 Public Hearing Item 11.

Ordinance Listing 2025 P Street as a Landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (M24-003) [Noticed 08/03/2024]
File ID: 2024-01355
Location: 2025 P Street (007-0246-005-0000), District 4, Represented by Councilmember Valenzuela
Recommendation: Conduct a public hearing and upon conclusion: 1) pass a Motion determining the listing of 2025 P Street as a landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historical and Cultural Resources is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15308, which exempts actions taken to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment and where the regulatory process involves procedures for the protection of the environment; and 2) adopt an Ordinance listing 2025 P Street as a landmark on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources.

Contact: Sean de Courcy, Preservation Director, (916) 808-2796, [email protected], Community Development Department
Presenter: Henry Feuss, Preservation Planner, (916) 808-5880, [email protected], Community Development Department
Attachments:
1-Ordinance
2-Historic Resource Evaluation
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The property owner retained the consulting services of Historic Environment Consultants to prepare and submit property-specific background research and a historic resource evaluation form (Attachment 3) for 2025 P Street. After review of the background research, staff presented a Statement of Nomination to the Acting Preservation Director who concluded at a public hearing on March 28, 2024, that the property appears eligible for listing in the Sacramento register pursuant to the criteria provided in Sacramento City Code section 17.604.210.A.1. iii. On April 17, 2024, the Preservation Commission held a hearing and passed a motion recommending the City Council adopt an ordinance listing 2025 P Street in the Sacramento Register. Staff has prepared a draft Ordinance (Attachment 2) which justifies listing the property on the Sacramento register.

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File ID: 2024-01355 8/13/2024 Public Hearing Item 11.

Policy Considerations: The City Council has found “that significant aspects of the City’s rich and diverse historic resources deserve recognition and preservation to foster an understanding of our heritage, and to promote the public health and safety and the economic and general welfare of the people of the city. The preservation and continued use of historic resources are effective tools to sustain and revitalize neighborhoods and business districts within the city, enhance the city’s economic, cultural and aesthetic standing, its identity, its livability, marketability and urban character” (City Code, §17.604.100.A.). To this end, the city code directs the preservation director, to “make preliminary determinations relative to properties’ eligibility for listing on the Sacramento register” and to “initiate proceedings to nominate resources for listing on the Sacramento register.” (City Code, §§17.604.100.C.2 and 17.604.220).

The nomination of 2025 P Street for listing as a landmark on the Sacramento Register is consistent with the goals of the Sacramento 2040 General Plan, which provides for the identification and preservation of historical and cultural resources. General Plan policy HCR-2.3 states, “The City shall maintain and update the Sacramento Register… proactively identifying and listing additional unidentified landmarks.”
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.

Environmental Considerations:

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): The listing of 2025 P Street as a historic landmark on the Sacramento register is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15308. Section 15308 exempts from CEQA review acts that are undertaken to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment.

Listing the property as a historic landmark would ensure that future development on the site would undergo preservation review, as part of the city’s site plan and design review process, prior to the granting of any entitlements, thereby protecting the historic resource, which would be considered part of the environment.

Sustainability: Not applicable.

Commission/Committee Action: On March 28, 2024, the City of Sacramento’s Preservation Director, in conformance with City Code section 17.604.220 of the City Code, held a public hearing, reviewed the historic analysis prepared by Historic Environment Consultants (Attachment 2) and concurred with a draft statement of nomination and directed staff to prepare a draft Ordinance (Attachment 1) for review and consideration by the Preservation Commission. On April 17, 2024, the Preservation Commission held a hearing and passed a motion recommending the City Council adopt an ordinance listing 2025 P Street in the Sacramento register.

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File ID: 2024-01355 8/13/2024 Public Hearing Item 11.

Rationale for Recommendation: The listing of 2025 P Street (Figure 1) as a landmark on the Sacramento Register is consistent with the Historic Preservation Chapter of the City Code (City Code, chapter 17.604) and the goals of the 2040 General Plan. Listing the nominated resource on the Sacramento register will help ensure its preservation and encourage rehabilitation consistent with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

The house is a good example of Colonial Revival architecture with influences of American Foursquare and Sacramento vernacular design constructed in the first decade of the 20th century.

Most major features are intact. Although some alterations have been made, changes have been mostly compatible and do not detract from the architectural language of the building. Significant features and characteristics include: hipped roof; central hipped dormer with window flanked by louvers; overhanging eaves with slight brackets; symmetrical massing, narrow lap siding; fluted two- story pilasters capped by Ionic capitals; open front porch with flat roof, balustrade, knee wall, and square fluted columns. Therefore, the house meets criterion for listing in the Sacramento register of historic and cultural resources under City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.a.iii, as the embodiment of distinctive characteristics of Period Revival architectural design of the early 20th century. It is reasonable and appropriate that 2025 P Street be listed on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources under Criterion iii. The building at 2025 P Street has integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association.

The building retains a moderately high degree of historic integrity in all six aspects. The neighborhood and building remain mostly unchanged. There have been some alterations after the completion of the building, but they have been compatible with the style and scale of the site and are easily reversible, and photographic documentation exists of original features.

The building at 2025 P Street has significant historic or architectural worth, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, protect and further the goals and purposes of this chapter.

The building at 2025 P Street has been well-maintained and retains a high level of integrity with regards to its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and association. 2025 P Street is a significant and unique representation of the Period Revival architectural style in Sacramento.

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File ID: 2024-01355 8/13/2024 Public Hearing Item 11.

Figure 1: 2025 P Street
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.

Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.

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ORDINANCE NO. ___
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
[Date Adopted]
AN ORDINANCE LISTING 2025 P STREET AS A LANDMARK ON THE SACRAMENTO REGISTER OF

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

BACKGROUND
A. The city council has found “that significant aspects of the city’s rich and diverse historic resources deserve recognition and preservation to foster an understanding of our heritage, and to promote the public health and safety and the economic and general welfare of the people of the city. The preservation and continued use of historic resources are effective tools to sustain and revitalize neighborhoods and business districts within the city, enhance the city’s economic, cultural and aesthetic standing, its identity and its livability, marketability and urban character.” (Sacramento City Code, §17.604.100.A.)
B. To this end, Sacramento City Code chapter 17.604 provides a mechanism for listing landmarks, historic districts, and contributing resources on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources (“Sacramento register”).

C. On March 28, 2024, the acting preservation director reviewed a statement of nomination and determined that the property located at 2025 P Street is eligible for listing on the Sacramento Register as a landmark. On April 17, 2024, the preservation commission concurred with the findings of the preservation director and recommended the city council list the property at 2025 P Street as a landmark on the Sacramento register.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO:

SECTION 1
A. 2025 P Street meets the criteria for listing on the Sacramento register provided within Sacramento City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.a. iii.
i. The building at 2025 P Street embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction (Sacramento City Code, §17.604.210.A.1.a.iii).

The house located at 2025 P Street is a good example of Colonial Revival architecture with influences of American Foursquare and Sacramento vernacular design constructed in the first decade of the 20th century. Most major features are intact. Although some alterations have been made, changes have been mostly compatible and do not detract from the architectural language of the building. As shown in exhibit A, significant features and characteristics include the following:
hipped roof; central hipped dormer with window flanked by louvers; overhanging eaves with slight brackets; symmetrical massing, narrow lap siding; fluted two-story pilasters capped by Ionic capitals; open front porch with flat roof, balustrade, knee wall, and square fluted columns. Therefore, the house meets the criterion for listing on the Sacramento register under Sacramento City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.a.iii, as the embodiment of distinctive characteristics of Colonial Revival architectural design of the early 20th century.

ii. 2025 P Street has integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association, as judged with reference to the criterion in Sacramento City Code section 17.604.210.A.1.a.iii. (Sacramento City Code, §17.604.210.A.1.b).

The building retains a high degree of historic integrity in all six aspects. The neighborhood and building remain largely unchanged. There have been minimal alterations after the completion of the building, and they have been compatible with the style and scale of the site.

iii. The building at 2025 P Street has significant historic or architectural worth, and its designation as a landmark is reasonable, appropriate and necessary to promote, protect and further the goals and purposes of chapter 17.604 of the Sacramento City Code. (Sacramento City Code, §17.604.210.A.1.c).

The building at 2025 P Street has significant historic and architectural worth. It has been well-maintained and retains a high level of integrity with regards to its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and association. 2025 P Street is a significant and unique representation of the Colonial Revival architectural style in Sacramento.

iv. The city council has considered the factors set forth Sacramento City Code section

17.604.210.A.2 and determined those factors do not apply.

Table of Contents:

Exhibit A: Significant Features and Characteristics

A. Primary Elevation

Significant Features and Characteristics of the style include a hipped roof; central hipped dormer with window flanked by louvers; overhanging eaves with slight brackets; symmetrical massing, narrow lap siding; fluted two-story pilasters capped by Ionic capitals; open front porch with flat roof, balustrade, knee wall, and square fluted columns.

P Street Elevation (Primary)

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-Test (8/94) *These items consist of required information.

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P1. Other Identifier: Vandercook House
*P2. Location: *a. County: Sacramento
b. Address: 2025 P Street City: Sacramento Zip: 95811 *c. USGS 7.5' Quad Sacramento West Date: 1992 *e. Other Locational Data: APN#: 007-0246-005

*P3a. Description:

The four-square Colonial Revival building two-story in heights and surfaced with four tier rustic wood siding.

The hip roof is surfaced with composition material.

A hipped dormer with a small window and shutters projects from the roof. The roof overhang is supported by brackets in the soffit. At the corners are fluted pilasters with ionic capitals that enclose the cube shaped façade.

The porch extends across the façade. A metal safety balustrade is mounted atop the wood porch enclosure. The balcony contains a railing with square posts. Windows are double-hung multi-paned with metal sash and are not original, although they maintain the original size and placement. The wood front door is off center to the left with a central glass pane. The door is framed with projecting molding. There is a small, square window to the left of the entry that provides lighting for the foyer and interior stairway. To the right of the entry is a large, vertical window.

(continued on p. 3)

*P3b. Resource Attributes:
*P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other (Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo:

View to the north
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Source: Historic
Prehistoric Both
1907
*P7. Owner and Address:

Midtown Nurse Midwives
c/o Bethany Sasaki
2025 P Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
*P8. Recorded by:

Paula Boghosian, Historic
Environment Consultants
5420 Home Court
Carmichael, CA 95608
*P9. Date Recorded:

January 2023
*P10. Survey Type:

Intensive
P11. Report Citation*:
none

*Attachments: NONE Location Map Sketch Map Continuation Sheet Building, Structure, and Object Record Linear Resource Record Archaeological Record District Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record  Other (List)

State of California  The Resources Agency Primary #______________________________________ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#__________________________________________

BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
DPR 523B-Test (8/94) *These items consist of required information.

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*Resource Address: 2025 P Street
B1. Historic Name: Vandercook House
B2. Common Name: Midtown Nurse & Midwives
B3. Original Use: Residential B4. Present Use: Medical Office *B5. Architectural Style: Colonial Revival
*B6. Construction History: This house was completed in the Spring of 1907. The windows have been changed, and the railing atop the porch roof has had some minor changes. Otherwise, there have been no major changes.

*B7. Moved? No Yes Unknown Date: Original Location:
*B8. Related Features: Asphalt parking lot in the rear.

B9a. Architect: b. Builder: Levi Vandercook
*B10. Significance: Theme: Residential Architecture Area: Midtown Sacramento Period of Significance: 1907-1950 Property Type: Residential/Office Applicable Criteria: ii, iii

Levi Vandercook came to Sacramento with his parents from Michigan in about 1880. He was 26 years old at the time.1 He and his father were both skilled carpenters who frequently worked in Planing Mills. His father, Henry, opened a Planing Mill at 1425 J Street in about 1885. They lived across the street at 1426 J Street.2 People who worked in planning mills were skilled workers. They took planks of wood produced by a sawmill and converted it into products such as decorative molding and furniture components.

By 1890, Levi was working as a carpenter for John H. Moon an architect and builder. By 1900 Levi was 45 years old and still living with his parents and he was working for the Burnett & Sons Planing Mill a firm that has been producing custom millwork in Sacramento since 1869. On and off over the years, Levi worked for Burnett & Sons.3

(Continued on p. 3)

B11. Additional Resource Attributes: HP2--Single Family Property

*B12. References:

City of Sacramento Building Permits
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento City Directories
Sacramento County Assessors Data
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
US Census, 1880-1950
Vandercook Photo Collection, Center for Sacramento History, 1993/013
(See Endnotes, p. 11)
B13. Remarks:

*B14. Evaluator: Paula Boghosian, Historic Environment Cons.

*Date of Evaluation: January 2023
(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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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

*P3a. Description:

Steps descend from the entry and porch and are framed by boxed retaining walls sheathed in rustic siding. The building is located on a mound elevated several feet from street level. Concrete steps with a landing descend to the sidewalk. The building is surrounded by a wrought iron security fence. There is an angled bay window on the east elevation extending from the dining room and a boxed bay window on the west side which illuminates the interior stairway.

There is a paved asphalt parking lot in the rear that is accessible from the alley.

*B10. Significance:

Levi appears to have had a secondary occupation
as a photographer. A picture of his mother taken in
about 1903 is identified by the Center for
Sacramento History thusly, “Susan Vandercook
stands beside photo board outside the door of her
home at 1426 J Street. The photographs taken by
her son, Levi, are posed as Views for Sale.”
4 Two
photos appeared in the Bee in 1904 that were
identified as being taken by “L.E. Vandercook.”5
In early 1907 Levi married Gertrude Mary
Fraser. She preferred to being called “Mary” and her
father had been a former Assemblyman and State
Senator who served many years as a County
Supervisor for El Dorado County. He was also the
Land Registrar for the U.S. Government in this
region. At his death the Bee commented, “In
political circles very few men in California were
better known. He filled many positions of trust, and
always with honor to himself and credit to those who
placed him.”
6 He left his family members a sizeable
inheritance.

(continued p. 4)

Figure 1 - In addition to Levi's photographs you can see decorative spindles on the porch railing and the intricate molding around the second-ﬂoor window. These would be products of a planing mill and men like Levi and his father Henry. Levi’s mother, Susan, is in the photo ca1903. CHS 1993-013-087

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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

In early 1907, not long after his engagement to Mary,
Levi began construction of their new home. In mid-February of 1907 they were married, and the Sacramento Union
commented that when they returned from their honeymoon
they, “…will be at home after April 1
st at 2025 P street, a
house the groom has recently erected.”7
At the time they were married, Levi was 52 years old and Mary was 37. It was a first marriage for both. In the next few years they had two boys Thomas (1909) and William
(1914).8
In 1914 Levi received a building permit for a two-story building with four flats at 2100 P Street on a lot they owned.9 Over the years ads appeared in the Bee to rent a flat in this building and they all stated to inquire at 2025 P Street. The Vandercooks built this $5,650 building as an income
producing rental property. In 1921 Levi obtained another permit for a $1,725 single-story four room dwelling on the back of the same lot. Levi was the building contractor for their home and the two rental properties.
10 By the mid-teens, Levi was still working as a benchhand in planing mills, including another stint with Burnett Miller & Sons. However, by 1920 Levi was in his mid-sixties and he took a job as a janitor at the Federal Courthouse. After 1925 Levi did not list an occupation and, in his seventies, was likely retired. 11 Both Mary and Levi were active in local organizations. The were charter members of Westminster Presbyterian Church and both were active in the choir. Levi was an honorary life deacon of the church and spent many years as the secretary of the adult bible class.
12 Mary was a member of the Daughters of the Nile, Rebbekahs and Eastern Star. Levi was a member of the Knights of Pythias. Levi died in 1937 at the age of 83. Mary continued to live in the house until her death in 1950.

She was 81.
13 The house remained under the ownership of the Vandercook Family Trust until 1992.14

Figure 2 - The Vandercook home at 2025 P Street ca1910. CSH 1993-013-207
Figure 4 - Mary Gertrude
Vandercook, CSH 1979-061-088
Figure 3 - Levi Vandercook

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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

Criteria ii: It is associated with the lives of persons significant in the city’s past.

The owner of the house is significant in Sacramento primarily because he was an amateur photographer. His collection, as described by the Online Archive of California, “…consists of 918 glass plate negatives…documenting people and places in Sacramento, California between 1895 and 1935.” His collection is an important contribution to the preservation of the visual history of Sacramento and Northern California during the first half of the 20th century. (See Vandercook photos on these pages and Appendix A)

Figure 5 - Family portraits were a common
subject of Levi Vandercooks photography. This
photo depicts Levi (seated at left) with his
siblings Francis (standing) and Clara at right. CSH
1993-013-156
Figure 6 - A Vandercook photo of the Fraser family. Senator Fraser is in front on the left and his daughter, Mary, is behind him to the left. CSH 1979-061-020

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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

Criteria iii: It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction.

The house was built by its initial owners, Mary and Levi Vandercook. Levi was a carpenter with extensive experience working in planning mills. At one point he was employed as a cabinet maker. His woodworking skills are apparent in the abundance of fine wood floors, moldings, pocket doors, and doors throughout the exterior and interior of the house.

The house is significant locally
in that it is a good example of
Colonial Revival Architecture as
practiced in Sacramento in the first
decade of the 20th century. Most of
its major features are intact.

Although the house has experienced
changes over time, the changes have
been sensitively done and are
consistent with the era in which the
house was built. When the house is
viewed from the street, it appears to
be relatively unchanged from houses
built in the first decade of the 20th
century. Only when the house is
compared to enlarged photographs
taken near the time of its
completion, can one begin to detect
subtle changes. The windows have been
changed, but the current windows are double-
hung, multi-pane that are openable. From the
street they appear consistent with houses of its
era. Only on close inspection can one detect the
metal sash and multi-pane windows were
common in finer houses of the period of
construction. The railing atop the porch roof has
some subtle changes, that are only detectable
when compared to photos of the house just after
its completion. As one stands on the street and
views the house it is a good example of its type,
period and method of construction.

Figure 7 - The interior woodwork in this house is a
character deﬁning feature. Photo by Don Cox
Figure 8 - The house is a good example of a four-square Colonial Revival house in the ﬁrst decade of the 20th
Century. Photo by Don Cox

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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

Appendix A: Vandercook Collection Photos

Figure 9 - Vandercook photo of east side of Capitol Building. CSH 1993-013-019a

Figure 10 - Vandercook photo of Crocker House 8th & F Streets. Later became the hospital for the Southern Paciﬁc Company. CSH 1993-013- 332

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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

Figure 11 - Diersson House, ca1906, 920 H Street. CSH 1993-013-226

Figure 12 - Tokay Arch, Lodi, CA, ca1900. CSH 1993-013-050

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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

Appendix B – Additional house photos by Don Cox

Figure 13 - The lobby/foyer and the stairway leading to the second ﬂoor. The woodwork is always detailed, yet simple and elegant.

Figure 14 - What was originally an upstairs bedroom.

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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

Figure 15 - The second-ﬂoor hallway. Notice the large pocket door entrance to the master suite on the right. The hardwood ﬂoors have been well maintained over the years and lovingly restored.

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Recorded by : Paula Boghosian

Endnotes

1 US Census, 1880-1950, Online Archive of California, Guide to the Levi Vandercook Photograph Collection 2 Sacramento City Directories
3 IBID.
4 CSH, 1993/013/087
5 Sacramento Bee: 12/3/1904, p. 18; 5/14/1904, p. 20.
6 IBID: 2/11/1907 p. 9; 72/1902, p. 5.
7 Sacramento Union, 2/10/1907, p. 18.
8 US Census, 1910, 1920
9 Sacramento Union, 8/9/14, p. 23
10 IBID., 10/11/1921, p. 7
11 Sacramento City Directories
12 Sacramento Bee, 5/3/1937, p. 14.
13 Sacramento Bee 12/25/1950, p. 24.
14 Title Search information provided by Bethany Sasaki, Nurses and Midwives.

Sacramento City CouncilAugust 13, 2024

Sacramento City Council
August 13, 2024