REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Planning and Development Department
THROUGH: ASHLEY ATKINSON, Assistant Director
Planning and Development Department
BY: LISHA CHEN, Historic Preservation Specialist
Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
HEARING to consider adoption of a resolution designating a property to the Local Register of Historic Resources.
1. RESOLUTION - Designating the Property Located at 1235 N. Arthur Avenue to the Local Register of Historic Resources (Council District 3)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
The Historic Preservation Commission recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution designating the property located at 1235 N. Arthur Avenue to the Local Register of Historic Resources pursuant to Fresno Municipal Code SEC.12-1607 and 12-1609.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The owner of the property located at 1235 N. Arthur Avenue has requested, in writing, that the property be considered for listing on Fresno’s Local Register of Historic Resources. The property was evaluated with respect to the Fresno Municipal Code SEC. 12-1607 historic resources designation criteria. The Historic Preservation Commission held a noticed public hearing on August 26, 2024, and concluded that the property was eligible for listing on the Local Register of Historic Resources.
The Commission hereby forwards the nomination to the City Council for consideration.
BACKGROUND
The property owner submitted an application to designate the property located at 1235 N Arthur Avenue as a local historic resource. Through extensive research, the property has been found eligible for the Local Register of Historic Resources.
The property at 1235 N. Arthur Avenue (Assessor Parcel Number: 450-162-09), is in the Tower District of the City of Fresno. Set on the north side of West Olive Avenue and west of North Arthur Avenue, the property consists of a 0.22-acre rectangular parcel with a one-story single-family residence and a garage set back in the parcel. It was constructed in 1921, a time when Fresno's population and economy were rapidly expanding. According to the U.S. Census, the City's population doubled from 12,470 in 1900 to 24,892 in 1910. In response to this growth, the Fresno City Board of Trustees established the City's first planning commission in 1916 to manage and guide further development. Arthur Avenue was constructed during the 1920s, a period marked by economic prosperity and an increased demand for housing near the downtown industrial center. Most of the bungalows in this area date from the 1910s and 1920s, representing the era's most important form of moderate-cost housing. These homes highlight the modest character of the neighborhoods extending west along the Olive Avenue streetcar line, contrasting with the wealthier subdivisions to the north, such as Wilson's North Fresno Tract and the College Addition.
The residence exhibits features of early 20th century Craftsman-style architecture, which is considered the most common house type of the period. The major elements of the Craftsman style can be found, such as clipped gables with large attic vents; a large gabled front porch with two sets of round columns; deep roof overhangs with exposed beams and rafters; and wood siding and trim. The bungalow was a moderately priced domestic architecture suited to the California climate. Between 1922 and 1929, 883,000 new homes were built each year in the United States. New suburbs developed along the outskirts of every major city. The suburban neighborhoods were filled with the American Bungalow, which cost between $1,500 and $5,000, a price that was affordable for the growing middle class. The house at 1235 N Arthur Avenue was built at the cost of $6,000.
Miles O. Humphreys is found to be the first owner of the house. He was the son of a pioneer Fresno County family that arrived in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Notably, Humphreys served as the first chairman of the Fresno City Planning Commission, holding this position for nearly 20 years. His leadership was instrumental in shaping the City's growth and development. Humphreys was actively involved in community affairs until his retirement in 1938 due to ill health. After Humphreys' death in 1945, his wife, Irma M., continued to reside in the house until her death in 1974.
Analysis
To be considered for designation as a local Historic Resource the site must be found by the Commission and Council to meet the following criteria:
SEC. 12-1607. - DESIGNATION CRITERIA.
(a) HISTORIC RESOURCES: Any building, structure, object, or site may be designated as an Historic Resource if it is found by the Commission and council to meet the following criteria:
(1) It has been in existence more than fifty years, and it possesses aspects of integrity to convey its significance based upon location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association, and:
(i) It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
(ii) It is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
(iii) It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values; or
(iv)It has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
(2) It has been in existence less than fifty years, it meets the criteria of subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section and is of exceptional importance within the appropriate historical context, local, state, or national.
The house was constructed in 1921, making it over 100 years old. It retains its integrity in terms of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association as a Craftsman bungalow with its character-defining features still intact. It is found associated with significant events and persons, and it embodies distinctive architectural characteristics of its period.
Firstly, the house is part of the historical growth and development period of Fresno, specifically during the City's rapid expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The development of Arthur Avenue during the 1920s is representative of the broader patterns of housing demand near industrial centers and the expansion of suburban neighborhoods. Secondly, the house was first owned by Miles O. Humphreys, a significant figure in Fresno's history. Humphreys played a pivotal role in Fresno's urban development history as the first chairman of the Fresno City Planning Commission. His nearly two-decade-long tenure saw the establishment and implementation of foundational planning principles that guided the city's growth during a critical period of expansion. His contributions to the planning and growth of Fresno highlight the house's association with a person significant in the past. Lastly, the house embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Craftsman bungalow style, popular in the early 20th century. Its features, such as the low-pitched gabled roof, exposed rafters, trellised porch, grouped windows, and wood siding, exemplify the architectural style and construction methods of that period.
To conclude, the house along with the garage located at 1235 N. Arthur Avenue meet the criteria a (1), a (1)(i), a (1) (ii), and a (1) (iii) for a historic designation under the Fresno Municipal Code Sec. 12-1607.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The designation is not a “project” for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as it will not result in a direct or indirect change in the environment.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no additional impact beyond the expenditure of staff time.
Attachments:
Exhibit A - Resolution Designating 1235 N Arthur Ave.
Exhibit B - Application for Designation of an Historic Resource 1235 N Arthur Ave.
Exhibit C - Letter of Owner Authorization 1235 N Arthur Ave.
Exhibit D - DPR Inventory Forms 1235 N Arthur Ave.
Exhibit E - Public Hearing Notice & Noticing Map 1235 N Arthur Ave.
Exhibit F - Fresno Municipal Code Designation Criteria and Process