1125 18th Street
HISTORIC RESOURCE ASSESSMENT (HRA)
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA
[19363O]
PREPARED FOR
SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
July 8, 2025
Historic Resource Assessment (HRA) 1125 18th Street
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................1 Methodology ...................................................................................................................................................2 Summary of Findings .....................................................................................................................................3 II. EXISTING HISTORIC STATUS.............................................................................................................4 National Register of Historic Places .............................................................................................................4 California Register of Historical Resources .................................................................................................4 California Historical Resource Status Codes...............................................................................................4 City of Santa Monica Designations & Surveys ............................................................................................5 III. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................7 Building Description.......................................................................................................................................7 Site Features..................................................................................................................................................13 Surrounding Neighborhood........................................................................................................................15 IV. HISTORIC CONTEXT .......................................................................................................................16 Wilshire Montana .........................................................................................................................................16 Architectural Style: Craftsman Bungalow..................................................................................................19 Builder: M. L. Fuller.......................................................................................................................................21 V. SITE HISTORY ..................................................................................................................................22 Site Development.........................................................................................................................................22 Ownership and Occupant History..............................................................................................................24 VI. EVALUATION..................................................................................................................................26 Local Regulatory Framework ......................................................................................................................26 Evaluation of Significance............................................................................................................................26 Integrity..........................................................................................................................................................28 VII. CONCLUSION & STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ........................................................................30 VIII. REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................31 IX. APPENDIX.......................................................................................................................................33 Preparer Qualifications................................................................................................................................33 Historic Resource Assessment (HRA) 1125 18th Street
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I. INTRODUCTION
This Historic Resource Assessment (HRA) has been prepared at the request of the City of Santa Monica Planning & Community Development Department to evaluate the historic significance of the residence at 1125 18th Street (APN 4276-009-005) in the Green Acres Tract within the Wilshire Montana neighborhood of Santa Monica, California (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The building has remained in its original use as a single-family residence since its construction in 1923.
In April 2025, Mario Fonda-Bonardi of the Santa Monica Conservancy submitted a Structure of Merit Designation Application for 1125 18th Street. The City of Santa Monica Community Development Department is seeking additional information to determine if the property meets the criteria for listing as a Santa Monica Structure of Merit.
Figure 1. Aerial view of 1125 18th Street (outlined in red).
Source: Google Earth, 2023, edited by Page & Turnbull.
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Figure 2. Parcel map, showing the subject property, shaded in red.
Source: Los Angeles County Assessor, edited by Page & Turnbull, 2025.
Methodology
This report provides an examination of the current historic status of 1125 18th Street, as well as a property description, historic context for the Wilshire Montana neighborhood, the Green Acres Tract, and a site history. The report includes an evaluation of the building’s eligibility for individual listing as a Santa Monica Structure of Merit. As the City is only seeking to determine the property’s eligibility for local listing, an evaluation of eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) and California Register of Historical Resources (California Register) is not included.
In addition to reviewing the Structure of Merit Designation Application submitted in April 2025 for 1125 18th Street, Page & Turnbull prepared this report using research collected from local repositories, including the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office website and Los Angeles County Historic Resource Assessment (HRA) 1125 18th Street
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Public Works Land Records, as well as various online sources such as Newspapers.com, the California Digital Newspaper Collection, and Ancestry.com. Page & Turnbull consulted the Santa Monica Municipal Code, and building permit and demolition records provided by the City of Santa Monica’s Department of Planning & Community Development.
To prepare the evaluation section of this report, Page & Turnbull referred to bulletins prepared by the National Park Service, which were written as guidance for evaluation for the National Register, but have served as a foundation for professional best practices also at the local and state levels.
Relevant bulletins include National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Page & Turnbull also consulted the 2018 Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory Update and Historic Context Statement, which provides evaluation frameworks and eligibility criteria based on contexts and themes covering Santa Monica’s history, and references national, state, and local significance criteria.
Page & Turnbull staff conducted a site visit on June 11, 2025. All photographs in the report were taken by Page & Turnbull during this site visit unless otherwise noted.
Summary of Findings
The one-story single-family residence was constructed in 1923 by local builder M. L. Fuller in the Green Acres Tract in the Wilshire Montana neighborhood. It is a modest example of a Craftsman bungalow, a type that is relatively common in the neighborhood and Santa Monica. Given its relatively simple design and the continued presence of similar properties in the area, 1125 18th Street does not represent a rare or unique example of its type. 1125 18th Street does not appear to meet any of the criteria for designation as a City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit and therefore does not appear to be eligible for this level of designation.
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II. EXISTING HISTORIC STATUS
The following section examines the national, state, and local historic status currently assigned to the property at 1125 18th Street.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (National Register) is the nation’s most comprehensive inventory of historic resources. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service and includes buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts that possess historic, architectural, engineering, archaeological, or cultural significance at the national, state, or local level.
The subject property is not listed in the National Register of Historic Places individually, or as part of a registered historic district.
California Register of Historical Resources
The California Register of Historical Resources (California Register) is an inventory of significant architectural, archaeological, and historical resources in the State of California. Resources can be listed in the California Register through a number of methods. State Historical Landmarks and National Register-listed properties are automatically listed in the California Register. Properties can also be nominated to the California Register by local governments, private organizations, or citizens.
The evaluative criteria used by the California Register for determining eligibility are closely based on those developed by the National Park Service for the National Register of Historic Places.
The subject property is not listed in the California Register of Historical Resources individually, or as part of a registered historic district.
California Historical Resource Status Codes
Properties listed or under review by the State of California Office of Historic Preservation are listed within the Built Environment Resource Directory (BERD) and are assigned a California Historical Resource Status Code (Status Code) of “1” to “7” to establish their historical significance in relation to the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) or California Register of Historical Resources (California Register).1 Properties with a Status Code of “1” or “2” are either eligible for listing in the California Register or the National Register, or are already listed in one or both of the registers. Properties assigned Status Codes of “3” or “4” appear to be eligible for listing in either 1 California State Office of Historic Preservation, Built Environment Resource Directory (BERD), Los Angeles County, updated September 2022.
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register but normally require more research to support this rating. Properties assigned a Status Code of “5” have typically been determined to be locally significant or to have contextual importance. Properties with a Status Code of “6” are not eligible for listing in either register. Finally, a Status Code of “7” means that the resource has not been evaluated for the National Register or the California Register, or needs reevaluation.
The subject property is not currently listed in the BERD database for Los Angeles County. The most recent update to the BERD database was in September 2022.
City of Santa Monica Designations & Surveys
The City of Santa Monica’s historic preservation program was established in 1976 with the adoption of the Landmarks and Historic District Ordinance. The Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance, Title 9, Chapter 56, (adopted June 23, 2015) of the City of Santa Monica Municipal Code (SMMC) regulates designation criteria for listing as a City-Designated Historic Resource. City-Designated Historic Resources include any existing building or structure that is designated by the City as a Landmark, Structure of Merit, or Contributing Building or Structure to a Designated Historic District.
Any improvement – that is a building, structure, place, site, work of art, landscape feature, plant life, life-form, scenic condition, or other object constituting a physical betterment of real property – may be eligible for designation as a historic resource if an application is submitted and approved by the City’s Landmarks Commission. Historic districts may also be listed if they meet the criteria listed in Chapter 19.56.100.2
1125 18th Street is not currently listed as a Santa Monica Landmark, Structure of Merit, or Contributing Building or Structure to a Historic District. A Santa Monica Structure of Merit nomination was submitted for 1125 18th Street by Mario Fonda-Bonardi of the Santa Monica Conservancy in April 2025 and is currently under staff review. 2018 City of Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory Update Santa Monica has completed several historic resources surveys for various property types. The first comprehensive historic resources survey took place in 1983 as part of an effort to create the City of Santa Monica’s first preservation element for its General Plan. Phases II and III of the survey were completed in 1986 and 1993. Additional surveys and updates were carried out in 1994, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2011. The most recent survey was completed in 2018 in order to update the city’s historic resources inventory and historic context statement. In this year, Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group completed an update to Santa Monica’s historic resources 2 “Ordinance No. 2486CCS §§ 1, 2,” Santa Monica Municipal Code, accessed online June 6, 2025, https://ecode360.com/SA5008.
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inventory and historic context statement. The project covered the existing boundaries of the City of Santa Monica.
As part of the 2018 survey, 1125 18th Street was evaluated and found to be potentially eligible for listing as a Santa Monica Structure of Merit. The findings of the 2018 HRI update are quoted below:
1125 18th Street appears eligible for local listing as a Santa Monica Structure of Merit. The property conveys patterns of residential development that shaped the Wilshire Montana/Mid City neighborhoods of Santa Monica in the early decades of the twentieth century. Constructed in 1923, it is an example of a residential building from this formative period of neighborhood growth. The building does not rise to the level of significance needed to be eligible as a Landmark, but it appears eligible as a Structure of Merit.
Based on this evaluation, a status code of 5S3* was recommended for 1125 18th Street. Within Santa Monica, this code indicates that a property appears to be eligible for designation as a Structure of Merit only, not as a Landmark.3 This is not a formal California Historical Resource Status Code; the status code 5S3 is used statewide without a qualifying asterisk, applied to properties which appear “to be individually eligible for local listing or designation through survey evaluation. 4 3 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, “Appendix B: Individual Resources,” City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory, 2018; “City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory Update Survey Report” (Los Angeles: Prepared for the City of Santa Monica, August 9, 2019), 33. 4 “California Historical Resource Status Codes,” 2003, accessed June 6, 2025, https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/pages/1069/files/chrstatus%20codes.pdf.
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III. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
Building Description
The subject property is located on a 160-by-50-foot rectangular lot on the east side of 18th Street. 5 The building on the property is a 952 square foot rectangular one-story, single-family wood-frame residence with a low pitched front gable roof with an intersecting side gable projection (Figure 3).
The roof is clad with asphalt shingles and features wide overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails and triangular cross-hatched wood vents at the gable ends. The building is clad in painted narrow wood clapboard. Typical windows are wood double-hung windows with flat wood surrounds located on all façades. The upper sash of the windows on the primary (west) façade feature simplified prairie-style muntins.
Figure 3. 1125 18th Street, looking northeast from 18th Street. 5 The building is oriented with the 18th Street façade facing southwest. However, for the purposes of this report, the 18th Street façade will be referred to as the “west façade,” and so on.
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Exterior
Primary (West) Façade
The primary (west) façade is set back from the property line and faces 18th Street (Figure 4). The left (north) portion of the façade contains a pair of typical windows (Figure 5). The right (south) projecting section contains a typical window on the north facing wall and a grouping of four typical windows on the west facing wall (Figure 6). A wood bracket extends from the peak of the front gable to the slope of the projecting side gable roof.
Figure 4. Primary (west) façade of 1125 18th Street, looking east.
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Figure 5. Overview of primary (west) facade, looking
east.
Figure 6. Row of windows, looking northeast.
South Façade
The south façade faces a driveway between the subject property and an adjacent property at 1127 18th Street (Figure 7). The building’s entrance is located at the westernmost edge of the south façade beneath a low-pitched gable overhang with large wood brackets (Figure 8). The door is a fully glazed wood door with simplified prairie-style muntins, accessed by three curved concrete steps leading to a small wood deck and ramp, with the ramp extending parallel to the south façade.
Fenestration consists of, from left (west) to right (east) a typical window, two pairs of smaller typical windows, and two typical windows. (Figure 9).
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Figure 7. South façade, looking north.
Figure 8. Small entry porch, looking northwest. Figure 9. Overview of south façade windows, looking northwest.
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East Façade
The rear (east) façade faces a small backyard and features a projecting section with a low-pitched gable roof (Figure 10). The projecting section features a partially glazed wood rear entry door on the east facing wall and a small typical window on the north facing wall (Figure 11). To the right (north) of the projecting section below the primary gable is a typical window (Figure 12).
Figure 10. Rear (east) façade, looking south.
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Figure 11. Rear entry, looking southwest. Figure 12. Rear façade with projecting section, looking southwest.
North Façade
The west façade faces a narrow walkway between the subject property and an adjacent property at 1117 18th Street. Fenestration consists of, from left (east) to right (west), a typical window, a replacement vinyl slider with an altered wood surround, and a typical window (Figure 13).
Figure 13. Overview of north façade, looking south.
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Site Features
The subject property is set back from the street behind a front yard with a lawn, a mature tree, and landscape plantings along the primary façade (Figure 14). A concrete paved ribbon driveway with grass down the center runs along the south side of the parcel and terminates at the rear wood fence. The small backyard adjacent to the front building includes a small lawn and gravel separated by brick pavers (Figure 15).
Figure 14. Front yard, looking north. Figure 15. Backyard of front building, looking north.
The rear half of the parcel contains a secondary building and is separated from the primary building by a wood fence. The secondary building is a rectangular one-story, single-family wood-frame residence with a moderately-pitched cross-gable roof (Figure 16). The roof is clad with asphalt shingles and features overhanging eaves. The building is clad in painted narrow wood clapboard.
Typical windows are multi-lite vinyl hung windows with wood surrounds and located on all façades.
The primary (west) façade windows are flanked by wood shutters with decorative diamond cutouts.
The front yard of the secondary building includes a lawn and mature landscaping (Figure 17). A concrete path runs along the south façade to a small woodshed and rear alley (Figure 18).
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Figure 16. Secondary rear building, looking northeast.
Figure 17. Front yard of rear building, looking
northwest.
Figure 18. Shed adjacent to rear building, looking
east.
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Surrounding Neighborhood
The subject property is located in a residential neighborhood one block from Wilshire Boulevard, a major east-west commercial thoroughfare that runs the length of the city. The parcels surrounding the subject property are characterized by a mix of multi-family properties and single-family residences ranging from the early 20th century to the present (Figure 19 through Figure 22).
Figure 19. Single-family residence at 1133 18th Street, looking northeast.
Figure 20. Property at 1127 18th Street, looking north.
Figure 21. Multi-family housing on the east side of
18th Street, looking north.
Figure 22. Apartment complex on the south side of
18th Street, looking west.
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IV. HISTORIC CONTEXT
Historic context related to the residential development of Santa Monica can be found in the Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory Update Survey Report Appendix A. 6 Wilshire Montana
The Wilshire Montana neighborhood spans the northern half of Santa Monica’s original 1875 township. Bounded by Montana Avenue on the north, 22nd Street on the east, Wilshire Boulevard on the south, and Santa Monica State Beach on the west, the area originally contained large parcels that supported some of the city’s earliest prominent residences. However, broader residential development was slow until the expansion of regional transportation networks in the early 20th century.7
The extension of the Pacific Electric Railway to Santa Monica in 1905 marked a period of increased development in the neighborhood. With reliable access to downtown Los Angeles and surrounding areas, Wilshire Montana became increasingly attractive to prospective homeowners and real estate developers. By the 1920s, the area was in the midst of a building boom. Residential construction surged, incorporating popular architectural styles of the time such as Craftsman, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival. These styles were often employed in modest single-family residences and low-density multi-family structures like duplexes and bungalow courts.8 A major shift occurred in the 1930s and continued into the post-World War II era as zoning and economic pressures encouraged denser development. Multi-family housing began to dominate, particularly in the form of courtyard apartments. Ocean Avenue, which forms the western edge of the neighborhood, witnessed the rise of high-rise apartment towers in the mid- to late-20th century, capitalizing on panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Commercial activity developed concurrently along the major east-west corridors of Wilshire Boulevard and Montana Avenue. Wilshire became a primary vehicular thoroughfare lined with mixed-use and commercial buildings, while Montana Avenue retained a lower-scale, pedestrian-oriented retail environment that remains a distinctive feature of the neighborhood. Despite its predominantly multi-family character today, portions of Wilshire Montana, particularly near 21st and 22nd Streets, retain concentrations of single-family homes. The neighborhood also includes several familiar institutions, including churches, public 6 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, “Appendix A: Historic Context Statement,” City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory, August 9, 2018, 29-38. 7 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, “Appendix A: Historic Context Statement,” City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory, 2018, 21-22. 8 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, “Appendix A: Historic Context Statement,” City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory, 2018, 21-22.
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schools, and community parks, which reflect the area's long-standing residential use and civic development.9
Green Acres
Situated within the eastern portion of the Wilshire Montana neighborhood, the Green Acres Tract was subdivided in 1906 during an early wave of suburban real estate speculation. Bounded by Wilshire Boulevard to the south, Washington Avenue to the north, 17th Street to the west, and 21st Street to the east, the tract was marketed by developers W.S. Vawter, T.H. Dudley, and J.J. Davis as an enclave for “fine residences.” These individuals were active in shaping early Santa Monica, with Vawter serving as a local realtor and Davis holding political office in the early 20th century.10 Despite this early promotion, development within Green Acres progressed slowly. By 1918, Sanborn fire insurance maps show that most lots remained vacant, with only a handful of dwellings constructed primarily along Wilshire Boulevard. The slow initial growth is attributable to a combination of factors, including the economic fluctuations of the 1910s and the tract’s relative distance from Santa Monica’s commercial core at the time. It was not until the real estate boom of the 1920s that Green Acres began to experience substantial development. Large lots were frequently subdivided to accommodate bungalow courts, small single-family residences, and increasingly, low-rise apartment buildings. These developments echoed broader trends in Santa Monica during the interwar period, when increasing population and changing lifestyle preferences made multi-family housing more desirable (Figure 23 and Figure 24). 11 9 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, “Appendix A: Historic Context Statement,” City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory, 2018, 21-22. 10 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, “Appendix A: Historic Context Statement,” City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory, 2018, 45-46. 11 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, “Appendix A: Historic Context Statement,” City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory, 2018, 45-46.
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Figure 23. 1928 aerial of the Green Acres Tract outlined in red showing the beginning stages of major development. 1125 18th Street indicated by yellow arrow. Source: UCSB Library, Flight C_300, Frame J-257.
Edited by Page & Turnbull.
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Figure 24. 1938 aerial of the Green Acres Tract outlined in red showing increased development. 1125 18th Street indicated by yellow arrow. Source: UCSB Library, Flight AJX_1938, Frame 26-78. Edited by Page & Turnbull.
Architectural Style: Craftsman Bungalow
The Craftsman style evolved from the English Arts and Crafts Movement and later, the work of innovative American architects working in the Midwest and California, in particular Frank Lloyd Wright and Greene & Greene. The style was utilized predominantly in residential properties and was dominant in many growing American neighborhoods from the 1900s to the 1930s. The Craftsman magazine, published in the United States from 1901 to 1917, helped to disseminate ideas associated with the style in North America, such as anti-industrialism and emphasis on handcrafted products.
Popularized California during the first decade of the 20th century as the Southern California work of Greene & Greene received critical acclaim, variants of the Craftsman style embraced influences from Japanese architecture, Swiss chalets, and the indoor/outdoor traditions of the Spanish and Mexican homes of the region.
Elaborate and unique homes of the wealthy, such as the Gamble House in Pasadena, represent high style examples while rows of more modest bungalows are found throughout California (Figure 25).
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Craftsman bungalows are typically characterized by low-pitched gabled roofs with wide, unenclosed eave overhangs; decorative beams or braces; exposed rafter tails; tapered square columns or pedestals; and extending porch elements. Small-scale, wood-framed Craftsman bungalows could be constructed easily and affordably and were often available as kit houses, or built from plans in pattern books, through the 1910s. Neighborhoods of Craftsman houses developed into the 1920s as streetcar suburbs (Figure 26)
Figure 25: The Gamble House designed by Greene
& Greene in Pasadena is a high-style example of
the Craftsman style. Source: Page & Turnbull,
2011.
Figure 26: The 1908 “Ye Planry” is an example of a
Craftsman bungalow kit house. Source: First
Edition Catalog of Bungalow Plans, Los Angeles,
1908-1913 via Antiquehome.org.
Based on a review of the 2018 Historic Context Statement survey results, 178 properties in Santa Monica were identified by the survey as “Craftsman” style. Of these, 30 individually significant properties were identified in the Wilshire Montana neighborhood, 18 as potential Landmarks and 12 as potential Structures of Merit. Like 1125 18th Street, all 30 properties were identified as being significant, at least in part, for conveying the “patterns of residential development” in the Wilshire Montana area in the “early decades of the twentieth century”. 12 Twenty of the Craftsman style
properties identified as significant in the Wilshire Montana neighborhood represent relatively modest bungalow-style homes, which display a variety of different Craftsman design elements and types, as well as levels of integrity (Figure 27 through Figure 30). 12 Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group, “Appendix B: Individual Resources,” City of Santa Monica Citywide Historic Resources Inventory, 2018.
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Figure 27. 847 10th Street. Built 1919, identified by the 2018 survey as eligible for designation as a Landmark.
Source: Google Maps.
Figure 28. 918 19th Street. Built in 1924, identified by the 2018 survey as eligible for designation as a
Structure of Merit. Source: Google Maps.
Figure 29. 811 5th Street. Built in 1912, identified by the 2018 survey as eligible for designation as a Structure
of Merit Source: Google Maps.
Figure 30. 908 California Avenue. Built in 1922,
identified by the 2018 survey as eligible for designation as a Landmark. Source: Google Maps.
Builder: M. L. Fuller
M. L. Fuller is listed on the original building permit dated March 3, 1923; however, little is known about his life or professional work. City directories from that year list Fuller as residing at 1253 18th Street, just one block south of the subject property. During this period, many Craftsman bungalows in Los Angeles were constructed using pattern books that supplied standardized plans and elevations, and as a result, designs were often attributed to builders rather than formally trained architects. Developers and contractors frequently hired young architects who had not yet established their own practices or relied on builders with no formal architectural education. Such practices likely contributed to the lack of documentation surrounding Fuller’s career.13 13 U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 from Ancestry.com; City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources, “Sub-Theme: Arts and Crafts Neighborhoods, 1895–1930,” SurveyLA Citywide Historic Context Statement, June 2016.
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V. SITE HISTORY
Site Development
The building permit for the residence at 1125 18th Street, filed March 1923, lists the builder as M. L.
Fuller and describes a one-story building with a composition roof, as was constructed. The earliest known illustration of the subject property comes from the fire insurance maps published by the Sanborn Map Company for Santa Monica in 1950 showing a one-story, single-family residence with a roughly rectangular footprint with a projecting bay and a detached garage (Figure 31). By the 1963 Sanborn map, the secondary residence appears in the rear at the east end of the parcel (Figure 32).
Figure 31. 1950 Sanborn Map Company fire insurance map of Santa Monica, Sheet 3. The subject property is outlined in red. Source: San Francisco Public Library, Fire Insurance Maps Online. Edited by Page & Turnbull.
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Figure 32. 1963 Sanborn Map Company fire insurance map of Santa Monica, Sheet 3. The subject property is outlined in red. Source: San Francisco Public Library, Fire Insurance Maps Online. Edited by Page & Turnbull.
CONSTRUCTION CHRONOLOGY
The following table provides a timeline of documented construction activity at 1125 18th Street beginning in 1923, based on building permit applications on file with the City of Santa Monica. 14 Cancelled and expired permits are not included. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits are not included. Additionally, permits related to the rear residence are not included.
TABLE 1. PERMIT HISTORY FOR 1958 20TH STREET.
Date Filed Permit
App. #
Owner Builder Work
03/04/1923 B1208 M.L. Fuller M.L. Fuller New construction permit at 1125 18th Street for a one-story residence
and garage.
05/03/1949 B5828 Robert T.
Jennings
Federal Termite
Control Service
(contractor)
Unknown work completed.
03/01/1994 EQR0405 Robert F.
Jennings
Grand Construction
Co.
Jack house up, repair foundation, bolt
house to foundation.
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The property has had very few alterations over the years. Alterations that are not reflected in the above permit record include the addition of a ramp alongside the south façade, replacing one window on the north façade, demolishing the detached garage, and replacing the driveway.
Ownership and Occupant History
The following table provides a summary of the ownership and occupancy history of 1125 18th Street, beginning in 1925, compiled from assessor records available through building permit applications from Santa Monica Permit Document Archive, historic newspaper articles, city directories, and other public records available through Ancestry.com.
TABLE 2. OCCUPANT HISTORY FOR 1125 18TH STREET.
Owners and Occupants (Presumed owners in bold)
Dates Occupant(s) Occupation
1925-1926 Samuel Raymond Salesman
Anna Raymond Unknown
1927 Russ Clover Owner of service station
1928 Vacant N/A
1929-1930
Gilbert Edwards Automotive salesman
Anna Edwards None
Bruce Edwards (son) None
Jack Edwards (son) None
Wilma Edwards (daughter) None
1930-1932
Douglas Ross Leat Carpenter
Lily Leat None
Henry Leat None
1933 Vacant N/A
1934-1935 J. W. Engler Unknown
1936 Frank Mulvany Plumber
Vesta Mulvany Unknown
1937-1939 No information found N/A
1940 Robert Maggetti Meter reader for gas company
Teresa Maggetti None
1941-2021
Robert T. Jennings (occupant 1950-
1966) Egg candler at Edgemar Farms
Agnes Jennings (first wife, occupant
1950-1959) None
Joule Jennings (second wife,
occupant 1963-1966) Unknown
Robert F. Jennings (son of Agnes,
occupant 1950-2009) Manufacturer of aircraft parts
Hazel Jennings (daughter-in-law,
occupant 1950-2010) None
Karl Jennings (grandson) Unknown
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Owners and Occupants (Presumed owners in bold)
Harry Balaz (occupant 2002-2021) Unknown
2021-present Joseph Naim Surgeon
Harry Balaz (occupant 2021-present) Unknown
Select Owners and Occupant Biographies
The subject property appears to have changed ownership and occupancy frequently since its construction in 1923. The longest-term residents at the subject property were the Jennings family, who owned 1125 18th Street for 80 years between 1941 and 2021.
Jennings Family (owners and occupants, 1941-2021)
The subject property appears to have been continuously owned and occupied by members of the Jennings family from approximately 1941 until 2021. Robert T. Jennings (1983-1966) was born in Henrietta, Texas and moved to Washington State in the early twentieth 20th. In 1919, Robert T.
Jennings married Agnes Miller (1893-1959) and together had one son, Robert F. Jennings (1920-2009) the following year. By 1935, the Jennings relocated to Los Angeles where Robert T. Jennings began working as an operator for an ice-making plant. In 1959, Agnes passed away. In 1963, Robert T. married his second wife, Joule Ferguson, however he passed away within three years of their nuptials. Their son, Robert F. Jennings, continued to own and occupy the subject property with his wife, Hazel, and their four children, Karl, Bob, Steve, and George. Research did not provide additional information about their lives. Following the passing of Robert F. and Hazel in 2009 and 2010 respectively, Karl Jennings inherited the property until he eventually sold it in 2021.15 15 U.S. Federal Census 1900-1950 through Ancestry.com; PropertyShark, Los Angeles County, California, Jennings Family Trust to Karl Jennings, August 8, 2010, Office of the County Recorder, Los Angeles, CA.
Historic Resource Assessment (HRA) 1125 18th Street
[19363O] Santa Monica, CA
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VI. EVALUATION
This HRA only evaluates the primary residence at 1125 18th Street for local designation eligibility as a Structure of Merit. No evaluation for City of Santa Monica Landmark, California Register, or National Register eligibility is provided.
Local Regulatory Framework
Chapter 9.56 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code (SMMC), commonly known as the Santa Monica Landmark and Historic District Ordinance, identifies the criteria under which a property or collection of properties may be designated locally as a historic resource. Properties may be designated as a Landmark, Structure of Merit, or Contributing Building or Structure to a Historic District by the City’s Landmarks Commission.
City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit
According to § 9.56.080 of the City of Santa Monica’s Landmark and Historic District Ordinance, an improvement may be designated a Structure of Merit if the Landmarks Commission determines that it merits official recognition because it has one of the following characteristics:
A. The structure has been identified in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory.
B. The structure is a minimum of 50 years of age and meets one of the following criteria:
1.The structure is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type.
2.The structure is representative of a style in the City that is no longer prevalent.
3.The structure contributes to a potential Historic District Evaluation of Significance
CITY OF SANTA MONICA STRUCTURE OF MERIT
SMMC 9.56.080(a). The structure has been identified in the City’s Historic Resources Inventory.
As the subject property is identified in the City of Santa Monica’s 2018 Historic Resources Inventory update as a potentially eligible resource for local listing, it technically meets the wording of this criterion. However, it is Page & Turnbull’s opinion that identification as a potential resource in Santa Monica’s Historic Resources Inventory does not alone provide sufficient basis for the individual designation of a property as a Structure of Merit. This criterion recognizes the findings of previous evaluations conducted in support of the inventory and update. It appears to presume that if a property is “identified” in the inventory, it has already been evaluated according to and found significant under at least one of the categories of SMMC 9.56.1080(b) (see below). Therefore, while Historic Resource Assessment (HRA) 1125 18th Street
[19363O] Santa Monica, CA
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the property may meet the text of the criterion as written in SMMC § 9.56.080(a), it does not appear to meet the intent of the criterion.
SMMC 9.56.080(b). The structure is a minimum of 50 years of age and meets one of the following criteria:
The subject property was built in 1923 and, therefore, satisfies the 50-year age criterion.
SMMC 9.56.080(b)(1). The structure is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type.
1125 18th Street is a relatively intact example of a modest Craftsman bungalow built during Santa Monica’s real estate boom of the 1920s. The Craftsman bungalow was a common single-family residential style in the Wilshire Montana neighborhood at the time, as the neighborhood was being developed in response to improved transit access. These smallscale, wood-framed homes were popular due to their ease and affordability of construction.
The building possesses some key characteristics of this housing type, including its one-story height, low-pitched gable roof with overhanging eaves, wood siding, and multi-lite wood frame windows. However, it lacks more distinctive architectural elements typical of Craftsman homes, such as prominent front porches with tapered stone, brick, or stucco columns or decorative beams. Rather than being a unique interpretation of Craftsman style, the idiosyncratic entrance at 1125 18th Street, which consists of a relatively small front porch facing the driveway rather than the public right of way, is a departure from the wide front entry porches which define the character of Craftsman bungalows. As such, 1125 18th Street represents a restrained interpretation, or partial application of the Craftsman style rather than a particularly distinguished or unique example.
The extant Craftsman bungalows and other single-family residences built in the first three decades of the 20th century in the Wilshire Montana neighborhood are not remnants of originally homogenous single-family neighborhoods. Rather, residences like 1125 18th Street represent a middle stage of neighborhood development. Though established in the late 19th and early 20th century, development in these areas progressed slowly and in a patchy fashion until construction of single-family homes accelerated during the 1920s. During and after this period of growth, low-scale apartment complexes and bungalow courts in various Revival styles were constructed alongside single family homes. This pattern created the neighborhood’s varied residential character, an architectural mix which reflects decades-long development patterns in the Green Acres Tract and Wilshire Montana neighborhood.
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[19363O] Santa Monica, CA
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According to the 2018 Historic Resources Inventory update, 178 Craftsman-style buildings were deemed individually eligible citywide, with 30 of these located in Wilshire Montana. Of those, roughly 20 are comparable in scale and character to 1125 18th Street. Although some have been lost to redevelopment and others altered to the degree that they have lost integrity, the modest Craftsman bungalow remains a relatively common building type within the neighborhood. Given its modest design and the continued presence of similar properties in the area, 1125 18th Street does not appear to represent a rare or unique example of its type. Therefore, the subject property does not appear to be eligible for listing as a Structure of Merit under this criterion.
SMMC 9.56.080(b)(2). The structure is representative of a style in the City that is no longer prevalent.
1125 18th Street is an example of a modest Craftsman bungalow, which was a building type prevalent in the City of Santa Monica through the first three decades of the 20th century. As discussed above, 1125 18th Street is one of many remaining Craftsman residences in the Wilshire Montana neighborhood and the City of Santa Monica as a whole. Therefore, the subject property does not appear to be eligible for listing as a Structure of Merit under this criterion.
SMMC 9.56.080(b)(3). The structure contributes to a potential Historic District.
The subject property has not been identified as a contributor to a potential Historic District.
Therefore, it does appear to be eligible for listing as a Structure of Merit under this criterion.
Integrity
To qualify for listing in any local, state, or national historic register, a property or landscape must possess significance under at least one evaluative criterion as described above and retain integrity.
Integrity is defined by the California Office of Historic Preservation as “the authenticity of an historical resource’s physical identity evidenced by the survival of characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance,” or more simply defined by the National Park Service as “the ability of a property to convey its significance.”16
Page & Turnbull uses established integrity standards outlined by the National Register Bulletin 15:
How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Seven variables, or aspects, which define 16 California Office of Historic Preservation, Technical Assistance Series No. 7: How to Nominate a Resource to the California Register of Historical Resources (Sacramento: California Office of State Publishing, September 4, 2001), 11; and National Park Service, National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (Washington, D.C.: U.S.
Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1995), 44.
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[19363O] Santa Monica, CA
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integrity are used to evaluate a resource’s integrity—location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.
As 1125 18th Street has not been found eligible for designation as a Structure of Merit under any criterion and thus does not have a period of significance or character-defining features which convey significance, this integrity assessment will be based solely on how closely its current appearance reflects its assumed condition at the time of its construction in 1923. The seven aspects that define integrity are listed below, with discussion relative to the property at 1125 18th Street following each definition.
Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred.
Discussion: 1125 18th Street retains integrity of location. The subject building has remained situated at its location of original construction since 1923.
Setting addresses the physical environment of the historic property inclusive of the landscape and spatial relationships of the building(s).
Discussion: 1125 18th Street partially retains integrity of setting. The building was constructed during a period of residential growth in the Wilshire Montana neighborhood. Although the surrounding neighborhood has evolved over time, and many buildings that were constructed during the same period as the subject property have been demolished, the subject property’s immediate setting generally retains the character of a residential neighborhood of modest single and multi-family residences.
Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of the property.
Discussion: 1125 18th Street retains integrity of design. The building appears to have had very few exterior alterations, and most original architectural features remain extant, including the overall form and massing, low pitched front gable roof with an intersecting side gable projection, wood clapboard cladding, and wood windows with simplified prairie-style muntins.
Materials refer to the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form the historic property.
Discussion: 1125 18th Street retains integrity of materials. The exterior wood clapboard cladding and wood window and door frames are all intact and appear to be original. Most windows appear to be original on all façades. Minor exterior alterations include replacing one window on the north façade, repairing the foundation, and replacing roofing.
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[19363O] Santa Monica, CA
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Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory.
Discussion: 1125 18th Street retains integrity of workmanship. As previously stated, the building has had very few exterior alterations, and the workmanship of the architectural features and materials remain extant to express the typical characteristics of a wood-frame residential building constructed in the 1920s.
Feeling is the property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.
Discussion: 1125 18th Street retains integrity of feeling. The building continues to express the aesthetic and historic sense of a modest bungalow residence with some Craftsman features, constructed in the 1920s.
Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and the historic property.
Discussion: While 1125 18th Street is not associated with significant patterns or events in history, and is not a significant example of an architectural type, style, or design professional, the building continues to readily convey its identity as a modest bungalow with some Craftsman features, constructed as the Wilshire Montana neighborhood was increasing in density through the early to mid-twentieth century.
Overall, 1125 18th Street retains all seven aspects of integrity relative to its ability to convey its date of construction.
VII. CONCLUSION & STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Page & Turnbull conducted a site visit and historic research to inform evaluation of the property at 1125 18th Street according to the criteria for listing as a City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit. The one-story single-family residence was constructed in 1923 by local builder M. L. Fuller in the Green Acres Tract in the Wilshire Montana neighborhood. It is a modest example of a Craftsman bungalow, a type which remains relatively common within the neighborhood and across the city as a whole. 1125 18th Street does not represent a rare or unique example of its type and is not an example of a no-longer-prevalent style. Based on research and analysis, Page & Turnbull finds that 1125 18th Street does not meet any of the criteria for designation as a City of Santa Monica Structure of Merit.
Historic Resource Assessment (HRA) 1125 18th Street
[19363O] Santa Monica, CA
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VIII. REFERENCES
Published Works & Reports
Architectural Resources Group and Historic Resources Group. “City of Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory Update Survey Report,” 2018, with appendices:
Appendix A: Historic Context Statement, March 2018.
Appendix B: Individual Resources Property Sheets, 2018.
Appendix B: District Primary Records, 2018.
California Office of Historic Preservation. Technical Assistance Bulletin No. 7: How to Nominate a Resource to the California Register of Historical Resources. Sacramento: California Office of State Publishing, September 4, 2001.
California Office of Historic Preservation. Technical Assistance Bulletin No. 8: User’s Guide to the California Historical Resource Status Codes & Historic Resources Inventory Directory. Sacramento:
California Office of State Publishing. November 2004.
City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources. “Sub-Theme: Arts and Crafts Neighborhoods, 1895- 1930.” SurveyLA Citywide Historic Context Statement. June 2016.
Fonda-Bonardi, Mario. “Structure of Merit Designation Application, 1125 18th Street.” Submitted to City of Santa Monica, April 2025.
National Park Service. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1995.
National Park Service. National Register Bulletin 32: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Properties Associated with Significant Persons. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, n.d.
Public & Archival Records
Ancestry.com
California State Office of Historic Preservation, Built Environment Resource Directory (BERD), Los Angeles County, updated September 2022.
Los Angeles County Public Works Land Records Information.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Accessed through San Francisco Public Library online.
Santa Monica Community Development. Permit records.
Santa Monica Municipal Code of Ordinances. Chapter 9.56 Landmarks and Historic Districts.
Accessed online June 6, 2025, https://ecode360.com/42751383.
Santa Monica Public Library Image Archive.
University of California, Santa Barbara Library Air Photo Collection.
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[19363O] Santa Monica, CA
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Internet Sources
California Office of Historic Preservation, “California Historical Resource Status Codes,” 2003.
Accessed online June 6, 2025,
https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/pages/1069/files/chrstatus%20codes.pdf.
PropertyShark, Los Angeles County, California. Jennings Family Trust to Karl Jennings, August 8, 2010. Office of the County Recorder, Los Angeles, CA.
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[19363O] Santa Monica, CA
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IX. APPENDIX
Preparer Qualifications
This Historic Resource Assessment was prepared by the Los Angeles office of Page & Turnbull, an over 50-year-old preservation architecture and planning consultant. Page & Turnbull is on the City of Santa Monica’s historic preservation professional consultant list. Page & Turnbull staff responsible for this report include Christina Dikas, Principal-in-charge; Stacy Kozakavich, Senior Cultural Resources Planner and project manager; and Amanda Commins, Cultural Resources Planner and primary author. All staff members meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards for Historic Architectural History (36 CFR Part 61).