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Landmark Commission Meeting: September 14, 2026
Agenda Item: 6A
To: Landmark Commission
From: Stephanie Reich, Landmark Commission Secretary
Address(s): 1921 20th Street
Permit(s): 26ENT-0089
Applicant: Santa Monica Conservancy
Subject
Public Hearing to consider designation application 26ENT-0089 for the property located at 1921 20th Street to determine whether the residential structure in whole or in part should be designated as a City Landmark and, if designated a Landmark, whether an associated Landmark Parcel should be defined and described in order to preserve, maintain, protect, or safeguard the Landmark. The Landmarks Commission will consider the application based on whether the application, research and public testimony presented demonstrates that the building meets one or more of the required criteria for Landmark designation pursuant to SMMC Section 9.56.100(A). Consideration of compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including an exemption under CEQA Guideline 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption).
Recommended
Action
1) Staff recommends the Commission deny the
designation of the residence at 1921 20th Street as a
City Landmark. The staff analysis concludes that the
structure does not appear eligible for listing as a City Landmark under any of the designation criteria as the
property is a typical example of a common property
type.
2) Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15270, CEQA
does not apply to projects that a public agency
disapproves. Based on the recommended action,
CEQA would not be applicable. Alternatively, if the
project were to be approved, the Commission would
adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense
Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) Guidelines.
Introduction & Background
The Santa Monica Conservancy filed an application to designate the main structure and property as a City Landmark. The property, a modest example of a Craftsman bungalow, is a single-family residence built in 1913. The structure was identified in the Santa Monica Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) in 2018 as a potential Structure of Merit. The structure had not been previously identified on the City’s HRI.
2 Historic Resources Group (HRG) has been retained by the City of Santa Monica (City) to prepare a Historic Resource Assessment (HRA) to determine if the property is eligible for designation, and if so, under which criteria.
HRG has found that the single-family residence at 1921 20th Street is significant under Landmark Criterion 1, within the context “Residential Development” and theme “Single-family Residential Development (1875-1977),” as a rare remaining and intact example of early residential development in the Pico neighborhood, and under Landmark Criteria 1, 2, and 4, within the context “Architecture & Design (1875-1977),” theme “Early 20th Century Styles,” and sub-theme “Craftsman,” as an excellent and comparatively rare example of a Craftsman style Airplane Bungalow in Santa Monica. Although it is in poor condition, the building retains integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Therefore, the 1913 Craftsman style Airplane Bungalow at 1921 20th Street is eligible for designation as a City Landmark.
Staff agrees that the property is a relatively intact Craftsman Bungalow. However, staff disagrees that the primary structure or property rise to the level of designation. Craftsman Bungalows are found throughout the City of Santa Monica. Staff disagrees that the period referred to within the Historic Context, Single-family Residential Development (1875-1977), is significant in this area since, as stated, the properties in the neighborhood were sparsely developed. The property appears to be a remnant of an earlier time, however that does not necessarily make it eligible for designation. And finally, the building and property are in poor condition and disrepair. While there is certain guidance identifying that more extreme deterioration is necessary to impact integrity, the overall poor condition of this property would make rehabilitation challenging and likely result in substantial replacement of its exterior features and materials beyond what is intended by Secretary of the Interior’s Standards..
While staff disagrees with the conclusion in HRG’s report, the report offers useful information regarding the description and history of the property and summarizes some of that information. The analysis will expand on areas of disagreement and provide a contrast with the applicant’s historic analysis. For more detailed information, please refer to the Historic Resource Assessment and Applicant’s Materials attached to this report. 3 .
Aerial view of 1921 20thStreet (outlined in red)
Historic Resources Inventory Status
As noted above, 1921 20th Street was evaluated as part of the Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) survey and found to be potentially eligible for listing as a Santa Monica Landmark. The findings of the 2018 HRI update are quoted below:
1921 20th Street appears eligible for listing as aSanta Monica Landmark. The property is an excellent example of Craftsman architecture as applied to a single-family residence. It exhibits distinctive characteristics that are associated with the style as expressed by its form, massing, composition, and architectural details. It is also significant for representing early patterns of residential development that shaped the Pico neighborhood of Santa Monica in the early decades of the twentieth century.
Constructed in 1913, it is one of relatively few extant residential buildings from this formative period of neighborhood growth
The property was not included in a previous HRI.
4 Surrounding Neighborhood
The subject property is located in a multi-family neighborhood on 20th Street, a major north-south circulator. The property is in the Pico Neighborhood. The parcels surrounding the subject property are characterized by a mix of multi-family properties and single-family residences with construction dates ranging from the early 20th century to the present. The surrounding neighborhood consists primarily of low-density multi-family residential development, interspersed with other remnant single-family properties and larger multi-family buildings Notably, 1958 20th Street was the residence of Dr. Marcus O. Tucker, the city’s first black physician and his notable family. The house, known as ‘The Tucker Residence’, was constructed in 1937 and remained in the family’s possession until 1988, the year of Essie Tucker’s death. The Tucker Residence was designated a City Landmark in February, 2025.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15270, CEQA does not apply to projects that a public agency disapproves. Based on the recommended action, CEQA would not be applicable.
Alternatively, if the project were to be approved, the Commission would adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that approving an application and designating the property as a Landmark will result in any significant effect on the environment. This determination is based on the record as a whole, which includes, but is not limited to, evidence that the designation of the property as a Landmark will promote the retention and preservation of historic resources, the designation would not result in any physical change to the property, and any future physical changes would be subject to subsequent CEQA review.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
Notice of this hearing was provided as required by Section 9.56.170(c) of the Landmarks Ordinance, with notice sent to all owners and occupants within a 300-foot radius and a newspaper notice published in the Santa Monica Daily Press at least 10 consecutive calendar days prior to the hearing. A copy of the notice is included attached to this report. 5 ANALYSIS
Property Information and Architectural Description
1921 20th Street occupies a generally flat lot of 7,200 square feet (.165 acre). The front (west) edge of the property is retained with a concrete masonry unit garden wall and secured with metal picket fencing and gates. A narrow concrete driveway extends along the north edge of the property from the street to a detached two-car garage at the northeast corner of the lot. The property is occupied by three buildings: the single-family residence fronting 20th Street, the detached garage, and a rear accessory dwelling.
The main residence is a two-story, Craftsman style Airplane Bungalow of wood frame construction. It has an irregular plan, asymmetrical composition, and complex massing with a small, two-room second story projecting above the surrounding first-story roof. The first-and second-story roofs consist of low-pitched cross gables with rolled asphalt composition roofing, wide eaves with exposed rafter tails, and overhanging rakes supported on wood outriggers.
The primary (west) façade has a projecting concrete porch with a front gable roof and beadboard soffit supported on wood posts; the porch is accessed from the north and south by wide concrete steps. A wood pergola extends from the north side of the porch over the driveway to form a porte-cochère, supported on the opposite side by wood posts on brick piers. There is an exterior brick chimney and a shed-roofed projecting bay on the north (secondary) façade. The house’s exterior walls are clad in wood clapboard siding that flares slightly above the foundation. Fenestration consists primarily of one-over-one double hung wood sash windows in various sizes with simple wood surrounds, overhanging lintels, sills, and aprons.
The accessory dwelling unit (constructed in 1948) and two-car garage (1951) are unremarkable utilitarian structures. There is no alley at the rear of the property.
Development History
The property at 1921 20th Street is a portion of Lot 1 of Block 24 of the Erkenbrecher Syndicate Santa Monica Tract, recorded in 1904. The property is part of a three-acre parcel 6 that was purchased in 1905 by Anna Lillian Gross, the Iowa-born daughter of German immigrants. Later that year, Gross married Simeon (Simon or Sam) Unfried, a 27-year-old German-born carpenter who had emigrated to the United States as a child. The Unfrieds had subdivided their original 3-acre parcel into separate lots by 1920, when they sold 1921 20th Street to Dr. Edward B. Jones. However, they retained ownership of other lots on the original parcel.
In 1927 the Unfrieds replaced the house at 1901 20th Street with a two-story brick commercial building with four shops on the first floor and two apartments and a hall above.
The hall, which was locally known as “Unfried Hall,” became a venue for community gatherings and social events, including dances. This was in violation of the city’s racist anti-dancing ordinance passed in 1922 that limited dancing to downtown Santa Monica only. In 1931, the police closed Unfried Hall and in 1932, the Unfrieds, whose storefronts were already vacant because of the Depression, were foreclosed. By 1936, the brick commercial building had been purchased by Calvary Baptist Church, which enlarged the upstairs hall for services. The Church moved to a new location in 1947 but retained ownership of the commercial building, which was demolished in 1964 to accommodate the widening of 20th Street.
This later history of the Unfrieds and their 1920s developments occurred after they had sold the property at 1921 20th Street. The history of the “Unfried Hall” is separate and apart from the history of the subject property. Further, none of these later events occurred at or are associated with 1921 20th Street. All the properties that were directly associated with the Unfrieds’ later developments, including the two-story brick commercial building at 1901 20th Street, have since been demolished.
Architectural Style: Craftsman Bungalow
The Gamble House designed by Greene & Greene in
Pasadena is a high-style example of the Craftsman
style.
The 1908 “Ye Planry” is an example of a Craftsman
bungalow kit house.
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 1910s. Neighborhoods of Craftsman houses developed into the 1920s as streetcar suburbs.
7 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.
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. It is typical of the 2018 Historic Context and survey to identify all Craftsman buildings in the city as being significant, at least in part, for conveying the “patterns of residential development.” The Airplane bungalow has always been a rare subtype in the city of Santa Monica. 315 10th Street, known as Aeroplane Bungalow, is a City Landmark. 315 10th Street Aeroplane Bungalow, a Designated City
Landmark
Context: Residential Development in the Pico Neighborhood The Pico neighborhood developed from west to east, along the southern side of the railroad tracks. The neighborhood contained the largest residential tract in Santa Monica. Residents in this neighborhood are ethnically diverse, and many of the city’s service workers historically lived in this area. Completion of Pico Boulevard in 1914, the shortest route from Los Angeles to Santa Monica and Ocean Park, was instrumental in its growth and development.
The subject property is part of the Erkenbrecher Tract. The gridded residential portion of this tract was an irregularly shaped subdivision bounded by the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks to the north (north of present-day Olympic Boulevard), Pico Boulevard to the south, present-day Stewart Street to the east, and 14th Street to the west (exclusive of Woodlawn Cemetery). Sanborn Maps from 1918 indicate that the residential blocks north of Delaware Avenue between 14th and 20th Streets were only 25% built out. The more significant period of growth occurred later, primarily multi-family development that occurred from the 1920’s through the 1940’s. The properties developed during this period with multi-family buildings were (largely) undeveloped parcels, and that phase of development was the first such development on these properties.
Integrity Analysis
With the exception of modifications to the porch, the property appears to have had very few exterior modifications since it was originally constructed. The property has been vacant for 8 several years and is therefore dramatically deteriorated. As such, its seriously deteriorated conditions represent a loss of integrity in several important categories.
Location
The primary residence at 1921 20th Street retains integrity of location. The subject building has remained situated at its location of original construction since 1913. As noted above, the property was part of three properties originally purchased by the original owners. The original development of those adjacent properties is no longer extant. As the primary residence is maintained on the site where it was originally developed, retains integrity of location.
Setting
Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. At the time the residence at 1921 20th Street was constructed in 1913, the Erkenbrecher Syndicate Tract was sparsely developed and remained so into the 1920s, when it became a target for multi-family residential development which became more prevalent in the development pattern of this particular area. Additionally, in the 1960s, many other buildings were moved or demolished to accommodate the widening of 20th Street. Single-family development was sparse during the early period and does not reflect the more significant development pattern of multi-family development occurring between the 1920s-1940s in the Erkenbrecher Syndicate Tract.
Therefore, it appears the residence at 1921 20th Street no longer retains integrity of setting.
Design
Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. The single-family residence at 1921 20th Street has undergone few alterations since its original construction in 1913 except for the removal of the porch’s brick piers and replacement of the wood posts. Therefore, it retains integrity of design.
Materials
Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property. Apart from the front porch’s brick piers which were removed after sustaining damage in the Northridge earthquake, the Craftsman style Airplane Bungalow at 1921 20th Street retains nearly all of the materials that were deposited in its original construction in 1913. However, as the structure’s materials have not been maintained since its construction, the condition of all the materials is so poor that it has negatively impacted its historic integrity. Rehabilitating the residence in a manner that would retain sufficient original materials in accordance with Secretary of the Interior’s (SOI) Standards would be challenging where replacement of a majority of the materials is likely. Therefore, the structure no longer retains integrity of materials. Due to this concern, the property appears to no longer retain integrity of materials.
9 Workmanship
Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. As demonstrated above, the house at 1921 20th Street retains integrity of design. However, the condition of the materials is so poor that the integrity of workmanship is lost Integrity of materials is essential to maintain integrity of worksmanship. It is likely that if the property were to be refurbished, the majority of original materials would have to be replaced. Workmanship for the subject property is closely related to integrity of materials.
Therefore, the property does not retain integrity of workmanship.
Feeling
Feeling is a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. It results from the presence of physical features that, taken together, convey the property’s historic character. While the property and primary residence retains its integrity of location and design, integrity of setting, materials and workmanship has been lost.
Without integrity of setting, the property stands alone as a remnant and doesn’t convey its relationship to the early period of development. Without integrity of materials and workmanship,it has lost its sense of what it might have been to be on the property or viewing the building during the period of significance. Therefore, the property does not retain integrity of feeling.
Association
Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. As demonstrated above, the property at 1921 20th Street has lost integrity of materials, workmanship, and feeling. In the early period of residential development, the area was sparsely developed. As such the property is a remnant and does not convey its association with this period.
The property therefore does not retain its integrity of association.
Evaluation for Local Landmark Designation
Per §9.56.100(A) of the Santa Monica Landmarks and Historic Districts Ordinance (adopted in 1976 and later amended in 1987, 1991, and most recently 2015), a property merits consideration as a Landmark if it satisfies one or more of six statutory criteria. 1921 20th Street does not appear to be eligible as City Landmark under any criteria 1 through 6.
The following discussion steps through each criterion.
(1) It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history of the City.
The subject property appears to be a remnant of an early phase of development. During the period of development prior to 1920, Sanborn Maps from 1918 indicate that the residential blocks north of Delaware Avenue between 14th and 20th Streets were only 25% built out.
The more significant period of growth occurred later as multi-family development that occurred from the 1920’s through the 1940’s. The property appears to be a remnant of the earlier, yet insignificant period of development.
Therefore, it does not appear to symbolize or manifest elements of the history of the neighborhood or the city and does not appear to satisfy this criterion. (2) It has aesthetic or artistic interest or value, or other noteworthy interest or value. 10 The primary residence is a simple example of an Airplane Bungalow. Airplane bungalows are a small subset of the modest Craftsman Bungalow type that is still prevalent in the city. As a very simple example, it doesn’t represent the aesthetic of artistic or noteworthy interest or value that would meet this criteria. However, due to its poor condition and loss of materials and integrity, it no longer retains aesthetic or artistic interest, or other noteworthy interest. Therefore, it does not appear to satisfy this criterion.
(3) It is identified with historic personages or with important events in local, state or national history.
No evidence was provided to suggest that any of the prior owners or occupants of the property were persons of significance or made significant contributions to important events in local, state, or national history. The original property owners may have owned three adjacent lots, however, no information provided identifies or connects any historic personages or events with the subject property. Accordingly, the subject property does not appear to satisfy this criterion. (4) It embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics valuable to a study of a period, style, method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship, or is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type valuable to such a study.
The subject building is a typical example of a Craftsman Bungalow, with a subtype of Airplane Bungalow. Airplane Bungalows have always been a rare subtype in Santa Monica. As a very simple subtype not prevalent in the City, the residence appears to be a remnant rather than a quality example of its type and does not appear to embody characteristics valuable to a study of a period. As a simple example, the structure does not convey the horizonal massing proportions and visual relationship between the low horizonal lower floor and modest recessed upper floor composition typical of this sub-type. Additionally, although relatively intact, the residence is in considerable disrepair due to deferred maintenance over the years. Due to its poor condition, the residence appears to lack sufficient overall integrity. Therefore, it does not appear to satisfy this criterion.
(5) It is a significant or a representative example of the work or product of a notable builder, designer or architect.
There is no evidence that the primary structure on the property is connected to a notable builder, designer or architect. Therefore, the subject property does not appear to satisfy this criterion.
(6) It has a unique location, a singular physical characteristic, or is an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community or the City.
The subject building is on a typical lot in the Pico neighborhood and does not have a unique location or singular physical characteristic, nor is it an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood, community or City. Therefore, the subject property does not appear to satisfy this criterion.
11 CONCLUSION & STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
1921 20th Street is a modest example of an Airplane Bungalow, a subtype of Craftsman bungalow. The Craftsman Bungalow is a type which remains relatively common across the city as a whole. 1921 20th Street does not represent an example of a no-longer prevalent style.
Additionally, the property has deteriorated to a point that the condition has resulted in a loss of integrity. As a practical matter, the property can likely not be rehabilitated with sufficient original material to maintain its integrity. 1921 20th Street does not meet any of the criteria for designation as a City of Santa Monica Landmark.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Commission deny the designation of the property at 1921 20th Street, as it does not appear to meet any of the Landmark criteria.
Attachments
Public Notice
Designation Nomination Application
Historic Resource Assessment (HRA)Report, Historic Resources Group (HRG)