AGENDA REPORT. From: Mark Odell, Urban Designer

Transcription

1 AGENDA REPORT Meeting Date: May 8, 2018 Item Number: f i To: From: Subject: Honorable Mayor & City Council Mark Odell, Urban Designer APPROVAL OF TWO RESOLUTIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS DESIGNATING, RESPECTIVELY, THE UNION 76 SERVICE STATION AT 427 NORTH CRESCENT DRIVE AND THE WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING AT 157 SOUTH CRESCENT DRIVE AS LOCAL LANDMARKS AND PLACING THE PROPERTIES ON THE BEVERLY HILLS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES; AND THE COUNCIL WILL ALSO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF TWO CATEGORICAL EXEMPTIONS, PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNiA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT. Attachments: 1. Resolution Designating the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive as a Local Landmark 2. Resolution Designating the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building at 157 South Crescent Drive as a Local Landmark 3. Cultural Heritage Commission Reports and CHC Resolutions No. 68 and 69 Recommending Landmark Designation of the two properties (excluding exhibits) RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council, on the recommendation of the Cultural Heritage Commission and with each of the property owners agreement, adopt two resolutions designating, respectively, the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive and the Weller Schreiber Apartment Building at 157 South Crescent Drive as Local Landmarks and placing the two properties on he Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Page 1 of 10

2 Meeting Date: May 8, 2018 Landmark Designations 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. INTRODUCTION Currently thirty-six (36) properties in Beverly Hills are designated as local Landmarks listed on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties (viewable at The Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) has recommended that the City Council designate two additional historic properties as local historic landmarks in accordance with the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance (Beverly Hills Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32). Designating these properties as landmarks would recognize them as important to the history of the City and help to ensure protection of these resources by requiring City review of any significant future work done to the property, including renovations, additions, and any potential demolition. Listing these properties on the City s Register of Historic Properties would also enable the property owners to be eligible for current and future incentives offered to local landmarks, including the ability to request a Historic Incentive Permit, a Mills Act contract for possible property tax relief, or both. BACKGROUND The Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive The subject property is located at the southeast corner of South Santa Monica Boulevard and North Crescent Drive, across from the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and diagonal from Beverly Hills City Hall. Located on the site are a triangular canopy (1965) supported by three concrete piers which covers the gasoline pump stalls and a single-story service building (1978) composed of square concrete blocks tucked under the canopy. Also on the site are a metal shed storage building and a pole sign topped with the 76 brand orange ball and gasoline price signage. The canopy of the service station is designed in a sweeping triangular concrete form that rises at each corner and generates the appearance of motion. Prominent Chinese-American architect Gin D. Wong, FAIA, who was a partner in the office of William Pereira and Associates at the time, is responsible for the unique and dramatic design. The modernist design reflects the influence of the aviation age and was originally intended for a location on Century Boulevard near Los Angeles Page 2 of 10

3 Meeting Date: May 8, 2018 Landmark Designations 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. International Airport. The subject site in Beverly Hills has been a service station dating to the 1 920s, and this structure was constructed at this alternate location between Following the Cultural Heritage Commission s direction, an Ad-hoc Committee of two Commissioners, City staff and the property owner and their representatives reached consensus on the historically significant building elements and the character-defining features of the property (which are enumerated in Section 8 of the resolution in Attachment 1). At its February 27, 2018 meeting, the Cultural Heritage Commission, with the concurrence of the property owner, voted unanimously to nominate the landmark and to forward the property to the City Council for designation action. The WeIler-Schreiber Apartment Building at 157 South Crescent Drive The subject property is located at the northwest corner of South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard. Located on the site is a two-story multi-family apartment building with a detached one-story four-car garage structure. The property is designed in the French Revival Eclectic Architectural Style. It features distinctive period details such as a mansard roof, quoin details, articulated doors and windows, brick chimneys and entry stoops, plaster molded beltcourse, engaged fluted columns, ionic scrolls and embellished entry door surrounds and a small garden enclosed by a perimeter wall and hedge at the entry along South Crescent Drive. The two-story multi-family building was built as an investment for the builder A. Markowitz and Son, a Los Angeles-based real estate and contracting company (who is not included on the City List of Master Architects). The architect or designer is unknown. Although two of the four units were combined at a later date, minimal changes have occurred to the exterior appearance of the property over time and it retains substantial integrity from its period of significance (1935). The property is located in an area previously identified as a potentially eligible district (the Beverly Vista Multi-Family Residential Historic District ) which spans the multi-family blocks south of Wilshire Boulevard between Reeves Drive at the west and Oakhurst Drive to the east. The grouping represents a significant period of multi-family residential development within the city from the 1 920s to the 1 960s. Page 3 of 10

4 Meeting Date: May 8, 2018 Landmark Designations 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. At its April 11, 2018 meeting, the Cultural Heritage Commission, with the consent of the property owners, voted unanimously to nominate the landmark and to commence designation proceedings on the subject property. DISCUSSION Acting upon Landmark Nomination applications filed on behalf of the owners, the Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) initiated nomination proceedings for the properties located at 427 North Crescent Drive and 157 South Crescent Dr. at formal hearings on February 27, 2018 and April 11, 2018, respectively. At these meeting the Cultural Heritage Commission considered Landmark Assessment Reports regarding eligibility of the properties prepared by Jan Ostashay of Ostashay Consulting and Preliminary Evaluations of the properties eligibility prepared by the Director of Community Development (pursuant to the requirements in BHMC A.3). The Commission found that each of the properties were eligible under landmark criteria (Beverly Hills Municipal Code ) and adopted Resolutions CHC 68 and CHC 69 respectively, nominating the Union 76 Service Station and the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building for inclusion onto the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Landmark Eligibility The City s Historic Preservation Ordinance enables the City Council to designate local landmarks. The subject properties have both been assessed for their eligibility for designation as Beverly Hills landmarks. The Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Reports provide the background and findings to justify each property s eligibility under Landmark Designation Criteria of the Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance (BHMC ), to which the property is subject. Eligibility is summarized for each property in Table 1. Table 7. Summary of Local Landmark Criteria Eligibility Criterion Union 76 Service Station Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building A.1 It is at least forty-five (45) Yes. Yes years of age, or is a property of extraordinary Construction of the canopy was The property was built in 1 935, significance; completed in 1965, so the and is 83 years of age in property is 53 years of age in Page 4 of 10

5 Meeting Date: May 8, 2018 Landmark Designations 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. Criterion Union 76 Service Station WeIIer-Schreiber Apartment Building A.2 It possesses high artistic Yes Yes or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive The highly futuristic modern The property embodies the characteristics of an upswept canopy design is one characteristics of the French architectural style or of the finest and most Revival (Eclectic) architectural architectural type or recognizable examples of the style, as can be seen in its architectural period Googie architectural style in general scale, massing and Southern California, a siting, as well in design features vernacular subset of such as its mansard roof, quoin Modernism. The shape, details, window and door configuration, materials and articulation, and plaster illumination of the canopy are detailing. The fine execution of all key defining features of the architectural style. the overall architectural form and details of the property appear to possess high aesthetic value. A.3 It retains substantial Yes Yes integrity from its period of significance The canopy remains largely The period of significance for unaltered from its inception in this property is 1 935, when it 1965, and the service station was constructed. Only minor building added in does not changes have occurred to the detract from the significance of exterior of the property over the site. The property appears time and so it appears to be to retain all seven aspects of substantially intact overall, integrity (location, design, particularly on its primary setting, materials, elevations facing Crescent Drive workmanship, feeling, and association). and Charleville Boulevard. The property appears to retain all seven aspects of integrity (location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association). Page 5 of 10

6 Meeting Date: May 8, 2018 Landmark Designations 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. Criterion Union 76 Service Station Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building A.4 It has continued historic Yes Yes value to the community such that its designation The property continues to have The property continues to have as a landmark is historic value to the community historic value to the community reasonable and due to its stylistic and as a superior example of a necessary to promote recognizable design, its period-revival design for a fourand further the purposes association with master plex multi-family property type, of this article architects Gin D. Wong and reflective of the early William Pereira, and for its development of Beverly Hills in contributions to the architectural the 1 920s and 1 930s. heritage of the city. B.1 It is listed on the National No No Register of Historic Places The site is not listed on the The subject property is not National Register. listed on the National Register. B.2 It is an exceptional work Yes No by a Master Architect The property is considered an The property was built by exceptional gas station design owner/builder A. Markowitz and that was designed by prominent Sons, with no architect Chinese-American architect Gin accredited. There is no D. Wong and is associated with evidence to indicate that the the firm William Pereira and building is the work of a Master Associates (both are on the Architect. City s List of Master Architects). Wong passed at his home in Beverly Hills in September The property has been featured in countless print publications and periodicals, including Beverly Hills, by Marc Wanamaker and Beverly Hills, the First 700 Years by Robbie Anderson. Page 6 of 10

7 Meeting Date: May 8, 2018 Landmark Designations 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. Criterion Union 76 Service Station WelIer-Schreiber Apartment Building B.3 It is an exceptional work No No that was owned and occupied by a person of The archival research does not The archival research does not great importance, and indicate the property was indicate the property was owned was directly connected to owned or occupied by a or occupied by a person of a momentous event in person of great importance, great importance, as defined in the person s endeavors as defined in BHMC BHMC or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraphs, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous B.4 It is an exceptional No No property that was owned and occupied by a person The research information The research information of great local prominence uncovered for this property uncovered for this property during the assessment of its during the assessment of its historical significance does not historical significance does not indicate that the property was indicate that the property was owned and/or occupied by a owned and/or occupied by a person of great local person of great local prominence, as defined in prominence, as defined in BHMC BHMC B.5 It is an iconic property Yes No The bold design of an otherwise The property does not appear to prosaic property type has meet the definition of iconic earned this service station its property, as defined in BHMC place as a favorite subject of photographers and visitors to Beverly Hills. The sweeping canopy is a highly recognized icon of Googie architecture and is strongly associated with Beverly Hills due to its prominent, visible location. Therefore, it appears that the property satisfies the definition of iconic property. Page 7 of 10

8 Meeting Date: May 8, 2018 Landmark Designations 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. Criterion Union 76 Service Station WeIler-Schreiber Apartment Building B.6 The landmark Yes Yes designation procedure is initiated, or expressly The landmark designation The landmark designation agreed to, by the procedure has been expressly procedure has been expressly owner(s) of the property. agreed to by the owner(s) of the agreed to by the owner(s) of the property. property. All criteria in Section A met? Yes Yes At least one criterion in Yes Yes Section B met? Does the subject property YES YES satisfy all the requirements in Beverly Hills Municipal Code to be considered an eligible property for landmark nomination and designation? By satisfying all criteria in Section A and at least one criterion in Section B, the subject properties both meet the necessary requirements for local landmark designation. With City Council designation, the properties would be added to the Local Register of Historic Properties (in the order of their nomination by the CHC), listed as follows: Property Name Proposed Local Landmark Designation Union 76 Service Station, 1965 No. 37 The Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building, 1935 No. 38 Page 8 of 10

9 Meeting Date: May 8, 2078 Landmark Designations 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. Future Regulation and the Secretary of the Interior s (SO!) Standards Given the ongoing need of property owners to adapt to changing tenant and market needs, it is important to consider the impact of any historic registry listings on the functional activities of properties. The effect of listing onto the City s Register of Historic Properties is not intended to freeze a property in time without any opportunity for future adaptations, but rather to provide reasonable guidelines to inform any future alterations, additions and/or adaptations in a way that allows for change without destroying historic integrity. In order to allow historic properties to be adapted to modern needs, the Secretary of the Interior s (SQl) Standards for Rehabilitation are used as criteria to review changes to historic properties. The SQl Standards have purposefully been crafted to allow flexibility for historic buildings to be adapted over time to meet changing needs in a way that allows ongoing functionality of historic buildings without unnecessarily destroying historic fabric. There are ten guiding Standards to be applied in the rehabilitation of historic properties. The SQl Standards for Rehabilitation assume that at least some repair or alteration of a historic building will be needed over time in order to provide for efficient contemporary use; however, these repairs and alterations must not damage or destroy original materials, features or finishes that are important in defining the historic character of the resource. The Standards allow for modernization of landmarks and are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility. As local historic landmarks, any future work proposed exterior work on the properties would be subject to additional historic review and would be subject to approval and issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness1 (pursuant to BHMC ) to ensure that the Secretary of the Interior s Standards are followed and to ensure that future alterations are appropriate for the historic properties. GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY Designation of the properties as local historic landmarks is consistent with the objectives, principles, and standards of the General Plan, including General Plan Policy HP 1.3 Promote National, State, and Local Designation of Historic Resources, which encourages designation of local landmarks. ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION Designations of the properties as local historic landmarks were assessed in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the environmental regulations of the City. It has been determined that the landmark designations would not have a significant environmental impact and are exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3), 15308, and of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the designations will have a significant effect on the environment, as no specific development is authorized by the resolutions, and any future development would require separate environmental analysis when the A Certificate of Appropriateness is a certificate issued to approve alteration, restoration, construction, removal, relocation in whole or in part, or demolition of a designated landmark or property within a historic district (BHMC ). Page 9of 10

10 details of such proposals are known. Further, the landmark designations of the properties are an Heritage Commission application and review process. As required by the City s Historic Both property owners indicated their support of the landmark designations during the Cultural PUBLIC COMMENT action of the City to protect and preserve historic resources. 427 North Crescent Dr. and 157 South Crescent Dr. Page l0f 10 participating properties (with a possible exemption for exceptional significance). 2 Subject to minimum program requirements, such as a $7.5 M cap on the tax assessed value of proved By Director of Community Development Susan Healy Keene, AICP and not to exceed $800,000 when projected over ten years. Any awarding of contracts to the and would be subject to review and approval by the City Council. No further fiscal impact is anticipated to result from the landmark designation of the properties. exceed $100, in a single year, and not to exceed $1,000, projected over the ten year term for Mills Act contracts with the City. The corresponding impact on Beverly Hills Unified subject properties would need to fall within the approved limits of the current Mills Act program, Council when it reviewed and approved a three-year extension of the Pilot Mills Act Program School District. The cumulative fiscal impact of the Mills Act program was considered by the City in a fiscal impact by way of reduced property tax revenue to the City and the Beverly Hills Unified Landmark designation of a property in Beverly Hills does not create a direct fiscal impact. Designating a property as a local landmark deems it eligible for historic preservation incentives at the local level. This includes general eligibility to apply for a Mills Act contract2, which may result through the end of The established annual cap on lost property tax to the City is not to School District (BHUSD) funding through lost property tax revenue is set at $80, per annum FISCAL IMPACT this agenda report, no public comments have been received regarding the Council agenda item. City Council was provided to the property owner ten (10) days in advance. As of the writing of Preservation Ordinance, notice of the public hearing for consideration of landmark designation by Landmark Designations Meeting Date: May 8, 2018

11 City Council Agenda Report May 8,2018 Landmark Designations 427 N. Crescent Dr. and 157 S. Crescent Dr. Attachment I Resolution Designating the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive as a Local Landmark

12 RESOLUTION NO. 1 2-R- A RESOLUTION Of THE COUNCIL Of THE CITY Of BEVERLY HILLS DESIGNATING THE UNION 76 SERVICE STATION AT 427 NORTH CRESCENT DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS, AS A LOCAL LANDMARK AND PLACING THE PROPERTY ON THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES Section 1. Article 32 of Chapter 3 of Title 10 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code authorizes the City Council to designate local landmarks and historic districts and to place those properties and geographical areas on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Section 2. On January 10, 2018, the Director of Community Development finalized a Preliminary Evaluation pursuant to Section l a.3 (Preliminary Evaluation) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, finding that the property appeared to be eligible for designation as a landmark based on available evidence at the time. Section 3. On January 10, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission conducted a preliminary hearing regarding the property at 427 North Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, pursuant to Section l0-3-32l5a.5 (Landmark or Historic District Designation Proceedings; Preliminary Hearing) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, and concluded that the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills warranted formal consideration by the Commission for inclusion on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Based on the Preliminary Evaluation issued by the Director and other evidence, the Commission hereby finds that sufficient evidence exists to conclude that the subject property merits formal consideration for landmark B \ v2.doc

13 designation, and therefore, concurrently considered whether to nominate the subject property for local landmark designation. The Cultural Heritage Commission continued the nomination hearing for the subject property to a Special Meeting on February 27, Section 4. On February 27, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission considered a City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report for the Union 76 Service Station prepared by Jan Ostashay of Ostashay & Associates Consulting, an updated version of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference, a Character-Defining Features Memorandum prepared by Historic Resources Group, LLC, and other evidence provided during the proceedings, and adopted Resolution No. CHC 68 recommending that the City Council designate the Union 76 Service Station as a Local Landmark to be included on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. The list of recommended character-defining features to be preserved is itemized in Section 7 of CHC Resolution No. 69 and included in Section 8 of this resolution. Section 5. On May 8, 2018, the City Council considered the property for landmark designation along with the recommendation of the Cultural Heritage Commission and adopted this resolution. The Council based its action on the findings of fact and reasons listed in the City Landmark Assessment Report for the Union 76 Service Station by Ostashay & Associates Consulting and other evidence. Section 6. BACKGROUND. The Union 76 Service Station occupies a nearly triangular parcel located at the southwest corner of North Crescent Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard, legally described as lots 14 and 15 of Block 4 of the Beverly tract. The station is oriented towards the corner on the northeast, with the primary elevation facing north onto Santa 2 B \ v2.doc

14 Monica Boulevard. The property is located at the eastern edge of the City s triangular commercial district, across South Santa Monica Boulevard to the south from the Civic Center and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and it borders a mix of commercial, medical, and hotel uses to the south and southwest. The 1960 design of this gas station was originally intended for a location on Century Boulevard, in proximity to the newly completed Los Angeles International Airport. It was designed by architect Gin D. Wong, a partner in the leading Los Angeles architecture firm of William L. Pereira and Associates, for the Standard Oil Company. When Standard Oil selected a different design for that original location, Union Oil (whose headquarters a little west of downtown Los Angeles had just been designed by the Pereira company), decided to construct the space-age station at the corner of Crescent and Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, where they had had a more conventional type service station there since the early 1 920s. Construction on the subject site occurred between 1963 and 1965, and the new modernistic service station officially opened in Sales skyrocketed from 100,000 to 150,000 gallons of gasoline per month at that site. Designed to suggest motion, according to Wong, the station consists of a soaring concrete canopy, described by writer and occasional architectural critic Tom Wolfe as a spherical triangle, whose swooping lines and up thrust ends reach for the sky.2 A band of square tiles, originally painted the signature company orange color and repainted in the new company red color in 2007, Wolfe, Tom. I Drove Around Los Angeles and It s Crazy. Los Angeles Times, December 1, Ibid. B07$5-0001\ v2.doc 3

15 punctuates the fascia. The canopy is supported by three, integrated piers. Parallel rows of fluorescent lights illuminate the soffits. A rectangular, flat-roofed, service building, constructed of concrete blocks with a glass front facing north, shelters beneath the lowest section of the canopy. An addition, also of concrete block, was built at the west end of the building in An interior remodel and another addition occurred in There are four gasoline pumping stations; the pumps were replaced in A detached, metal storage building was constructed in 1980 and is located at the southeast corner of the asphalt-paved property. A pole sign with the trademark 76 ball atop occupies the prominent corner location. The service station is substantially unaltered. Two additions to the service building/retail store have occurred and have not compromised the primary (north) elevation. The interior plan and finishes of this building have been altered. Additional minor alterations were made when the Union 76 ownership passed to Conoco Phillips. Most of the alterations appear to have been changes sympathetic to the site s overall historic character and unique architectural qualities. Such evident changes have not significantly compromised the property s original architectural design, historical integrity, or important character-defining features. Section?. findings AND DESCRIPTION Of PARTICULAR ATTRIBUTES JUSTIFYING LANDMARK DESIGNATION. The City Council finds, pursuant to the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance, that the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, satisfies the necessary requirements for designation as a local landmark based on the following: The Union 76 Service Station is individually eligible under significance t criterion 4 B \ v2.doc

16 A. 1. It is at leastforty-five (45) years ofage, or is a property of extraordinary sigi4flcance. The subject property was designed in 1960 and was built between 1963 and Therefore, it is over 45 years of age and, hence, satisfies this criterion. The Union 76 Service Station is individually eligible under significanc& criterion A.2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period. The dramatic canopy with its three corners pointed skyward, anchored to the ground by three piers, and futuristically illuminated, is a unique design that suggests motion. The property s history of the design, with its links to the Los Angeles International Airport and the aviation age, underscores the dynamism of the station s appearance and links it inextricably to a singular moment in regional history. Key features of the Modernist style incorporated in the property include the canopy s unique shape, configuration, materials, fascia, soffits, fluorescent tubing illumination, and monumental piers. In addition, the deliberately underplayed service building, with its flat roof, concrete block construction, and band of floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, are a utilitarian interpretation of the International Style and, as seen from the street, are also-character-defining. The tall pole with the well-recognized Union 76 ball sign on top is an icon of the company and is recognized throughout southern California. The property is nearly unaltered since its construction in The mid-century Modernist Union 76 Service Station embodies the distinctive characteristics of the architectural style, time period, and method of construction and therefore satisfies this criterion. The Union 76 Service Station is eligible under significanc& criterion A.3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of signlcance. The period of significance for the subject 5 B \ v2.doc

17 property is the period of construction from 1963 to Those important features of design, materials, location, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association from the period of significance are still physically and visually evident in the property and help to render it historically significant. The Union 76 Service Station is eligible under significance criterion A.4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote andfurther the purposes ofthis article. Due to its unique architecture, association with master architect Gin D. Wong and the architectural firm of Pereira Associates, as well as its contribution to the City s important architectural heritage the property is considered to have historic value. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The Union 76 Service Station is eligible under significance criterion B.2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect. The subject property was designed by architect Gin D. Wong, a widely recognized master architect, while he was with the firm William L. Pereira and Associates, which was also of national and international repute. The City s list of Master Architects includes Gin D. Wong and William L. Pereira (as well as Pereira and Luckman). The Union 76 Service Station is positively acknowledged as a distinguished design and is recognized world wide for its Googie-inspired architecture and as an exceptional work by Wong. The property has been covered in several periodicals, including the book Beverly Hills, The first 100 Years by Robert S. Anderson; the publication Highways of the Mind by Helen J. Burgess and Jeanne Hamming; Alan Hess books on Googie architecture; Beverly Hills, by Marc Wanamaker; and countless domestic and international newspaper and magazine publications. Therefore, the subject property qualifies as an exceptional work by a master architect. 6 B \ v2.doc

18 The Union 76 Service Station is eligible under significance criterion B.5. It is an iconic property, A property that has been visited and photographed so often by residents and visitors to the city that it has become inextricably associated with Beverly Hills in the popular culture and forms part of the city s identity to the world at large. The Union 76 Service Station property is one of the most recognized examples of futuristic modern architecture in Southern California. It has been recognized, documented, and photographed in numerous newspapers, websites, and guides to Beverly Hills because of its unique architecture and prominent corner location. The structure has also appeared in various popular culture media such as motion pictures (e.g. Shampoo and LA. Story), music videos, and album covers. The large swooping curved canopy with its rows of shimmering fluorescent lighting tubes anchored by two large supports that descent to the ground at the pumps define it as a true icon of Mid-Century Modern architecture. In addition, the tall metal pole with the well-recognized Union 76 orange ball sign on top is an icon of the company and is highly recognized throughout southern California. The iconic corner property is featured in tours and guides about Beverly Hills and can be seen as the subject of photographs by visitors to the area. Due to its popularity with visitors and residents and its place in the popular culture, the property satisfies the definition of iconic property. The Union 76 Service Station is eligible under significance criterion 3.6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. The landmark designation procedure was expressly agreed to by the owners of the property on record at the Cultural Heritage Commission hearing on february 27, Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. 7 B \ v2.doc

19 Section 8. CHARACTER DEFINiNG FEATURES THAT SHOULD BE PRESERVED. Use and development of the Union 76 Service Station shall be governed by the Secretary of the Interiorc Standards for the Treatment ofhistoric Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995) by Weeks and Grimmer (herein referred to as the SOT Standards). These standards and guidelines have been formulated to ensure that any significant adverse changes to the property do not compromise those qualities that justify its listing as a landmark. The key features that should be preserved are as follows. The character-defining features associated with the 427 North Crescent Drive property are those exterior features on the property that reflect and define its Modernist architectural style and association with Southern California automobile culture for its property type as a service station. Identifying those features or elements that give a historic property visual character and which should be taken into account and preserved to the maximum extent possible is important in order for the property to maintain its historical significance. Distinctive and important character-defining features associated with the subject property include its: Setting, location, and siting; Shape, Size, Configuration; Overall Style and Design; Primary Elevations, Orientation; Canopy Fascia; B \ v2.doc 8

20 Canopy Soffit; and, Canopy $offit Lighting. An illustrative table describing primary character-defining features is incorporated herein as Exhibit B. Section 9. GENERAL GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FOR FUTURE PROPOSED CHANGES PURSUANT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE (Section ). The Secretary of the Interiors Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995) by Weeks and Grimmer (herein referred to as the SOT Standards and Guidelines) are incorporated by reference. These standards and guidelines have been formulated to ensure that any significant adverse changes to the property do not compromise those qualities that justify its listing as a landmark. The guidelines and standards are an aid to public and private property owners, and others, formulating plans for new, for rehabilitation or alteration of existing structures, and for site development. The guidelines pertain to buildings of all occupancy and construction types, sizes and materials, and pertain to construction on exterior of existing buildings as well as new, attached, or adjacent construction. The SOT Standards and Guidelines are also designed to be standards that City Staff and the Cultural Heritage Commission shall apply when making decisions about Certificates of Appropriateness, including any requests for relocation or adaptive reuse, as required by the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance. The location and boundaries of the delineated resource or resources are the property boundaries. Section 10. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS. Designation of the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills as a local historic landmark was assessed in 9 B \ v2.doc

21 accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the environmental regulations of the City. It has been determined that designation of The Union 76 Service Station would not have a significant environmental impact and is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3), 1530$, and of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. It can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the designation of the Union 76 Service Station may have a significant effect on the environment, as no specific development is authorized by this resolution, and any future development proposed pursuant to this resolution will require separate environmental analysis when the details of those proposals are known. Further, designating the Union 76 Service Station is an action of the City to protect and preserve an historic resource. Section 11. GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY. Designation of the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive as a local historic landmark is consistent with the objectives, principles, and standards of the General Plan. General Plan Policy HP Promote National, State, and Local Designation of Historic Resources encourages the establishment of programs encouraging the nomination of landmarks. Section 12. The City Council hereby designates the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive as a local landmark included on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties as Landmark No. 37, for the reasons set forth in this resolution. Section 13. The record of proceedings for designation of the Union 76 Service Station at 427 North Crescent Drive as a local landmark included on the City s Register of Historic Properties is maintained by the City as part of the official records of the Community Development Department at 455 North Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, B \ v2.doc

22 Section 14. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of the Resolution and shall cause the Resolution and his certification to be entered in the Book of Resolutions of the Council of the City of Beverly Hills. The City Clerk shall also cause the Resolution to be recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county of Los Angeles as authorized by Section 3215 I of Chapter 3 of Title 10 of the City of Beverly Hills Municipal Code. Adopted: ATTEST: JULIAN A. GOLD, M.D. Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills, California (SEAL) BYRON POPE City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM APPROVED AS TO CONTENT LAURENCE S. WIENER City Attorney MAHDI ALUZRI City Manager JSAN HEALY KE Director of Communfty Development 11 B \ v2.doc

23 City Illustrative Exhibit A Exhibit B Landmark Assessment & Evaluation Report by Ostashay & Associates Consulting, dated April 2018 Table of Character-Defining features 12 B \ v2.Uoc

24 EXHIBIT A

25 CITY LANDMARK ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION REPORT April 2018 UNION 76 SERVICE STATION 427 North Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, CA (9376 Santa Monica Boulevard) Prepared for: City of Beverly Hills Community Development Department Planning Division 455 Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA Prepared by: Leslie Heumann, Consultant Jan Ostashay, Principal Ostashay & Associates Consulting P0 BOX 542, Long Beach, CA 90801

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27 CITY LANDMARK ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION REPORT Union 76 Service Station 427 North Crescent Drive (9376 Santa Monica Boulevard) Beverly Hills, CA APN: INTRODUCTION This landmark assessment and evaluation report, completed by Ostashay & Associates Consulting for the City of Beverly Hills, documents and evaluates the local significance and landmark eligibility of the property referred to as the Union 76 Service Station located at 427 North Crescent Drive (also listed as 9376 Santa Monica Boulevard) in the City of Beverly Hills, California. Included in the report is a discussion of the survey methodology used, a summarized description of the subject property, a brief contextual history of the property, a review of the local landmark criteria considered in the evaluation process, a discussion on historical integrity, and a formal evaluation of the property for local significance. Photographs and any applicable supporting materials are also included in the document. METHODOLOGY The landmark assessment was conducted by Leslie Heumann, Consultant in association with Jan Ostashay, Principal, with Ostashay & Associates Consulting. In order to identify and evaluate the subject property as a potential local landmark, an intensive-level survey was conducted. The assessment included a review of the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) and its annual updates, the California Register of Historical Resources (California Register), and the California Historic Resources Inventory list maintained by the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) in order to determine if any previous evaluations or survey assessments of the property had been performed. For this current landmark assessment a site visit was conducted and a review of building permits, tax assessor records, and historic aerial photographs was performed to document the property s existing condition and assist in evaluating the property for historical significance. The City of Beverly Hills landmark criteria were employed to evaluate the local significance of the structure and its eligibility for individual designation as a City of Beverly Hills Landmark. In addition, the following tasks were performed for the study: Searched records of the National Register, California Register, and OHP Historic Resources Inventory. Conducted a field inspection and photographed the subject property. Union 76 Service Stetion, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 1

28 FINDINGS Conducted site-specific research on the subject property utilizing the original architectural plans (floor plan and details sheets), Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps (not available for this property), city directories, newspaper articles, historical photographs, aerial photographs, and building permits, among other available resources. Reviewed and analyzed ordinances, statutes, regulations, bulletins, and technical materials relating to federal, state, and local historic preservation, designation assessment procedures, and related programs. Evaluated the potential historic resource based upon criteria established by the City of Beverly Hills and utilized the OHP survey methodology for conducting survey assessments. The Union 76 Service Station, located at 427 North Crescent Drive, appears to satisfy the City s criteria for individual designation as a local Landmark as required in Section of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (Beverly Hills Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter 3, Article 32). This property appears to satisfy the mandates of subsection A. and two of the mandates under subsection B. of the City s Landmark Designation Criteria. BACKROUND INFORMATION The Union 76 Service Station occupies a nearly triangular parcel located at the southwest corner of North Crescent Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard, legally described as lots 14 and 15 of Block 4 of the Beverly tract. The lot measures approximately 173 feet at its greatest depth along the alley west of North Crescent Drive and 187 feet along the Santa Monica Boulevard frontage, and also has a 48-foot frontage on North Crescent Drive and a 153-foot boundary with the property to the south. The station is oriented towards the corner on the northeast, with the primary elevation facing north onto Santa Monica Boulevard. The property is located at the eastern edge of the City s triangular commercial district, across the street to the south from the Civic Center and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and it borders residential properties to the south and southeast. The subject property has been previously identified and evaluated under the City s on-going historic resources survey process. It was first assessed as part of the city-wide historic resources survey. At that time, the property was recognized for its distinctive architectural style and its association with the Los Angeles regional automobile culture. Because it was not 50 years old at the time, the property was assigned a National Register Status Code 45, indicating that it was not yet eligible to the National Register but might become so when it achieved sufficient age. When the new California Historical Resource (CHR) Status Codes were adopted by OHP in August 2003, properties previously evaluated as 4s, were automatically re-assigned at status code of 7N or needs to be re-evaluated. At the time of the 2004 historic resources survey update, the property was assigned a National Register status code of 3S or appears individually eligible for the National Register, but this classification apparently was not taken into consideration when Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 2

29 the CHR status code was automatically assigned by OHP. The CHR status code of 35 was confirmed by the 2006 update of the Area 5 Commercial Historic Resources Survey. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND CONSTRUCTION HISTORY Description. Constructed between 1963 and 1965, the 1960 design for this gas station was originally intended for a location on Century Boulevard, in proximity to the newly completed Los Angeles International Airport. It was designed by architect Gin D. Wong, a partner in the leading Los Angeles architecture firm of William L. Pereira and Associates, for the Standard Oil Company. When Standard Oil selected a different design for that original location, Union Oil Company, whose headquarters a little west of downtown Los Angeles had just been designed by the Pereira company, decided to construct the space-age station at the corner of Crescent and Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, where they had had a more conventional type service station there since the early 1920s. The new modernistic service station officially opened in 1965, and sales skyrocketed from 100,000 to 150,000 gallons of gasoline per month at that site. Original Pereira design plans refer to the property as the Union Oil Service Center. It was designed to suggest motion, according to Wong. The station consists of a soaring concrete canopy, described by writer and occasional architectural critic Tom Wolfe as a spherical triangle, whose swooping lines and up thrust ends reach for the sky.2 A band of square tiles, originally painted the signature company orange color and repainted in the new company red color in 2007, punctuates the fascia. The canopy is supported by three, integrated piers. Parallel rows of fluorescent lights illuminate the soffits. A rectangular, flat-roofed, service building, constructed of concrete blocks with a glass front facing north, shelters beneath the lowest section of the canopy. An addition, also of concrete block, was built at the west end of the building in An interior remodel and another addition occurred in There are four gasoline pumping stations; the pumps were replaced in A detached, metal storage building was constructed in 1980 and is located at the southeast cornet of the asphalt-paved property. A pole sign with the trademark 76 ball atop occupies the prominent corner location. Building Permit History. A review of building permits indicate that the property has undergone few exterior modifications since it was built in the early 1960s. Relevant construction and alterations that have been recorded with the City of Beverly Hills, which have occurred over the years, include the following: YEAR PERMIT DESCRIPTION OF WORK 1924 [First] Service Station ($4000) 1929 Steel canopy ($1000) 1963 New gasoline service station ($90000) 1963 Demolition of [existing] gasoline service station ($1000) Wolfe, Tom. 1 Drove Around Los Angeles and It s Crazy. Los Angeles Times, December 1, Ibid. Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 3

30 1963 Install sphere sign ($600) 1964 Lower globe sign 6 feet ($300) 1977 Add concrete block storage room [at west end of existing building] ($10000) 1978 Renewal of permit for storage room 1980 Tire cabinet ($3000) 1981 Concrete driveway ($7000) 1983 Re-roof over existing ($4600) 1999 Remove and replace fuel dispensers and concrete slab in pump island booth ($50,000) 2002 Addition and remodel of retail store in service station (35,000) 2005 Re-roof ($34,000) 2007 Paint existing orange tiles on canopy company standard red color (no value cited) The service station is substantially unaltered. Two additions to the service building/retail store have occurred and have not compromised the primary (north) elevation. The interior plan and finishes of this building have been altered. Additional minor alterations were made when the Union Oil 76 ownership passed to Conoco Phillips. Most of the alterations appear to have been changes sympathetic to the site s overall historic character and unique architectural qualities. Such evident changes have not significantly compromised the property s original architectural design, historical integrity, or important character-defining features. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Beverly Hills. The early settlement and development of Beverly Hills began on what was called Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas. This land was originally claimed by Mexican settlers Maria Rita Valdez and her husband Vicente Valdez around Aptly named The Ranch of the Gathering of the Waters, the swamps or cienegas that characterize the natural landscape were created by rain run off flowing out of Coldwater and Benedict Canyons. Vegetable farming, sheep herding, bee keeping and the raising of walnut trees were the primary agricultural activities within the rancho lands during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Several attempts at subdividing and establishing communities on the ranch lands were attempted during the 1860s and 1880s, but ended in failure.3 In 1906, the Amalgamated Oil Company reorganized as the Rodeo Land and Water Company. Burton Green played a leading role in formulating the plans for a garden city, located between Whittier Drive on the west, Doheny Drive on the east, Wilshire Boulevard on the south, and the foothills above Sunset Boulevard to the north.4 The syndicate hired notable California park planner, Wilbur F. Cook, Jr., to plan the new community. Cook had worked with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted prior to moving to Oakland in 1905 to establish his own firm. Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey , pg. 5. 4thid, pp union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 4

31 Comprised of Beverly in the commercial triangle between Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards and Beverly Hills north of Santa Monica Boulevard, the new community was one of the earliest planned communities in southern California. In 1914, concern over establishment of a secure water system and the desire to improve the local school system prompted incorporation of the City of Beverly Hills. The original boundaries of the City were much the same as they are today, except for the area south of Wilshire Boulevard, annexed in 1915, and Trousdale Estates, annexed in Most of the City was open land at the time of incorporation with development scattered around Canon Drive, Beverly Drive, Crescent Drive, and the downtown triangle.5 The architecture of Beverly Hills in the years following the City s founding was dominated by the Craftsman, Mission Revival, and Period Revival styles (Tudor, Georgian, Beaux-Arts Classicism). With Beverly Hills establishing itself as a haven for movie stars in the 1920s, the architectural character of the city began to realize a varying degree of extravagance in the design of its housing stock. Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s sophisticated period revival styles dominated the domestic architecture of the city. By the mid to late 1930s Beverly Hills became one of the areas in southern California most closely connected with the development of the Hollywood Regency style. Born of the meeting of Moderne sleekness with the elegance of early nineteenth century architectural forms, it used simple, primary forms and blank wall surfaces to project exclusivity and sophistication.6 Beverly Hills domestic architecture in the post-world War II era saw the incorporation of Revival references in its new housing stock, and also the introduction of contemporary, luxury designs reflective of the Mid-century Modern idiom. Commercial building design witnessed a similar evolution. Early buildings in the downtown triangle tended to be influenced by revival styles, including Spanish, Renaissance, and other Mediterranean references. The Art Deco was also embraced in the 1920s and 1930s, paving the way for a more modern sensibility that was partially realized in several Art Moderne and Hollywood Regency retail establishments. While a taste for the Colonial Revival persisted in commercial buildings in Beverly Hills, in the years following World War II modernism was fully accepted, with numerous examples of the Corporate International Style and New Formalism peppering the business triangle and spreading east and west on Wilshire Boulevard. Automobile Service Station Design. The southwest corner of Crescent and Santa Monica in Beverly Hills has been occupied by a gas station since The Sanborn map of this location indicates that the original service station consisted of a rectangular building with a roof overhang along its north elevation and a steel canopy extending perpendicularly from the building towards Santa Monica Boulevard.7 It was one of several such stations in Beverly Hills at the time. Although the young city had been served since its founding in 1906 by the interurban railway system, the taste for automobile transportation, and the freedom it engendered, soon overtook all other Ibid. pg lbid. pg Sanborn Map Company. Los Angeles , Volume 21 ( ), Sheet 206. Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 5

32 contenders. The infrastructure needed to sell, house, and maintain cars became part of the Beverly Hills urban landscape, albeit more discreetly than in many other cities. When automobiles were first introduced in the late nineteenth century, gasoline was obtained from liveries, hardware stores, and other existing retailers, who purchased drums from oil companies whose primary business lay in providing fuel for heating and lighting. The invention of a pump that permitted direct transfer of gasoline from storage tank into vehicle around 1905 heralded the appearance of street pumps that became common appendages to many businesses and even some residences. With the rapid increase in the number of automobiles on the road, however, this system of distribution was short-lived.8 A new building type developed between 1905 and 1910, a drive-in facility that allowed automobiles to drive completely off the street and then rejoin traffic after re-fueling. While the earliest filling stations were often no mote than a shack and a pump, they soon evolved, incorporating a building large enough to house an office. Oil companies began building chains of stations, in built-up areas and on the open toad. The companies need to create a recognizable presence, coupled with urban planners desires to beautify this rapidly proliferating building type, led to a period during the 1920s when so-called artistic gas stations were designed to resemble homes, banks, and other respectable buildings. At the same time, the idea of prefabricated stations was also catching on. These were usually inexpensively constructed of metal, glazed with large industrial sash, and often incorporated sheltering canopies. Functions expanded to include sales of tires, batteries, and other items, repairs, and provision of a restroom during the same period.9 During the Depression years, several of the individual oil companies commissioned architects and industrial designers to come up with a new, standardized, and modern image for their gas stations. The result was the development of facilities influenced by the clean geometric lines of the emerging International style or the dynamic transportation imagery of the Streamline Moderne style. Several prominent architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, and Rudolf Schindler tried their hand at this emerging building type. One of the most successful collaborations was between Texaco and designer Walter Dorwin Teague resulting in several models of gas stations whose distinctive green banding and star logo became immediately recognizable to motorists throughout the country.1 By the end of the decade, this new breed of station, with streamlined fins on rooftops, horizontal banding, and rounded corners, had become a fixture on American streets and highways. In the post-world War II years, the clean lines and functional aesthetic of the International Style were embraced for gas station design. One trend that gained favor in the 1950s was an increasing emphasis on the canopy, both as an architectural means of attracting attention and as a relatively inexpensive way to update the appearance of the box-like building beneath it. This approach Heumann, Leslie. Historic Resources Assessment: 1020 East Palmer Avenue. Prepared for the City of Glendale. February 3, Ibid. Vieyra, Daniel. Gas Stations. Maddex, Diane, editor. Built in the USA: American Buildings from Airports to Zoos. Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, Pp Liebs, Chester H. Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture. Boston: Bulfinch Press, Pp. Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 6

33 found particular favor on the west coast, both as a means of shelter from the elements and as a statement of the primacy of automobile travel. The Union 76 Service Station is an exemplary example of a post-war era service station that incorporates that new ideology of utility and demand with the modernistic design trends so popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s America. Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive. The southwest corner of Crescent and Santa Monica in Beverly Hills has been occupied by a gas station since Early building permits from that time reference a new service station being built at the site (address cited also as 9370 Burton Way) by the Union Oil Company of Los Angeles at the cost of roughly $4,000. Hoyt Marr Leisure ( ) and his brother/partner Glenn Cecil Leisure ( ) had purchased the parcel in the late 1920s as a real estate investment. They leased the property to the Union Oil Company for the development and expansion of the new service station. A steel canopy was added to the gas station by Union Oil (financed by the Leisures) to shelter the gas pumps in The 1950 Sanborn map of this location indicates that the original service station consisted of a rectangular building with a roof overhang along its north elevation and a steel canopy extending perpendicularly from the building towards Santa Monica Boulevard. 2 It was one of several such service stations in Beverly Hills at the time. Although the young city had been served since its founding in 1906 by the interurban railway system, the taste for automobile transportation, and the freedom it engendered, soon overtook all other contenders. The infrastructure needed to sell, house, and maintain cars which became part of the Beverly Hills urban landscape, albeit more discreetly than in many other cities. The Union gas station at the southwest corner of Crescent Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard (in later years it became a Union Oil 76 service station) operated as a modest gas station until the early 1960s when it was removed for the construction of a newer, more modern type facility. This new gas station was designed with a futuristic soaring Google style canopy, gas pump islands, and a concrete block service structure with service bays at the rear. Today, the third generation of the Leisure family continues to operate the iconic property as a service station. One of the most unusual structures in Beverly Hills, the Union Oil 76 service station was designed by architect Gin D. Wong, a partner in the leading Los Angeles architecture firm of William L. Pereira and Associates, for the Standard Oil Company. William L. Pereira and Associates, was established in 1958 after the partnership of Pereira and Charles Luckman, founded in the early 1950s, was dissolved. Pereira, as a sole practitioner early in his career, as half of the Pereira and Luckman team, and as the head of the Pereira company until his death in 1985, was one of the most prolific and influential architects based in Los Angeles in the decades following World War II. Born and trained in Chicago, Pereira initially worked for the prestigious Holabird and Root Company in that city. After moving to Los Angeles Pereira was briefly an art director for a handful of Hollywood films, but his true calling was architecture. He began teaching at the University of Southern California, School of Architecture in 1949 and through his classes and his company, which grew in proportion to the large numbers of corporate, government, and institutional clients it acquired, guided a generation of architects who followed him. Over the course of his Sanborn Map Company. Los Angeles , Volume 21 ( ), Sheet 206. Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 7

34 career, Pereira is credited with over 400 architectural and planning projects. He earned a place on the cover of Time magazine in September Said to have loved science fiction, Pereira favored concrete as a building material. Among his more famous projects were the futuristic Transamerica pyramid in San Francisco and the master plan for the city of Irvine, California. Gin D. Wong, architect. The designer of the Union 76 service station, architect Gin D. Wong, was born in China and educated at the University of Illinois (for one year) and then at the University of Southern California, School of Architecture where he distinguished himself as a student and was hired immediately upon graduation by William Pereira with Pereira and Luckman. When Pereira and Luckman split, Wong helped found William L. Pereira and Associates in 1958, rising quickly through its ranks to become vice president of Planning and Design, then partner, and ultimately president. Wong is credited as the designer for some of the two firms most famous commissions, including the Los Angeles International Airport master plan (and in some articles, the Theme Building at LAX as well), CBS Television City in Los Angeles, and the Transamerica pyramid in San Francisco. Wong left Pereira in 1974 to form his own firm, which is still in practice. He continued to be active in the design of LAX over the years and went on to design the second level roadway there in the lead-up to the 1984 Olympics. Wong was recently honored as one of four Chinese-American architects featured in the exhibit Breaking Ground at the Chinese American Museum in Los Angeles. Wong received numerous design awards from the American Institute of Architects (AlA) and other professional associations. He advanced to fellowship in the field of design in In 2007, he received the Construction Industry Lifetime Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, and was honored with the Judge Ronald S.W. Lew Visionary Award at the Chinese American Museum s 15th annual Historymakers Awards banquet in He was a member of the USC Board of Trustees since 1983, which included a term as president of the USC School of Architecture s Architectural Guild. The visionary architect whose iconic works have helped shape the architectural landscape of the Los Angeles area for more than a half a century passed away recently at his Beverly Hills home at the age of 94 on September 1, Googie Style. Although in some ways the Union 76 service station transcends style as a singular piece of design, it can also be understood within the context of Googie Style architecture. Named after a coffee shop designed by architect John Lautner in 1949, the Googie style was described by editor Douglas Haskell in House and Home magazine in Haskell noted that Googie buildings often appeared to defy gravity, an apt description for the canopy of the Union 76 Service Station. An architectural style of consumerism, Googie design evolved from a need to attract the attention of travelers and commuters from the road. This trend, which had first flowered during the pre-world War II era, took on a futuristic aesthetic in the 1950s and 1960s. The nuclear age and the era of spaceflight were expressed by incorporating boomerangs, diagonals, starbursts, and attention-grabbing illumination into designs. Other character-defining features included upwardly sloped roofs, fanciful signs, and space-age references. Character-defining features associated with the Googie architecture of the Union 76 station are only those features on the property dating from as seen from the public right-of-way. Such features include its prominent location at the corner of Crescent Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard; the spatial relationships and orientation of its constituent parts; and the unique Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 8

35 canopy, including its shape and configuration, materials, fascia, soffits, supporting piers, and parallel rows of fluorescent lights. HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE CONSIDERATION FRAMEWORK Evaluation Criteria. In analyzing the historical significance of the subject property, criteria for designation under the City s local landmark program was considered. Additionally, consideration of historical integrity and the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) survey methodology was used to survey and assess the relative significance of the property. City of Beverly Hills Landmark Criteria. The City s Historic Preservation Ordinance (Municipal Code Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32; BHMC ) authorizes the Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) to recommend the nomination of properties as local landmarks to the City Council. The Council may designate local landmarks and historic districts by the procedures outlined in the ordinance. The Preservation Ordinance also establishes criteria and the process for evaluating and designating properties as potential local landmarks. An eligible property may be nominated and designated as a landmark if it satisfies the following requirements: A. A landmark must satisfy all of the following requirements: 1. It is at least 45 years (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary significance; 2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period; 3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance; and 4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article. B. In addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph A above, a landmark must satisfy at least one of the following requirements: 1. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; 2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect; 3. It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s endeavors or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraph, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous; 4. It is an exceptional property that was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence; 5. It is an iconic property; or Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 9

36 6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. Historical Integrity. Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance. In addition to meeting the criteria of significance, a property must have integrity, Integrity is the authenticity of a property s physical identity clearly indicated by the retention of characteristics that existed during the property s period of significance. Properties eligible for local landmark designation must meet at least two of the local landmark designation criteria and retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be recognizable as historical resources and to convey the reasons for their historical significance. Both the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources recognize the seven aspects of qualities that, in various combinations, define integrity. To retain historic integrity a property should possess several, and usually most, of these seven aspects. Thus, the retention of the specific aspects of integrity is paramount for a property to convey its significance. The seven qualities that define integrity are location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The seven qualities or aspects of historical integrity are defined as follows: Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. 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. Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. Feeling is a property s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. EVALUATION OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Application of City Landmark (Significance) Criteria. Based on the current research and the assessment herein the Union 76 Service Station located at 427 North Crescent Drive/9376 Santa Monica Boulevard appears to satisfy the necessary City of Beverly Hills landmark criteria. The property was evaluated according to statutory criteria, as follows: A. A landmark must satisfy all of the following requirements (BHMC (A)): Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report pace 10

37 It is at least 45 years (45) yeats of age, ot is a propetty of extraordinary significance. The subject property was designed in 1960 and was built between 1963 and Therefore, it is over 45 years of age and, hence, satisfies this criterion. 2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period. The dramatic triangular shape canopy, with its three points improbably pointed skyward, anchored to the ground by a mere three piers and futuristically illuminated, reflects the quintessential Googie style. The property s curious history of the design, with its links to the Los Angeles International Airport, underscores the dynamism of the station s appearance and links it inextricably to a singular moment in regional history. The Union 76 Service Station, therefore, embodies the distinctive characteristics of a particular style, period of time, and method of construction. The property canopy is nearly unaltered since its construction in Key features of the Googie style incorporated in the property include the canopy s unique shape, configuration, materials, fascia, soffits, fluorescent tubing illumination, and monumental piers. The tall pole with the well-recognized Union Oil 76 ball sign on top is an icon of the company and is recognized throughout southern California. The subject property appears eligible for local landmark designation under this criterion. 3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance. The period of significance for the subject property is the period of construction from 1963 to Those important features of design, materials, location, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association from the period of significance are still physically and visually evident in the property and help to render it historically significant. 4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article. Because of its unique architecture, association with master architect Gin D. Wong and the architectural firm of Pereira Associates, as well as its contribution to the City s important architectural heritage the property is considered to have historic value. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. B. In addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph A above, a landmark must satisfy at least one of the following requirements (BHMC 1O f B)): It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 11

38 The subject property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect. This property was designed by architect Gin D. Wong, a nation-wide recognized master architect, while associated with William L. Pereira and Associates. The City s list of Master Architects includes Gin D. Wong and William L. Pereira (as well as Pereira and Luckman). By any measure, the Union 76 Service Station is considered a notable design and is recognized world-wide for its Googie inspired architecture and as an exceptional work by Wong. The property has been covered in several periodicals, including Robbie Anderson s book Beverly Hills, The First 100 Years; the publication Highways of the Mind by Helen J. Burgess and Jeanne Hamming; Alan Hess books on Googie architecture; Marc Wanamaker book Beverly Hills, ; and countless newspaper and magazine publications world-wide. Therefore, the subject property satisfies this criterion. 3. It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s endeavors or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraph, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous. The archival research data reviewed on the property did not indicate that it was owned and occupied by a person of great importance. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 4. It is an exceptional property that was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence. In reviewing archival research data on the history of the property there was no indication that it was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 5. It is an iconic property. The Union 76 service station property is one of the most recognized examples of Googie architecture in southern California, whose image is immediately produced when Internet searches of the term are conducted. It has been recognized, documented, and photographed in numerous newspapers, websites, and guides to Beverly Hills because of its unique architecture and prominent corner location. The building has also been included in various motion pictures, such as Shampoo and L.A. Story, music videos, and album covers. The large swooping curved canopy with its tows of shimmering fluorescent lighting tubes anchored by two large supports that descent to the ground at the pumps define it as a true icon of Mid- Century Modern Googie architecture. In addition, the tall metal pole with the wellrecognized Union Oil 76 orange ball sign on top is an icon of the company and is Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 12

39 well recognized throughout southern California. 6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. The property does not satisfy this criterion. Character-defining Features. Every historic property is unique, with its own identity and its own distinguishing character. A property s form and detailing are important in defining its visual historic character and significance. It is a property s tangible features or elements that embody its significance for association with specific historical events, important personages, or distinctive architecture and it is those tangible elements; therefore, that should be retained and preserved. Character refers to all those visual aspects and physical features that comprise the appearance of every historic property. According to National Park Service Brief 17, Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character, character-defining features include the overall shape of a property (building, structure, etc.), its material, craftsmanship, decorative details, interior spaces and features (as applicable), as well as the various aspects of its site and immediate environment (form, configuration and orientation). The Secretary of the Interior s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (SO! Standards) defines historic character by the form and detailing of materials, such as masonry, wood, stucco, plaster, terra cotta, metal, etc.; specific features, such as roofs, porches, windows and window elements, moldings, staircases, chimneys, driveways, garages, landscape and hardscape elements, etc.; as well as spatial relationships between buildings, structures, and features; room configurations; and archaic structural and mechanical systems. Identifying those features or elements that give a historic property visual character and which should be taken into account and preserved to the maximum extent possible is important in order for the property to maintain its historical significance. Character-defining features associated with the subject property include its prominent location at the corner of Crescent Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard; the spatial relationships of its constituent parts; the unique canopy, including its shape and configuration, materials, fascia, soffits, supporting piers, and parallel rows of fluorescent lights; the pole with the 76 globe signage; and the exterior of the concrete block service building, including its partial (north) façade of glass. CONCLUSION As discussed herein, the Union 76 Service Station satisfies the City s criteria for designation as a local Landmark as required in Section of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (BHMC Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32). This site appears to satisfy all of the mandates of subsection A. and two of the mandates under subsection B. Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 13

40 ADAPTIVE USE CONSIDERATIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS The Union 76 Service Station satisfies the criteria for local landmark designation by the City of Beverly Hills. Because it has been identified as such it is considered a historical resource for the purposes of CEQA. Therefore, any exterior work planned for this property in the future must respect the building s historic character and architectural qualities otherwise its historical significance may be jeopardized. Consistent with the CEQA Guidelines, any maintenance, repair, stabilization, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, conservation, and/or rehabilitation work proposed for a historic property should be conducted in a manner consistent with the SO! Standards. In addition, any proposed work should be guided by the treatment recommendations outlined in the NPS Preservation Brief series and their Interpreting the Standards (ITS) technical bulletins, as well as the State Historical Building Code fshbc). Projects that follow the SQl Standards may be eligible for a Class 31 categorical exemption (CEQA Guidelines Section 15331) under CEQA. Per the SO! Standards, important historic building materials and key character-defining features are protected though under the SQl Standards for Rehabilitation sympathetic alterations and additions are permissible. This means that any new rehabilitation work proposed for the landmark building must be consistent with the ten SO! Standards for Rehabilitation. The goal of a rehabilitation project, for which this is considered, is to respectfully add to or alter a historic property in order to maintain its historic character and continue its original use or meet new use requirements. Under the SO! Standard for Rehabilitation some exterior alterations to a historic property are generally needed to assure its continued use. However, it is most important that such alterations do not radically change, obscure, or destroy important character-defining materials, features, or finishes that identify and define the historic property. Exterior modifications may seem essential for the continued use of a historic building, but it is emphasized in the SO! Standards that radical modifications should be avoided, if possible, and considered only after it is determined that the new needs cannot be met by altering secondary elevations or non-character-defining elements. Per the National Park Service (NPS), a rehabilitation project is considered acceptable if it: Preserves significant historic materials and features (of the historic property); and Preserves the historic character (of the historic property); and Protects the historical significance (of the historic property) by making a visual, yet compatible, distinction between the old and new work. The NPS has developed a series of Preservation Briefs that provide guidance on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic properties. These NPS publications help historic building owners recognize and resolve common problems prior to work. The briefs are especially useful to Historic Preservation Tax incentive Program applicants because they recommend methods and approaches for rehabilitating historic properties that are consistent with the historic Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 14

41 character and the SO! Standards. 3 The one NPS Brief that is directly relevant to the Union 76 Service Station property and its longterm maintenance and potential reuse in the future is Preservation Brief 46: The Preservation and Reuse of Historic Gas Stations (see Appendix). This brief considers the rehabilitation of this particular property type and provides guidance, direction and examples on the appropriate maintenance and repair of historic service station structures. It also describes appropriate treatments, including conversion for new functions, when the historic use is no longer justifiably feasible. The unique features and characteristics that define historic gas stations can be respected and preserved through sensitive maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation. Such work minimizes unnecessary alterations and ensures that the building continues to contribute to the character, vitality, and local economy of its community. 13 National Park Service, Technical Preservation Services ( nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs. htm). Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 15

42 BIBLIOGRAPHY Publications Anderson, Robert S. Beverly Hills, The First 100 Years. New York: Rizzoli, Associated Press. Gin D. Wong, Visionary Architect of Several L.A. Modernist Landmarks, Dies at 94. Los Angeles Times, September 8, Basten, Fred E. Beverly Hills: Portrait of a Fabled City. Los Angeles: Douglas-West Publishers, Benedict, Pierce E., ed. History of Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills: A.H. Cawston, Betsky, Aaron. Chinese Pagoda Meets Alien Spacecraft Up on the Roof, Los Angeles Times, November 19, 1992, p.ws]2. Blumenson, John. IdentifyingAmericanArchitecture. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Burgess, Helen J. and Jeanne Hamming. Highways of the Mind, New York: University of Pennsylvania Press, Davis, Genevieve. Beverly Hills: An Illustrated History. Northridge, California: Windsor Publications, Inc., Drohojowska-Philp, Hunter. Rebels in Paradise: The Los Angeles Art Scene and the 1960s. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. Architecture in Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Peregrine Smith Books, Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishers, Gleye, Paul. TheArchitectureofLosAngeles. Los Angeles: Rosebud Books, Haddad, Paul Steps a Day in L.A.: 52 Walking Adventures. Solana Beach, CA: Santa Monica Press, Heumann, Leslie. Historic Resources Assessment: 1020 East Palmer Avenue. Prepared for the City of Glendale. February 3, Hess, Alan. Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, Hess, Alan. Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, Second Edition, In Memoriam: Gin Wong, USC Trustee and Prominent Architect, (accessed September 21, 2017). Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 16

43 Koyl, George S., ed. American Architects Directory: New York: R.R. Bowker Company, Liebs, Chester H. Main Street to Miracle Mile: American Roadside Architecture. Boston: Bulfinch Press, Martino, Alison. The Story Behind L.A. s Coolest Looking Gas Station, CityThink Magazine, McBrien, Judith Paine. Pocket Guide to Los Angeles Architecture. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Los Angeles County Tax Assessor Information. Los Angeles Public Library, On-line historical and image archives. Los Angeles Times. New Partners of Planning, Architectural Firm Named. January 18, Los Angeles Times. I Drove Around Los Angeles and It s Crazy! The Art World is Upside Down. By Tom Wolfe. December 1, Los Angeles Times. Gin D. Wong Architectural Guild Chief. April 4, Los Angeles Times. Wong Leaves Pereira to Start Firm. March 17, Los Angeles Times. Pereira, Architect Whose Works Typify L.A., Dies. November 14, Los Angeles Times. Chinese Pagoda Meets Alien Spacecraft. By Aaron Betsky. November 19, Los Angeles Times. Breaking Ground Exhibition at Chinese American Museum Highlights Four Architects Who Helped Shape Post-war Landscape. February 1, McWilliams, Carey. Southern California: An Island on the Land. Salt Lake City, Utah: Peregrine Smith Books, 1946, Revised Maddex, Diane, editor. Built in the USA: American Buildings from Airports to Zoos. Gas Stations by Daniel Vieyra. Washington, D.C.: The Preservation Press, Martino, Alison. The Story Behind L.A. s Coolest Looking Gas Station. Los Angeles Magazine, February 16, National Park Service. National Park Service Brief 17. Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character. Washington, DC.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Preservation Assistance Division, ND. New York Times. William L. Pereira, Architect; A Specialist in Planned Cities: Obituary. November 15, Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page;?

44 New York Times. Pulling In for Gas, Oil, and Trompe L Oeil. May 25, Newmark, Harris. Sixty Years in Southern California, New York: Knickerbocker Press, Office of Historic Preservation. Instructions for Recording Historic Resources. Sacramento, California: State of California, Polk s City Directories, City of Beverly Hills; City of Los Angeles. ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times ( ). Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, City of Beverly Hills. Sandomir, Richard. Gin Wong, Who Designed Futuristic Building in Los Angeles, Dies at 94. The New York Times, September 17, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin, Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin. How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington, DC: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, Votolato, Gregory. Car. London: Reaktion Books, Ltd, Wanamaker, Marc. Bison Archives. Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA. Water and Power Associates website: ( museum! Early_LA_Gas_Stations.html). Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture since 1780: A Guide to the Styles. Cambridge: MIT Press, City of Beverly Hills Sources Building Permits Johnson Heumann Research Associates. Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey Final Report, Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, Jones & Stokes, ICF. City of Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey Report, Survey Area 5: Commercial Properties. Prepared for City of Beverly Hills, June 2006, rev. April PCR Services. Historic Resources Survey, Part I: Historic Resources Survey Update and Part II: Area 4 Multi-Family Residence Survey. Prepared for City of Beverly Hills, June Union 76 Service Station, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 18

45 APPENDIX Location Map Assessor Parcel Map Ephemeral Material Photographs NPS Preservation Brief Union 76 Service Center, 427 North Crescent Drive City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report page 19

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52 ;L & , - 1.tt_i._ -7-v Rç _ F : - - S S =.. z: -. C., %Z rç_-;& = zt -: - : h y L - r _Ei:r - =-- y : ZEZEr:ThEii- : : r - - ask t - 14 :-:.z, :-_ 3\ ii A I -- - I > EZu_- - - n I I f I çocz _.r =. t I $ k iü._ r.i ,.-:...--, / -, EEEEzztrzZ -A_L L (., 30th? n.!-.....,.- t=z2ezr : ,:--.:. -.-:-- # A anca-t-.r EEZI ttaj1_ - r -.. UNION OIL SEEVIC OZNTfl { - I - it3i I : H -. * -

53 PHOTO - 1: Looking southwest from the Beverly Hills Civic Center. September 2013 PHOTO - 2: Looking west, at northeast and south elevations. September 2013.

54 PHOTO - 3: Looking southeast, at northeast and west elevations. PHOTO - 4: Looking southeast at west elevation.

55 5: PHOTO - Looking north at west elevation. September PHOTO - 6: Looking west at south elevation. September 2013.

56 PHOTO - 7: Looking west at east and north elevations of convenience store building. September PHOTO - 8: Looking east at north elevation of convenience store building. September 2013.

57 9: PHOTO - Canopy detail. September PHOTO - 10: Architect s original rendering, displayed in office of gas station.

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59 A PRESERVATION tu BRIEFS The Preservation and Reuse of Historic Gas Stations Chad Randi National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Heritage Preservation Services Unless your tank is empt% gasoline stations rarely attract attention. Yet, for the past hundred years gas stations have occupied prime locations cm main streets and suburban corners, on small town roads, and along early highways. They are one of America s most common commercial building types and are emblematic of the twentieth century. Surviving historic stations are physical reminders of the transportation revolution and the influence of increased mobility on the landscape. They are a reflection of car culture, pop culture, corporate standardization, and an era of customer service that today seems quaint. Many of these now historic gas static)ns are deteriorating or abandoned (Fig. 1). Changing land use patterns have concentrated new development along commercial strips beyond the downtown and neighborhood locations where many historic stations survive. Interstates have routed traffic away from once-thriving gas stations on what are now secondary roads. Small buildings and small lots, unresolved environmental issues, and a relentless push for standardization are all challenges to the continuing use of historic gas station properties. Across the United States, however, gas stations are slowly being rediscovered for their historic significance. They have even been included on statewide endangered property lists. Once spumed as out of place incursions or eyesores, historic stations are increasingly appreciated for their contribution to the character of a neighborhood, and the way they are easily adapted for new uses. This Preservation Brief provides guidance on assessing the significance of historic gas stations and encourages their preservation by providing information on the maintenance and repair of existing structures. This Brief also describes appropriate rehabilitation treatments, including conversion for new functions when the historic use is no longer feasible. The unique features and characteristics that define historic gas stations can be respected and preserved through sensitive maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation. Such work minimizes unnecessary alterations and ensures that the building continues to contribute to the character and vitality of its community. Historical Background Figure 1. Abandoned historic gas stations have in the 1ast been viewed as a hindrance to the redevelopment of a neighborhood or community. Yet sensitive rehnt,ilitations can ensure that jut historic character of these huildinys is presc rved while providing fir an economic reuse. This 1930s station in Mihvaukt c, Wi. was later rehabilitated for use as a co e shop. Photo: Robert Olin, Sherman Perk. for early motorists, refueling was rarely convenient and often dangerous. At bulk depots on the edge of town, gasoline was transferred from large storage tanks to smaller glass or metal dispensers and then potired by hand. With the increasing availability of the motor car and the [905 invention of the gas pump, I

60 car dealers, grocery stores, hardware stores, and other businesses contracted with refiners, installed pumps out front, and sold gas along the curbside (Fig. 2). Soon, the dramatic increase in car ownership led oil companies and entrepteneurs to introduce what we now commonly refer to as gas stations. Over the next hundred years, the gas station took many forms reflecting the ebb and flow of popular design trends, the growth of the petroleum industry, and a pwcession of new sen ices and formats, from car washes to mini-marts. Though the evolution of gas station forms seen throughout this history is quite varied, a number of general types have been identified. Historic Gas Station Types Figure 3. This shed-hype station with its prefabriated sleet panels, pump island, anti canopil prttiured maui later gas station designs. Pluthi: American Petroleum institute Photograph and Flint Collection, Archives Cen let; National Museum of American His tony, Smnithsonigmn Institution, Shed-Type Stations. Detached structures built specifically for the sale of gasoline appeared during the second decade ol the twentieth centciry in an effort to meet the petroleum demand generated by the Ford Model T and other affordable automobiles, in the initial race to expand, companies and independent operators constructed basic sheds to serve as drive-in filling stations. Many were rudimentary frame shacks with wood or corrugated metal exteriors. More substantial designs featured prefabricated metal panels, industrial steel windows, and some limited ornament. in either case, the shed as a utilitarian building used for storage and office space, and to shelter the station attendant. Pumps were placed immediately adjacent to the structure or separated on the lot by a driveway where cars parked to refuel (Fig. 3). Multiple Use Stations. While shed stations were often located in central business districts, it was common in rural areas to see gas stations appended to existing structures. Businesses such as restaurants, inns, repair garages, oil depots, and general states with gas pumps out front were an extension of the original urban curbside gas stands (and precursors to late twentieth century convenience store and rest stop-gas station combinations). Compared with earlier curbside stands, multiple use stations usually had ample land to accommodate separate drive-in spaces for cars to park while filling up an especially important feature on higher speed rtiral roads. Some of these early multiple use stations had the gas retail function located within the existing structure; in other cases, a separate shed or house-type station was constructed on the site. Canopies were an increasingh common feature, extending over the refueling area to shelter the attendant and parked car. Soon canopies came to serve as large signifiers that the otherwise nondescript establishment was a gas station. House-Type Stations. By the early J920s, oil companies, distributors, and private entrepreneurs were building new stations on spacious and prominent sites in established residential neighborhoods and in growing communities. As business increased, Sc) did local complaints about the intrusion of gas stations into residential areas. figure 2. Although fiardty an ideal sales st/stciu, pumps and iiiidergraund tanks along the curtm werc an imupnn & menl over the cariiest fitting stations zt hert gastihne was poured from hand cvntainers. Photo: Utah State Historical Societe, used hi, pc rn mission, all rights reserved. in response the industry adopted con venticrnal forms to make their stations took less like shacks and more like houses. Often with larger customer areas, and increasingly pros iding public bathrooms and service bays for car maintenance and repair, these stations were more substantial structures than earlier ones. Some were unassuming with simple clapboard siding, wood sash windows, and a pitched (often hipped) roof. The

61 Fciire 4. Designs hosed on popular do;ncstscfiirnis Iwlped stations blend in with residential neichborhoods while inpartini a sense of stabiliti,, and permaneicr. This Tiutor Revival station was converted for use as a repair shop with virtualli no change to the structurt or site. cotta, porcelain enamel steel, or structural glass panels. With their glossy white exteriors and scientifically- designed lighting schemes, box stations were meant to attract attention. only clues that such structures were gas stations were the pumps, a sign, and the increasingly popular canopy linking the pump island and the building. Other stations reflected the period revival trend popular in residential architecture at the time. Colonial Revival gas stations sheathed in brick with white columns, p1 lasters, double-hung windows, and cupolas were common. Tudor and English Cottage designs featuring casement windows, arched door openings, and steeplypitched roofs were also popular (fig. 4). Mission Revival stations with hipped roofs and stucco walls were developed by some companies, while others adapted Asian pagoda and temple forms. The move toward the house-type station was also a sign of growing competition within the oil industry as businesses worked to garner customer trust and loyalty. Companies developed distinctive brands and signature building forms. Pure Oil, for example was wellknown for its English Cottage stations, while Standard Oil favored Colonial Revival designs. The effort to develop iconic signage and stations foreshadowed allencompassing branding campaigns that dominated gas station design later in the century. Programmatic gas stations could be very modest in size with a shape given over entirely to the object depicted. Shell Oil Company built a number of stations that were little more than sheds in the shape of their logo, the pecten seashell (Fig. 5). Colonial Beacon stations in New York State featured three-story lighthouses attached to otherwise unexceptional house-style stations, Equally peculiar, though generally more conventional in form, were the custom-built gas stations faced with unusual materials such as locally-obtained cobblestones, petrified wood, or driftwood. Box-Type Stations. Departing notably from elaborate revival style stations, a new form appeared in the early 1930s, the box station. Blending Art Moderne and International Style motifs, box stations featured flat-roofs and unadorned exteriors of stucco, terra These stations reflected the increasing importance petroleum companies placed on standardization and predictability. As with earlier house-type stations, companies introduced variations intended to provide designs with a visual identity that customers could easily associate with a particular brand. The use of glass and porcelain enamel presented a futuristic image of modern efficiency, cleanliness, and professionalism. Texaco, Socony, and Gulf, among others, relied on these up-to-date box forms because they were easily replicated, were relatively low maintenance, and Programmatic Stations. During the 1920s and 30s and continuing after World War II, some gas stations showed a marked contrast to the predominant shed, house, and later box designs. Called programmatic architecture, these stations assumed the fanciful shape of animals, apples, tea kettles, tepees, windmills, castles, icebergs, and airplanes. Appealing to the curiosity of passing motorists, progratnmahc stations were inspired by local culture, distinctive local materials, or the whim of the owner. Fj ure 5. This 1936 Shell station in Winston-Salem, NC, is an L xampit f a programmatic design, meant to attract attention and stick in the czistonwr s mind. It was recent1 rehabilitated to serve as a field office for Preservation North Carolina. Photo: Preservation North Carolina. 3

62 Although form and decoration share a number o features that structure as belonging to a common help define their character. These features can identify a particular var most historic gas stations Understanding Significance 4 increasingly of aluminum or moldedplastic (Fig. 7). appeared on what remained essentially rectangular box complaints about the incompatibility of gas stations (emphasizing the characteristic rectangular footprint market lucrative car tires, batteries, and accessories. highlighted these products and services (fig. h). during the Great Depression tu explore other revenue Stylized Boxes. After World War II, the rectangular contemporary design trends. [)isp)av windows their products. influenced by current economic conditions. Pushed streams, station owners added service and repair bays made of concrete block rather than the steel frames common among prewar box stations. Th distinguish owners and companies began to vary this basic form interest in aeronautics and high technology. their establishments trom others down the street, canopies featured raking profiles, folded plate roofs, and boomerang-shaped supports reflecting a popular ga station type, like the clinker bricks used on Tudor house-type may accentuate the uniqueness of a particular structure, such as a Functioned as elegant, vet affordable showcases for The form and layout of box statons were also of box stations) as well as expanded sales areas to Large display windows and glazed service has doors box remained the primary American gas station form. Structuralh most postwar box staticms were as well as retrofit existing box stations to incorporate were often canted at an angle reminiscent of the tail fins sported by rockets and new automobiles. New Such space-age designs were relatively short lived. As in the past, changing architectural tastes and public with their residential neighbors led station owners back to more conservative approaches. By the 1960s new stations with gently sloping shingled roofs, brick facades, and stone and period revival details forms. Existing modern box designs tvere retrofitted with traditional features and ornament, fabricated period, acquire significance. It is necessary therefore, when first constructed, but how it changed over time. Understanding the history and evolution of a particular photographs, original plans, newspaper clippings, Historic features that contribute to the character of a gas station should he preserved. features that may not personal scrapbooks, records, and reminiscences, as well about a building s earlier appearance. Informed important features are identified and understood. Some features were highly unusual he original can, if they remain in place for a sufficient to determine not only how a structure appeared gas station and identifying its important characteristics as surviving physical evidence, can provide information removal of later additions, can only he made after are the first steps in any rehabilitation project. Archival retention of historic features, and about the possible decisions about reconciling new functions with the designs. Alternately, features custom roof design or circular plan. when first adopted, later became unexceptional, and today are once again rare and distinctive. A prime example is the V-shaped canopy found on postwar Phillips 66 gas stations (Fig. 8). Figure i.. Bir type stations often incorporated Art Moderiw forms such as this design s rounded ccjrners, stripes, and large sales u inilou. Photo: A,,zcricm, Petrtik uni Institute Photo çrapli and Film Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of Aim rwaii Histori, Sn,ithsonia,t Institutiou. 4 Figure 7. During thc 1960s existing box stations were often renwdekd and tien stations were designed with colonial Rez ival or Ranch lwi.se details. Photo: American Petroleum Institute Photograph and Flint Collection. Archives Center, National M useu in of A nierican Histon,, Smithsonian l;,stitu tion.

63 Figure 8. This firmer Phillips 66 gas station in Burlington, VT sports a quintessential stylized box design. Its 5110 age canopy is visiblefrom far dmvn the road. Photo: Devin A. Cobnnn. Form. A gas station s structural form is of central importance. The outward appearance of a historic gas station its size, shape. massing, and scale often reflected a particular locale; it gives the historic property its identity; and contributes today to a public understanding of when and why it was constructed. Diminutive structures functioned as no-frills fifing stations. Larger stations incorporating other services (some entirely unrelated to the automobile) suggested an ambitious effort to capitalize on a growing community or shifts in consumer demand. The character of the neighborhood and building lot often influenced the gas station designer s choice of size, architectural styling, or form: in some instances the introduction of the gas station then influenced how the neighborhood developed. Roof. The roof s configuration, pitch, and covering are also important (Fig. 9). Gas stations designed in the various Romantic revival styles popular during the first half of the 20th century often featured roofs that imitated histotic forms. English Cottage stations featured slate roofs, while clay tiles (either rounded or flat and usually terra cotta in color) appeared on the pitched roofs of Mission, Spanish, and Mediterranean Revival gas stations. The 1960s era Stylized BoX stations with Ranch house detailing have shallow, often overlapping roof pitches centra] to the design. While some gas stations were defined, in part, by historicized rooh, others were characterized by the absence of a pitched roof. Flat roofs or very low-sloped roofs concealed behind parapets were common on both articulated contemporary designs, such as glasssheathed Streamline, Moderne, and InternationaL Style gas stations, as well as basic utilitarian boxes. Materials. Related to the gas station s outward form are the materials used to construct and finish it. Exterior materials and cladding help place the structure in a particular time period. L)esigners and owners selected finishes and building forms that they hoped would convey certain associations in the minds of customers. Brick or stone suggested tradition, stahilih and quality, while structural glass and porcelain enamel connoted up-to-date technoiogy cleanliness, and efficiency. Less distinguished materials could be adapted to a particular stylistic form exposed concrete block was used on both Modernist and Colonial Revival gas stations. They could also reveal that the structure was built quickly in a strategic location to take advantage of existing traffic and anticipated growth. Windows and Doors. The casement windows on English Cottage stations and the wrap-around display glass and the steel sash used on side elevations of Streamline designs are examples of how windows can be integral to a gas station s historic character. As with other features, windows contribute to an overall architectural statement, help date the building to a particular period, and reflect the changing nature of the gas station. The large display windows that first became popular in the 1920s allowed owners to put lubricants and accessories on view while at the same time conveying the positive attributes of transparency and modern efficiency Appearing between the World Wars, Colonial Revival stations with their double-hung and small divided-light windows presented a reassuring sense of tradition and dignity. Doors and entrances are likely to be significant, especially those on primary elevations. Perhaps the most important openings found on historic gas stations are the service bay doors. Surviving gas stations from the early-twentieth century may still have their folding or sliding doors. The majority of historic stations, however, likely feature segmental doors that were guided by wheels set into tracks. When first introduced these overhead doors were largely wood. Successive door models featured more numerous and larger glass lights. By the postwar era, overhead metal doors with fully-glazed panels predominated. Interior Spaces. Whether they date from 1916 or 1965, basic gas station sheds often contained a single room. Other modest stations usually had a sales area that 5

64 Figure 9. The dtnui;znnt featurt ol this former gas ctation 1929) in Cc dathurg, WI, i ts pagoda style metal tile rtioftcmnpk te with upturned eaves and Japanc e lanterns suspended from the cupola). The building curre utli, functions a a jetvc ln, store. Photo: Kc mwth M. Ilk, Wis, Jamre, Etstner Associates, Inc. included product displays and a counter. Depending on the structure s size, additional moms may have opened off of this space, including an office, restroom, storeroom, and boilcr room. When separate restroom tacilities were pn nided tot both genders, entry to the ladies room was traditionally provided through an exterior door. Service bays were typically connected to the sales area and sized to accommodate the repair and maintenance of one to four cars at a time. These open spaces featured tire racks and built-in shelving to store tools and parts along the sides and rear. When hydraulic lifts replaced below-grade repair pits, new service hay heights increased accordingly. Over time, the sales floor area generally increased as owners realized the profit potential of products from windshield viper blades to snacks and soda. A gas station s interior, including room partitions, decorative moldings, floor and ceiling surtaces. ceiling fixtures, and built-in furnishings like shelves and counters may contribute to the building s historic integrity. By understanding the structure s evolution and history of past alterations, existing interior features can be evaluated as to their relative significance. Canopies. Either sell-supporting, or more commonly extending from the main building across to the pump island, canopies sheltered attendants, customers, and pumps from inclement weather. They also provided prominent space to emblazon with company names, colors, and logos. They embellished an otherwise nondescript block building and could carry over an aesthetic theme such as sculpted streamline curves or boomerang angles (Fig. to). For a modest or nondescript station, the canopy may have been a dominating feature. Often the canopy functioned as both shelter and sign. Sweeping out across the filling aisles and coming to a sharp point, supported by an open web post or cantilevered to appear weightless, canopies worked to attract the attention of passing motorists and stand out on cluttered commercial strips. Signage. Gasoline is essentially a non dithn ntiahle commodity; customers rarely see it and rarely notice a difference from one brand to the next. To establish a recognizable identit companies have long tied their products to specific logos and signs. Texaco s star, Shell s pecten, and Mobil s pegasus are well-known examples. Other symbols and lettering, from those found on defunct tranchises to neighborhood establishments with names painted directly on the brick, are less familiar, but often have local significance. Logos, stripes, and other color schemes all worked to brand the structure and signal to passing motorists a desirable place to stop. When the station was a simple rectangular box, its signs were all the more i m porlin tin a ftracting customers. Site. In addition to the main structure, historic gas station sites typically included free-standing signs, pump islands, driveways, parking areas, and landscape plantings. They may also have featured a detached repair garage (if it was not appended as the station s service hay), other outbuildings (for car washes and other services), storage sheds, and distinctive lighting units. Gas stations along highways and at rural crossroads were often part of a larger setting that was home to similarly-themed restaurants, general stores, and occasionally motor lodges, inns, or cabin courts. Maintenance The significance of a historic gas station is derived not just from its form and appearance but also its physical make-up of historic materials. The best preservation strategy is one of continual maintenance and repair that takes into consideration the historic character of these materials and forestalls more significant intervention. Regular maintenance helps preserve these materials and extends their useful life. Most of the materials found on historic gas stations, from slate, tile, and even composition roofs, to brick, concrete, stone and wood siding walls, are common to countless other older buildings. Whether dealing with a house, store, office, or gas station, a primary maintenance priority is to prevent unwanted water infiltration and the damage that can result. This 6

65 includes making sure exterior joints in wood and masonry walls are properly sealed and that the roof is maintained. Gutters and downspouts should be cleaned regularly and kept in sound working condition. Another common maintenance principle especially relevant to gas stations is that historic building materials should he cleaned using the gentlest means possible. When considering chemical cleaners, first test the product s effect on a small inconspicuous location of the building. Harsh, abrasive cleaners should be avoided. Regular repainting of wood that is exposed to the weather, such as doors and windows is a well-established, costeffective maintenance principle. Box-type stations built between the 1930s and the 1960s were often finished with distinctive panels that deserve special attention. Porcelain enamel and structural glass wall panels originally offered the promise of durability and low maintenance as they purportedly were easily cleaned and never required repainting. However, these walls can be damaged by impact, harsh cleaning methods, and infrequent maintenance of the joints between panels. Repair As with maintenance procedures, the repair treatments prescribed for historic gas stations are in most respects the same as for any historic structure. Such work may include incidental repairs to fix weather or impact damage, or may be part of a larger rehabilitation project. f An overview of common repairs undertaken as part of a rehab project is also included in the Rehabilitation Considerations section of this Preservation Brief) Appropriate repairs to a historic gas station adhere to the following guidance. 1) Deteriorated historic features should be repaired rather than replaced where possible. The historic integrity c)f a gas station is embodied not only in its design but also in its material. Whether exhibiting special craftsmanship, innovative uses of materials, or mass-produced products, the building fabric helps convey the history of the building. The visibility and significance of a building feature that is deteriorated will influence decisions as to repair or replacement. While repairing historic fabric is recommended over replacement, there are features such as flat composition roofs where visibility is not an issue and thus repair or replacement decisions can be based largely on service life, extent of deterioration, and cost. Alternately, a tile roof on a Mission Style station will be readily visible. The cost of replacing that deteriorated roof with tile may not be financially practical for a particular project and alternatives such as asphalt shingles will not match the historic appearance. fortunately in most instances, tile roofs can be repaired and the service life of the historic roofing extended. 2) Part of the character of any lnstorw property is that it shou s age. Small dents in tin ceilings and worn door edges are simply a reflection of use and often do not require intervention. A larger hole in a tin ceiling or a broken panel in a door can be corrected without replacing the historic Fabric. Marine epoxy can be successfully used on metal ceilings to fill holes resulting from former light fixtures or ceiling fans, while a good carpenter can easily replace broken panels on a historic wood door. Figure 10. The crnwpies on this 1936 gas station in Shamrock, li xas, are both fmwtional and iiitegral features of the station s o c rall design. This building was recenthi ctniverted fir use tn tin local Chamber of Conimerce, partially with FUWA Transportation Eiilin,tct n;eutsiundinc assistance. Photo: Mark Trew Photograpii. 3) When undertaking repair work on a historic gas station, contractors or craftsmen experienced with historic materials and work on older buildings should be selected. From masonry repointing and tin ceiling repair to work involving more specialty material such as plastic molded panels and porcelain enamel and structural glass panels, selecting the right contractor will save money in the long run and more importantly will help insure that tle work will he appropriately done. 7

66 Porcelain enamel offers a good example of some of the problems and the level of skill and experience that may be required when repairing historic materials (fig. 11). Spot repairs of damage (drill holes, impact damage) to these types of manufactured panels are challenging. Because the original glass-like finish was baked on at a high temperature, it is hard to adhere tiller and paint to the enamel surface; blending new material with the original surface color is particularly difficult. The preferred, least intrusive, approach is to remove ant rust, fill any depressions with a marine epoxy filler, prime, and repaint the surface with a high-quality glossy enamel. This paint coating will likely require a renewed treatment after some years. More severe damage may require replacement with a salvaged or newly fabricated panel. Where panels are loose or select ones need replacement, care should be taken during disassernbk as thet often are supported by an attachment system that requires a specific sequence of removal and reinstallaticm. Rehabilitation Rehabilitation is the process of returning a property to a state of utility, through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient contemporary use vhile preserving those portions and features of the property which are significant to its historic, architectural, and cultural values. 2 Gas station operators may feel the need to upgrade their historic property to compete with newer stations. Or owners may stop selling gas and convert the site for traditional gas station reuse activities, from auto repair (exclusively) to used car sales. Some historic stations may be converted to an entirely new commercial, office, or other use. Photographs from the 1930s and 40s show new businesses established in a variety of gas station types (fig. 12). Rehabilitation projects with these three intended outcomes: continuing use, traditional reuse, and unrelated new use, in that order, generally call for increasing degrees of alteration of the historic station. Continuing Use. Historic gas stations are characterized not only by their architecture but also by their function servicing automobiles and providing fuel for their use. Thus from a historic preservation perspective, retaining that function is nearly always the best use of a gas station. Continuing the same function can also reduce the need to alter the structure, and often avoid a host ot issues encountered when introducing a new use. flgure 11. The porcelain eon wlfacade of this former ti xacn statimi (1960) had riuiirrrcns dents and scratches that had exposerl the steel beneath the t iuziriel to It terwrntitnr (lop). Rrhabilitatitni work included repnirin. localized damage to the pinrels and blending patched areas to unitcli adjacent historic material, replacing sleepers t c? icatli tire panels (center), replacing st z c reii tlamagc d panels with like inufrrurl and recautkiug the joints (bothmi). Photos: Joint 4utghau, Architectural Conservation Services. Gas station owners are engaged in a highly competitive business with considerable pressure to update, modernize, and incorporate current marketing trends. Large franchises and petroleum suppliers have in recent years shown little interest in tradition and the historic qualities of older stations. However, an increasing number of individual owners of older stations have not only acknowledged the historic importance of their properties but have also taken steps to maintain and 8

67 operators and petroleum suppliers, shifts hastened by the trend to mega mergers among the petroleum industry and the rush to rebrand their station outlets. Accommodating larger sales areas, especially for food and carry-outs, has been a challenge confronting the operators of surviving historic stations. Various approaches have been used including placing an addition on a secondary elevation, or introducing an expanded sales area in one or more of the service bays. Fiyurc 12. Gas stations have a long history of reuse fa,ui ut,andonmcut and reuse again). By 1942 this gas station in Tulsa. OK. was already being reucd as a bar. At one tiuw thc hunt island shed ton the lefi) functioned as a locksmith s shop but zt as vacant at thzt 1mw f the piuiio. Photo: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographic Division, LC-LIS W D. rehabilitate them in ways sensitive to the features that make them distinct (Fig. 13). Drawing upon customer loyalt good service, and fair prices, as well as favorable locations, such operators have tound successftil ways to do business when laced with such potential limitations as small lot sizes, more traditional building interior plans, and a less Ilashy contemporary look. They help distinguish their businesses by using history as an attractive quality. Appealing to the nostalgia of consumers they retain old signs fin combination with necessary new signage) and emphasize good building maintenance as a reflection of good car maintenance. Even the continuing use of a gas station for its original ftmction is accompanied by change 1mm periodic reworking of standardized petmlcum signs to the current emphasis on larger canopies. Alterations are often the result of shifting relationships between station Traditional Reuse. As in the past, it is common for vacant gas stations to be adapted for use by car-related businesses. Such traditional reuses often require only minimal alterations to the building and site. When an owner decides to discontinue the sale of gasoline and concentrate on auto maintenance and repair using the existing service hays, the only requisite change may be to remove the pump island. Gas stations are easily converted to used car dealerships. The stations lucrative corner lots provide parking space and visibilit and their existing sales areas are converted to office space with just a change in furnishings. A more recent trend has been for historic stations to he reused for car rental franchises, again requiring only modest changes to the existing structure. New Reuse. Historic gas stations have shown in the past to be attractive properties for new uses unrelated to automobiles. The combination of dearly-defined sales areas and larger more open unfinished service bays make historic stations easily adaptable to a variety of functions. In many cases, their locations on intersections and along busy streets remain attractive for commercial use. They are often ideal, affordable sites for start-up businesses (fig. 14). Successful rehabilitation projects have converted historic stations for use as restaurants, cafes, bakeries, medical supply stores, antique shops, visitor centers, and offices Figure 13. Essentially unchamigeti since its cumistructiun in this seruice station in Cammlstemi, N m is currently owned aimd opera ted by the son of 11w original owner. Photo: fle?;ra lane Seltzer. Figure 14. Abandoned gas stations ;izake ideal homes hiw start up businesses. In 1978 the first Ben and Jerry s Scoop Shop opened in a co,mt erted station in Burlington, VT Photo: Ben & Jerry s I-lonwmade, Inc. 9

68 Gas Station Restoration Projects A gas station restoration project depicts the form, features, and character of a building as it appeared at a particular period of time. Restorations involve removal of features from other periods in hc station s history and recotistruction of missing features from the restoration period. The limited and sensitive upgrading olmechankal. electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate within such a project. In recent year a number of gas stations have been restored for various uses. Occasiona1h, the property continues to operate as a gas station. It is increasingly popular to restore gas stations for use as museums or history centers, with exhibits on the station s history, the history of a local community or that of an important adjacent highwav. Surviving remnants of historic roads like Route 66 feature gas stations bypassed by the interstate system that are now restored and patronized by tourists and the local community. These restored gas stations often become popular attractions and outdoor meeting places, especialit for classic car fans and motorcycle enthusiasts. Depending on the new use, some restorations are complete down to the installation of historic (replica or rebuilt) pumps. signage, and even period products on the sales area shelves. Others have involved a physical restoration of the exterior and interior, but utilize the sales area as a museum or office for a local organization. for local business organizations and non-profit groups. Service bays have been converted to art galleries, photo studios, seating areas for restaurants, and open office space, Some statiotis have even been rehabilitated for residential use. As gas stations are increasingk recognized as historically significant in their own right, the need to preserve important features of the historic design when adapting the property to new functions has received greater attention. Rehabilitation Considerations There are several considerations common to historic gas station rehabilitation projects regardless of whether the structure undergoes a change in use. Well-planned rehabilitation projects are built upon a documented understanding of the property s history combined with an assessment of its significant surviving historic features some of which have been discussed in the Understanding Significance section. A rehabilitation should he designed so that it preserves the important characteristics of the gas station, and avoids damage or unnecessary removal of historic features or materials. Exterior. Retaining the form of a historic gas station is an important component of ant preservation project. This is especially true of early shed stations and unusually-shaped programmatic designs that derive much of their significance from their form. The latter can be particularly difficult to alter sensitively without diminishing their historic significance. Throughout a rehabilitation project, modest structures should remain modest; box-shaped buildings should remain boxes, and extended, rectangular structures should retain their shape. On many larger gas stations it may he possible to construct a modest addition as part of a reuse project. Successful additions are appended to secondary elevations, preferably the rear. Such additions should he smaller and no taller than the existing structure. he compatible with the original gas station s shape, and he similar yet distinguishable from [he historic construction. Enclosing the outside area beneath the canopy with solid or glazed walls as a means of obtaining additional interior space will significantly alter the character of the property and should not he undertaken. I1 is 1932 Standard Oil Filling Station. located on 11w original Route 66 in Odell, IL, was purchased by the Lawn and fl StoTd bii Oth li Touriin and Conimu itii( Dc ZTelopmeflt Board, the Route 66 Pre,. ratt1 n Cpuimittcc of Illinois and many other volunteers and contnbutnr%. It functions as a museum and visitor ce itei Pln tti; John and Lenore WeIs and 11w Route 66 Prtse.rvation Committn of tttüwis. It is recommended that surviving historic roofs that are highly visible be repaired, and when necessary replaced, using the same material. In some cases, new roof products that accurately replicate the color, texture, shape, size, thickness, and profile of historic tiles and shingles may be suitable for use as replacements. Asphalt shingles are rarely an appropriate substitute for historic clay tiles or for slate or wood shingles where the roof is a distinctive feature of the building s design. An addition with a pitched it)

69 repair rather than replacement whenever possible. Gas painting and reglazing. Repairs to damaged wood station windows traditionally were made of wood, steel, and later, aluminum. Excepting sheet glass display windows, they usually featured operable sash. Wood and steel windows may require repair work beyond Sensitive rehabilitation projects favor historic window it was not uncommon for the glass panes used in features of a historic gas station. Except for the earliest configuration of solid or glass panels. E3v the 1940s versions, service hay doors typically featured a grid Service hay doors are often among the most prominent opening is on a main facade, either the existing door or building, it may be possible to infill the opening in an restroom exterior doors tended to be on the side of the former restroom door opening. wall in a manner that would erase evidence of the If a historic door opening is no longer needed and the 15). Avoid placing infill material flush with the exterior the new wall within the existing or new door frame (Fig. appropriate manner. This is accomplished by recessing a matching new one can be fixed in place. Since former metal (steel and later aluminum). Methods for repairing historic doors again follow traditional carpentry or original. If the) iwed to he replaced, new doors should entered from the outside were made of either wood or metalwork methods. Often the existing doors are not Doors to the sales office, service area, and restrooms Where the historic door opening is not a standard size, a identified, including the ratio of glazing to solid material custom door can be made to fit rather than blocking the retlecting the building s specialty design, and the degree home Improvement store. not be replaced with stock paneled doors purchased at a was glazed; whether a door exhibited certain features of setback within the opening. fully glazed doors should in the door; whether a door traditionally had panels or opening to fit a stock door (see the discussion ot ADA requirements below). Key features of doors should he be compatible with the historic character of the building. be acceptable on a rear elevation provided the window is can often be repaired as ell. It may be necessan to a wood dutchman or, where appropriate, through undertaken by an experienced carpenter utilizing deteriorated to be repaired or because they are second members (sill, frame, sash, or muntin) are typically replace one or more windows either because they are too building s historic character. A new stock window may sized to fit the existing opening. Windows that require carefully matching the design, shape, and appearance of the historic units. application of a wood epoxy treatment. Steel windows generation windows that are incompatible with the replacement on the front and prominent side elevations obviously require more attention to historic detail, Modernist or utilitarian structure. roof would not be compatible with a historic flat-roofed Restaurants inserted into former gas stations often locate dining room and are left undivided. Historic service conservation. If kept operable they can be opened in warm weather to provide the feel of outdoor dining. the kitchen and counter area where the sales and rear bay doors can be retained and upgraded for energy office area used to be; the service bays function as the Interior. Every effort should be made to retain and, characterize the gas station. A range of new functions when necessary, repair historic interior features that interior layout without altering the overall character stations, tourist offices, Urive-thru coffee shops, and galleries may also require only limited alteration of interior spaces (Fig. 16). Larger structures with service bays are easily adapted for retail and restaurant uses. for example, significant alteration to the interior may be unnecessary Some new functions satellite police can be accommodated within the historic form and interior. If a gas station is rehabilitated for continued use as a gas station or is reused for an auto detailing shop, of the space. Some projects require no change to the be repaired whenever possible. If the existing service 1930s on. If a historic overhead door survives it should top of the door. Where wood doors have survived, methods, sometimes augmented by epoxy applications. options of retaining or replacing it with one of a similar compatible design or with a reproduction of the historic these panels to extend in rows from the bottom to the bay door is a later replacement that is compatible with door. For a further discussion of rehabilitation options, see the Service Bay Dtx)rs section on page 13. they can usually be repaired using regular carpentry Segmental overhead doors made of aluminum or steel were the most common service bay door type from the the historic character of the building, there are the historic location if the door. Photo: M Buck Studios. restaurant. A flush panel was recessed in the opening to identli, the fi;rnwr gas station j,j Grand Rapids, Ml was converted to a carry out Figure 15. The historic restroom door to the right of the display window was clocc d (and entry prioided on the inside) when this ii

70 Another common reuse is to convert the station to ollicc s. The original sales area becomes a reception room, private offices are located in the rear, and the former service bays are converted to an open plan office. It may even be possible to retain the original sales counter as a reception desk. The typical configuration of enclosed sales and office areas connected to larger, open service bays can accommodate a variety of new uses. In all cases, the distinction between the various historic intenor spaces should he maintained and carried over to the new layout. It a particular reuse scheme requires extensive interior alteration, giving the space an entirely new character, it is likely that the new use is not appropriate for the historic building. When a rehabilitation is substantial or when the rehabilitated building will he open to the public, it may be necessary to make some alterations in order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and local building code requirements. If the floor is uneven from room to room, as when the office or sales area steps down into the service hays, it may be necessary to install a ramp that slopes between the different grades. When the difference in height is only a few inches and the historic floors are nondescript, another approach may be to raise the entire lower floor to match the position of the higher level. Restrooms are commonly an area of concern when it comes to accessibility. Historic gas station restrooms are small and typically have door openings narrower than those specified in ADA guidelines. Where there are multiple toilet stalls, a solution is to remove one of the toilets and the partition to provide sufficient space. Another common technique is to convert two separate restrooms into a single unisex restrooni (Fig. 17). When two restrooms arc converted to one, the women s exterior entrance is usually closed off and, if necessary the interior doorway is widened. It may also he possible to construct new rest room space along the rear wall of the service hay or as a small addition on the rear elevation. This new construction should be designed to blend with the historic structure yet plainly read as a later addition. Figure 16. A postwar Stylized Box type station hi Newport, RI, was rehabilitated and coiwerted to an art galkni. The service hays (here showing side and rear watts) provide opeti gallery space whilc 11w small sales area (left) continues its historic retail function. and subsequent deterioration can cause the canopies to deflect and damage the main structure. Deteriorated canopies dating from the 1960s that feature custom plastic fascia panels may require replacement pieces molded to match the existing materials. Custom steel trusswork, either in the supporting pier or the canopy itself, if it is deteriorated beyond repair can be replicated with newly-fabricated members matching the existing features. It may be possible to replace missing canopies with new ones based on historic documentation (fig. 18). Aggressive marketing, corporate standardization, frequent changes in suppliers, and frequent changes in tise contribute to the ephemeral nature of gas station Station Plan Before zl After 1 Restroom Detail After Canopies, Signs, and Site. Because canopies, if present, are central to the appearance and function of historic gas stations, it is important to retain and repair them. Canopies featuring wood or steel beams supported on wood, steel, or masonry piers are rarely difficult to repair. Cantilevered canopies without supports, however, may require more significant intervention where they are connected to the station. Insufficient reinforcement in the original construction Figurc 17. A plan of the same station slwwu in Figure 15, il1ustrate how the historic men s and wonwn s roonis were combined to,nakc a sin,k accessit,le srstrotnn. Drawin : Lott3Metz Architecture. 12

71 Service Bay Doors The earliest service hay doors featured wood sliding, folding, or swinging panels. When such doors are appropriate but the historic panels are missing, door arid millwork shops can create custom reproductions. Several manufacturers produce reproduction doors that operate as overhead doors, yet have the appearance of traditional folding doors with inconspicuous breaks in the horizontal sections and vertical shadow lines replicating the original panel configuration. As historic service bay doors were typically utilitarian in appearance, appropriate stock replacement doors are generally non descript in design. Beginning in the 1930s stations increasingly used segmental overhead doors. Surviving doors can usuillv be retained and, if need be, upgraded as part of a rehabilitation. It may he possible to replace the existing single-glazed panels with insulated glazing and wood panels with insulated panels while retaining the original door structure. Such treatments may he particularly necessary when the former service hays are used as offices or dining spaces. Fixing a historic door in place is preferable to enclosing the opening with new construction. IF a historic sectional door is clewriorated beyond repair, a replacement should he selected that matches the materials, panel profile, gla7ing configuration, and visual characteristics of the historic door. New overhead doors are generally available through commercial sectional door manufacturers. Because contemporary doors can be custom ordered with a variety of glazing configurations. it is relatively easy to match the appearance of a particular historic service hay door. loday s sectional doors are often made of inner and outer layers with an inner core of insulation. Contemporary aluminum door construction difters little from historic units the primary distinction being a tendency in today s units to have narrower rails and muntins. lithe historic door does not survive, a replacement in keeping with the form typical of the building construction, style, and period should be selected. Replacement doors with raised panels or decorative glazing should generally be avoided as they present an appearance at odds with the basic flat panels common on historic service bay doors. Existing Proposed ZE1 Llli1itJWI EE lllitjlj EJEJI I NH mmmi i wiim mmmi no ornn This 1938 concrete block gas station featured a rair ofwood multi-tight seginen tat service hay doors (top). When the station was Lonz L rtcd to a coffee shop the service bays were reused as a dining area. The doors were fixed in place and a door for cuslonwrs was hitrothiced in the right opening in a manner that retained the ijrbjnai 1i.ht conflçuration (abot e). To increase the thermal t7ropert it s of 11w service bay doors, the single pane glass was renw ed and replaced with insulating glass (below). The appearance of the door is virhiath, unchanged and the building retains its historic character. Drawings courtesy Robert Olin, Sherman Perk, Modifying Overhead Door Mullions EXISTING WOOD OVERHEAD DOOR MULL.ION EXISTING QUARTER. ROUND WOOD STOP Before /4 INSULATED GLAZING OR INSULATED OPAQUE PANEL JOINT TYPICAL AT HORIZONTAL MULLIONS QUARTER-ROUND WOOD STOP JOINT TYPICAL AT HORIZONTAL MULLIONS EXISTING GLAZED PANEL OR WOOD PANEL 314 PAINT GRADE FINISH PLYWOOD GLUED AND SCREWED TO BACKSIDE OF EXISTING DOOR Interior Exterior Interior Exterior COUNTER SUNK WOOD SCREWS 13

72 , Ficures w canclpi/ of the 1920s Spruce Street Station in Ogallalu, NE. was an important feature that contributed to tlic building s cl,aractt r I left). When recent1i purchased fir rehabitlint lvii the canopy had tong since disappeared (center). Using photo çrapilic and phisicat cz ide,ice, the iahzopy was reconstructed to match thc buildhig original appearance (righd. The station currently 1unctim; as a Main Street program office a visitor center (on Nebraska s Welcrn Trails Historic and Scenic Biiwai as well as Lincoln Highzvay Scenic Byway), iiieeti;t, room, and public restroo iii facilitii. Photo: O.ulInla Main Strc c t. signage. Still, historic signs occasionally survive a gas station s varied past and remain on buildings slated for rehabilitation. Depending on the gas station s new use, signs may be retained as part of a rehabilitation project. When historic signs are missing, check attics, basements, and other storage areas around the site to see if earlier signs may have been removed but not discarded. There are often ways of retaining some elements of a station s historic signage. However, if logos are still in use by an existing oil company or remain under trademark protection it may be necessary to remove the signs in question. Where the historic signs are missing, replacement signs (available from collectors and dealers in petrohana ) can in some cases be used instead. However, the installation of vintage signs not directly related to the original structure should he approached with caution and based on research that identifies similar signage used on the building in the past. Designs for affixing new signage to either a stilt functioning gas station or one being adapted ft)r a new use should not damage or conceal the structure s historic features and finishes. Anchoring the sign in masonry joints, for example, facilitates a secure connection and allows for eventual removal of the sign without affecting the stone, brick, or porcelain enamel finishes. Attaching signs onto or over cornices, moldings, window surrounds, or other decorative features can usually he avoided. During any rehabilitation pro)ect, especially when a new function is introduced, care needs to be taken to maintain the relationship between the structures and features characteristic of a particular historic gas station landscape. Ii a site includes two distinct structures, a sales area and separate repair garage for example, it would be inappropriate to physicallr join them with a new hyphen as part of the rehabilitation. Historic light poles and other lighting fixtures that are part of the gas station s design should be retained. Surviving pump islands, if not removed as part of the project, should be retained in situ rather than moved tc) another place on the site where they were never located historically. The historic ratio of paved area to plantings and fiowerbt ds should he maintained at a tasonable level. Extensive grass, shrubber and other plantings inserted into a rehabilitated gas station site can obscure the main building s original function and historic context. Sum mary from their arrival a century ago, gas stations have been among the most underappreciated American architectural forms. This was due in part because of their utilitarian function and their intrusion into quiet residential neighborhoods. Yet the history of gas station architecture is richly varied, incorporating popular trends, unique programmatic designs, and well-known examples of corporate branding. Gas stations were designed to attract attention and lure customers with hold, contemporary themes or to blend in with the surrounding neighborhood relying on forms derivative of residential design. Historic gas stations ranged from one-room sheds to rectangular structures with sales areas and service bays to elaborate line-stop complexes that include restaurants and lodging. When a gas station is rehabilitated today, it is important that its style, form, exterior appearance, interior layout, and site he assessed as to how they contribute to its historic character. Significant features and design elements should be retained during rehabilitation or restoratitin work (fig. 19). When sensitively maintained or when rehabilitated for new uses, gas stations can continue to contribute to a local economy and provide important services to local residents. As a unique building type, historic gas stations will continue as reminders of earlier eras when the automobile was still something of a novelty, or when every tank of gas came with an oil check and a cleaned windshield. 14

73 Environmental Issues The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated in 2004 that there were at least 200,000 abandoned vacant sites with petroleum contamination in the ljnited States, most of which are gas stations. Since the advent ot dedicated gas stations, fuel has been stored beneath the ground, usually in steel tanks. Some stations, particularly those that included service bays may also have buried tanks tor waste oils, lift reservoirs, and other petroleum prc ducts. Corroded and leaking underground storage tanks (lists) can contaminate soil, surface water, and groundwater. Over the past two decades, mant older USTs base been removed or permanently dosed. State environmental departments with support from the EPA provide UST regulation, guidaiice, and funding assistance. Most states have offices that deal specifically with LST issues and projects. Prospective gas station purchasers should coordinate with state and local programs to determine *spedfic cleanup requirements and to secure appropriate ready for reuse, or RIR technical determinations, 5uch as no further action notices and letters of intended use. Assessment and Remediation. Where leaking tanks remain, assessments are made to determine the extent of the release. Based on the proposed end-use an appropriate remediation plan is developed that includes tank repair, remfwal, or closure along with the necessar If the site is to remain a gas station, tanks can cieanu. somes be repaired by qualified professionals using standard industry practices. A program of testing is required after repairs are made to ensure that the tank does not continue to leak. Projects where the new use does not require USTs may call for closure or removal of the existing tank. permanently close a list the appropriate regulatory agency must be notified beforehand; all liquids, sludge, l and dangerous vapor levels must be removed from the tank; the tank must be filled with an inactive solid like sand, and any necessary site assessment and remedial action must be undertaken. Removal involves taking the tank from the ground, mitigating soil or water contamination and infifling the site. In some cases, depending on the proposed new use, returning the soil 100% to its pre-contamination state mat not be required. Economic Revitalization. In addition to environmental damage, the continuing presence of leaking lists dampens investor interest in reusing historic stations, hinders financing such projects, and perpetuates the existence of abandoned sites that can suppress nearby property values and development. In recent years states have moved beyond just cleaning up and closing underground storage tanks to explore effective ways of integrating these activities with broader plans for economic redevelopment of gas station sites. Municipalities are fostering collaborations with developers and investors interested in specific gas station sites that tie assistance with environmental remediation into a broader plan for neighborhood revitalization. Although it is still common For orphan gas stations to be demolished as part of a UST projed. the number oi Site clean-ups that have included rehabilitating the existing station for a new function has increased. Funding Opportunities. Depending on the state, there may be direct or indirect funding opportunities targeting gas station clean up. Some programs offer site assessment grants, direct cleanup grants, funds foi communities to establish low-interest revolving Ii grants to purchase inscirance against future unforese remediation costs. Some states and municipalities ofi tax credits, abatements, and other tax incentives to cleanup costs. Twenty-five percent of the annual fedi Brownfields allocation is directed towards eligible I petroleum Brownfields sites. k 11! * fr figure 19. I Vheu convertt djbr usc as offlcc and meeting spacc bg a local cmn,i,unity non-profit, the historic charactc r of this 19&Os gas station was retained. Porcelain enainc! repnirs to this station are illustrated in Figure Photo: Scott Lapham Photography. ii. 15

74 Endnotes Jakie, John A. and Sculle, Keith A. The Gas Station in Amerña. BaltirnoTe: Johns Hopkins University Press, In a 1978 journal article, expanded upon in this definitive book, cultural geographer John Jakle identified a gas station typologv referenced in most subsequent gas station histories. It is adapted in the Historic Gas Station Types section of this Pret rz ation Brief 2 TIr St cretan, of the interiors Standards fiw Nit Trt atinc nt of Historic Properties. Washington, D.C.: U.S. [)epartmeiit of the Interior, National Park Service, Selected Reading Halda, Bonnie J., Presen atwn Tech Notes, Doors Number I, Historic Garage and Carriage Doors: Rehabilitation StIutions Washington, D.C., National Park Service, Jester, Thomas C., ed. Twentieth Centurt Building Materials: Histurij and Conservation. New York: McGraw- Hill, Liebs, Chester H. Main Street to Miracle Milc : American Roadside Architecturc. Boston: Little, Brown and Corn pan Presen ation Briefs. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Deparimen of the Interior, Nationa] Park Service. The collection of Preservation Briefs assist owners and developers of historic buildings in recognizing and resolving common preservation and repair problems prior to work. Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank the following for their assistance in the preparation and review of this brief: John ]akle, Uni versitv of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; John Vaughan, Architectural Conservation Services; Alison Oswald, Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution; Robert Olin, Sherman Perk; Robert Gamble and Melanie aetz, Alabama Historical Com mission; Steven McNeel Office of Underground Storage Tanks, US Environmental Protection Agenc and Kaisa Barthu Ii, Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, National Park Service. Thanks also go to the following Technical Preservation Services staff of the National Park Service: Sharon Park, FAIA, Anne Grimmer, Michael Auer, Elizabeth Creveling, and Lauren Van Damme. Charles E. Fisher. Technical Preservation Services, National Park Service, was the technical editor for this publication project. Front cover image: American Petroleum Institute Photograph and FiLm Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Instittition. This publication has been prepared pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop and make available information concerning historic properties. Comments about this publication should ho directed to: Charles fisher, Technical Publications Program Manager, 1chnical Preservation Services, National Park Service (org. 2255), 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC Additional information offered by Technical Pre-ervation Services is a ailah1e through our website at This publication is not copyrighted and can he reproduced without penalty. Normal procedures for credit to the author and the National Park Service are appreciated. Unless otherwise indicated, photographs are by the author. Excepting the author s photos, the photographs used in this publication may not be used to illustrate other publications without permission of the owners. 156N: U.S. Government Printing Office Stock Number: b4-S September 20{)% 16

75 OSTASHAY & ASSOCIATES CONSULTING P0 BOX 542 LONG BEACH, CA

76 EXHIBIT B

77 LANDMARK DESIGNATION UNION 76 SERVICE CENTER 427 NORTH CRESCENT DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES ILLUSTRATIVE OVERVIEW PAGE 1 0F2 ITEM DESCRIPTION CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURE Contextual Setting, Location, Siting: Prominent, highly visible (cornet) Located of Beverly within Hills with open-air siting the central commercial area in the city location; open-air siting, as described (the Golden Triangle ). Prominent herein substantial open air space below, located at a prominent, highly visible intersection of two broad streets (South Santa Monica Boulevard and North Crescent Drive). Roof Canopy Shape, Size, Configuration: Triangular shape with Spherical triangular shape roof canopy with flared corner points canopy; pentagon shape finishes and materials have been repaired and herein repainted equipment or screens in-kind; roof membrane replaced; in no sightlines from grade.. Roof Canopy Overall Style and Design: Futuristic Modernist design evident Overall roof canopy s original Mid-century Modem the canopy s futurist design, shape, Googie influenced style, design, features, size, materials, finishes, and materials/finishes, construction methods, and function. associated CDFs it Roof Canopy Primary Elevations, Orientation: East, west, and south, north Primary elevations of the roof canopy and associated elevations of the canopy and canopy features (fasciae, integrated piers, integrated associated features, as described lighting, soffits, etc.) include from the north, west, east, and south elevations public view sheds. The roof canopy its is three sides as seen herein orientated with the three flared corner points facing east, west, and south the onginal as-built plans). f as illustrated in.....

78 LANDMARK DESIGNATION UNION 76 SERVICE CENTER 427 NORTH CRESCENT DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES ILLUSTRATIVE OVERVIEW PAGE2OF2 ITEM Roof Canopy DESCRIPTION Canopy Fascia: Along all three sides of canopy; painted cement plaster fasciae and soffit; painted sheet metal flashing; band of square tile panels (metal to be verified) lining fasciae (originally painted in signature Union 76 company orange #7051, repainted in new Unocal 76 company, Conoco Phillips red color in 2007). CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURE Fasciae, soffit, flashing, square tile panels, as described herein PHOTOGRAPH Roof Canopy Canopy Soffit: Painted cement plaster material with smooth texture finish; expansion joints parallel to and near fasciae; control joints parallel to fasciae and lighting fixtures. Soffits, as described herein Roof Canopy Canopy Soffit Lighting: Original design, pattern, and overall appearance of canopy lighting as seen during the day and at night (illuminated). Three sets of four parallel rows of exposed end-to-end single light fluorescent tube fixtures illuminate the soffit (underside) of the canopy (possibly replaced or retrofitted in-kind for new lamp type). Lighting fixtures, as described herein I F

79 City Council Agenda Report May 8,2018 Landmark Designations 427 N. Crescent Dr. and 157 S. Crescent Dr. Attachment 2 Resolution Designating the WeIIer-Schreiber Apartment Building at 157 South Crescent Drive as a Local Landmark

80 RESOLUTION NO. I 8-R- A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS DESIGNATING THE WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING AT 157 SOUTH CRESCENT DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS, AS A LOCAL LANDMARK AND PLACING THE PROPERTY ON THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES Section 1. Article 32 of Chapter 3 of Title 10 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code authorizes the City Council to designate local landmarks and historic districts and to place those properties and geographical areas on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Section 2. On January 10, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission preliminarily considered the multi-family residence located on the property at 157 South Crescent Drive in Beverly Hills, pursuant to Section A.5 (Landmark or Historic District Designation Proceedings; Preliminary Hearing) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, and concluded that the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building warranted formal consideration by the Commission for inclusion on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. Thereafter, the Director of Community Development issued a Preliminary Evaluation pursuant to Section A.3 (Preliminary Evaluation) of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code, finding that the property appeared to be an eligible property based on available evidence at the time. Section 3. On January 10, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission conducted a Preliminary Hearing and found, based on the Preliminary Evaluation issued by the Director, the historical evaluation submitted on behalf of the property owner, and other evidence, that sufficient evidence existed to conclude that the subject property merited formal consideration of landmark designation. B \ v2.doc

81 Section 4. On April 11, 2018, the Cultural Heritage Commission considered a City Landmark Assessment and Evaluation Report for the Weller-$chreiber Apartment Building prepared by Jan Ostashay of Ostashay & Associates Consulting, which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference, and other evidence provided during the proceedings and adopted Resolution No. CRC 69 recommending that the City Council designate the Weller Schreiber Apartment Building as a Local Landmark to be included on the Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties. The list of recommended character-defining features to be preserved is itemized in Section 7 of CRC Resolution No. 69 and included in Section 8 of this resolution. Section 5. On May 8, 2018, the City Council considered the property for landmark designation along with the recommendation of the Cultural Heritage Commission and adopted this resolution. The Council based its action on the findings of fact and reasons listed in the City Landmark Assessment Report for the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building by Ostashay and Associates Consulting, and other evidence. Section 6. BACKGROUND. Constructed in 1935, the property is a two-story, multi family apartment building designed in the French Revival (Eclectic) style. The building is located at the northwest corner of South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard. The building was originally built as a four-unit apartment with three units set along Charleville Boulevard ( Charleville Boulevard) and the fourth unit fronting South Crescent Drive (157 South Crescent Drive). The wood-frame, stucco sheathed structure is capped by a flat roof with parapet and has a decorative slate covered partial mansard roof along the east and south elevations. Other roof elements include shallow flared eaves, dentil molding, small louvered arched shape dormer like attic vents, plaster cornice beltcourse, and a cut-away gable wall dormer at its south elevation above the entry to the 9363 Charleville Boulevard unit. Red brick walkways set between low-rise brick lined planter beds stem from the sidewalks and lead to the front doors of each unit. The entry 2 B \ v2.doc

82 to each unit is distinguished by shallow red brick paved stoops, decorative wrought iron railings, molded surrounds, and large decorative panel doors with small ornate speak easy openings and brass hardware. The central entry door along the south elevation, 9363 Charleville Boulevard, is elaborately framed by engaged fluted columns and an eye brow pediment with classically inspired molded details set within the pediment and above the door header. The building is partially obscured from the public view by a tall dense hedge at its east end. A similar hedge extends from the southwest corner of the building along Charleville Boulevard and shelters from view the south side of the detached garage. Access to the fourth unit, along South Crescent Drive, is via a set of square shape plaster pillars crowned with ball caps and a pair of wood plank doors that are sandwiched between the tall, dense hedge. The main entry door to this unit is centered along the east elevation and also features a large slightly recessed wood panel door that is framed by engaged fluted columns and low-relief embellished header trim of plaster iconic scrolls and medallion panel. Period lantern sconces also flank the entry, as do large multi-pane, wood-frame tripartite windows. Because of the tall hedge this end of the building also features a small private yard that is landscaped with small aggregate stone ground cover, low-growing shrubs along the building, herbs, crawling vines, and boxed plantings. Other distinguishing features of the building s primary elevations (south and east) include plaster beltcourse molding; quoin details at its corners and some windows; elongated multi-pane casement windows with wood casings and sills flanked by louvered wood shutters; round and octagonal shape focal windows with molding trim; large fixed-frame, multi-pane wood bay windows; diamond pattern leaded windows; plaster window molded surrounds; and a prominent exterior brick chimney. Each unit also features secondary utility access along the north side of the building and a small concrete paved walkway that leads to the detached garage to the west. The one-story garage was also built in 1935 with space for four automobiles. Rectangular in plan it is of wood-frame \ v2.doc

83 construction, has stucco exterior walls, and is capped with a flat roof with tiled parapet. Decorative finials set atop the parapet highlight the southwest and northwest corners of the structure. The auto entries to the garage (west elevation) have been modified in size and shape to accommodate contemporary cars and the garage doors have been replaced. Pedestrian doors (replaced) to the garage are set at the east and south sides of the structure and auto access is via the alley. Section 7. findings AND DESCRIPTION Of PARTICULAR ATTRIBUTES JUSTIFYING LANDMARK DESIGNATION. The City Council finds, pursuant to the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance, that the apartment building satisfies the necessary requirements for designation as a local landmark based on the following: The Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building is eligible under significance criterion A. 1. It is at least forty-five (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary sign flcance. The subject property was built in 1935, thus in 2018 it is 83 years old. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building is eligible under significance criterion A.2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type, or architectural period. The property embodies the characteristics of the french Revival (Eclectic) architectural style, as can be seen in its general scale, massing and siting, as well in design features such as its mansard roof, quoin details, window and door articulation, and plaster detailing. The fine execution of the overall architectural form and details of the property appear to possess high aesthetic value. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The Weller-$chreiber Apartment Building is eligible under significance criterion A.3. It retains substantial integrityfrom its period ofsign Ulcance. The period of significance for the subject property is 1935, which is when the apartment complex was constructed. Most of the 4 B \ v2.doc

84 property remains substantially intact, particularly along the street-facing (primary) elevations on South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard. The important features of design, materials, location, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association from this period are still evident on the publicly visible elevations. Therefore, the property retains substantial integrity and satisfies this criterion. The Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building is eligible under significance criterion A.4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article. Because of its distinctive intact architectural style and key design features associated with the French Revival (Eclectic) style and its property type (fourplex multi-family apartment), the subject property has and continues to convey historic value to the community. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. The Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building is eligible under significance criterion B.6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. The landmark designation procedure was initiated by and expressly agreed to by the owner(s) of the property. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. Section 8. PRESERVED. CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES THAT SHOULD BE Use and development of the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building shall be governed by the Secretary ofthe Interior Standardsfor the Treatment ofhistoric Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995) by Weeks and Grimmer (herein referred to as the SOT Standards). These standards and guidelines have been formulated to ensure that any significant adverse changes to the property do not compromise those qualities that justify its listing as a landmark. The key features that should be preserved are as follows. 5 B \ v2.doc

85 The character-defining features associated with the 157 South Crescent Drive apartment building are those exterior features on the property that reflect and define its French Revival (Eclectic) architectural style and property type as a multi-family dwelling. Such features include, but are not limited to the following: Location, massing, scale and siting of the two-story apartment building Primary elevations defined as south and east facades Continued visual read of apartment building with four distinct units. Building configuration as L shape with setbacks from South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard Mansard roof with slate shingles along south and east elevation roof lines Roof elements: shallow flared eaves, dentil molding, small louvered arched shape dormerlike attic vents on Mansard roof, cut-away gable wall dormer on south elevation Stucco exterior siding material with small aggregate and towel finish (texture, finish, overall appearance) Paneled front doors (four), some with speak easy openings (size, type, shape, placement, material, finish, texture, hardware); brick entry stoops with decorative wrought iron railings; decorative door surrounds and molding features (engaged fluted columns, eye brow pediment with decorative relief, ionic molded scrolls and medallion panel) Fenestration (size, material, type, shape, location, placement): multi-pane woodframe casement windows; multi-pane fixed pane, diamond pattern lead frame wood windows; multi-pane bay windows; multi-pane tripartite windows; round and octagonal shape focal windows on second floor (east and south elevations), large multi-pane fixed window at west end of south elevation (first floor); wood louvered shutters and associated molding surrounds Plaster molded beltcourse details on building Quoin details at corners and some window openings B \ v2.doc 6

86 Section 9. GENERAL GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS FOR FUTURE PROPOSED CHANGES PURSUANT TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. The Secretary ofthe Interior s Standardsfor the Treatment ofhistoric Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, andreconstructing Historic Buildings (1995) by Weeks and Grimmer (herein referred to as the SOI Standards and Guidelines) are incorporated by reference. These standards and guidelines have been formulated to ensure that any significant adverse changes to the property do not compromise those qualities that justify its listing as a landmark. The guidelines and standards are an aid to public and private property owners, and others, formulating plans for new plantings, constructions, for rehabilitation or alteration of existing landscapes, associated structures, and for site development. The 501 Standards and Guidelines are also designed to be standards that City Staff and the Cultural Heritage Commission shall apply when making decisions about Certificates of Appropriateness as required by the City of Beverly Hills Historic Preservation Ordinance. The location and boundaries of the delineated resource are the property boundaries. Section 10. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS. Designation of the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building as a local historic landmark was assessed in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the environmental regulations of the City. It has been determined that designation of the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building would not have a significant environmental impact and is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3), 15308, and of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. It can be said with certainty that there is no possibility that the designation of the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building may have a significant effect on the environment, as no specific development is authorized by this resolution, and any future development proposed pursuant to this resolution will require separate environmental analysis B \ v2.doc 7

87 when the details of those proposals are known. further, designating the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building is an action of the City to protect and preserve an historic resource. Section 11. GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY. Designation of the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building as a local historic landmark is consistent with the objectives, principles, and standards of the General Plan. General Plan Policy HP Promote National, State, and Local Designation of Historic Resources encourages the establishment of programs encouraging the nomination of landmarks. Section 12. The City Council hereby designates the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building as a local landmark included on the City of Beverly Hills Register of Historic Properties as Landmark No..38, for the reasons set forth in this resolution. Section 13. The record of proceedings for designation of the Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building as a local landmark included on the City s Register of Historic Properties is maintained by the City as part of the official records of the Community Development Department at 455 North Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, California, Section 14. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of the Resolution and shall cause the Resolution and his certification to be entered in the Book of Resolutions of the Council of the City of Beverly Hills. The City Clerk shall also cause the Resolution to be recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county of Los Angeles as authorized by Section 3215 I of Chapter 3 of Title 10 of the City of Beverly Hills Municipal Code. Adopted: JULIAN A. GOLD, M.D. Mayor of the City of Beverly Hills, California 8 B \ v2.doc

88 City ATTEST: (SEAL) BYRON POPE City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM APPROVED AS TO CONTENT LAURENCE S. WIENER City Attorney MAHDI ALUZRI City Manager ifl&v LtMJ SANHEALYKE Director of Community Development Exhibit A Landmark Assessment Report by Ostashay & Associates Consulting, dated April 2018 B \ v2,doc 9

89 EXHIBIT A

90 CITY LANDMARK ASSESSMENT REPORT APRIL 2018 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING 157 South Crescent Drive, City of Beverly Hills, CA Prepared for: City of Beverly Hills Community Development Department Planning Division, Cultural Heritage Commission 455 Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, CA Prepared by: Jan Ostashay, Principal Ostashay & Associates Consulting P0 BOX 542, Long Beach, CA 90801

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92 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BuILDING, 157 S. CRESCENT DRIVE CITY LANDMARK ASSESSMENT REPORT Weller-Schreiber Apartment Building South Crescent Drive Charleville Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA APN: INTRODUCTION This landmark assessment report, completed by Ostashay & Associates Consulting (OAC) for the City of Beverly Hills, documents and evaluates the local significance and landmark eligibility of the apartment building located at 157 South Crescent Drive, in the city of Beverly Hills. Included in the report is a discussion of the survey methodology used, a summarized description of the subject property and its historical integrity, a brief contextual history of the property, a review of the local landmark criteria considered in the evaluation process, a formal evaluation of the property for local significance, photographs, and applicable supporting materials. METHODOLOGY The landmark assessment was conducted by Jan Ostashay, Principal, of OAC. In order to identify and evaluate the subject property as a potential local landmark, an intensive-level survey was conducted. The assessment included a review of the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) and its annual updates, the California Register of Historical Resources (California Register), the California Historic Resources Inventory (HRI) list maintained by the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP), and the City of Beverly Hills historic resources inventory survey files. Such a review helped to determine if any evaluations or survey assessments of the property had been previously completed. For this current landmark assessment a field survey was conducted and a review of building permits, tax assessor records, and historic aerial photographs was performed to document the property s existing condition and assist in evaluating the property for historical significance. The City of Beverly Hills landmark criteria were employed to evaluate the local significance of the structure and its eligibility for individual designation as a City of Beverly Hills Landmark. In summary, the following tasks were performed for the study: Searched records of the National Register, California Register, OHP Historic Resources Inventory, and the City s inventory survey files. Conducted a field inspection and photographed the subject property. City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 1

93 FINDINGS WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BuILDING, 157 S. CRESCENT DRIVE Conducted site-specific research on the subject property utilizing Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, city directories, newspaper articles, historical photographs, aerial photographs, and building permits. Reviewed and analyzed ordinances, statutes, regulations, bulletins, and technical materials relating to federal, state, and local historic preservation, designation assessment procedures, and related programs. Evaluated the potential historic resource based upon criteria established by the City of Beverly Hills and utilized the OHP survey methodology for conducting survey assessments. The apartment building located at 157 South Crescent Drive appears to satisfy the City s criteria for individual designation as a City of Beverly Hills Landmark as required in Section of the city s Historic Preservation Ordinance (Beverly Hills Municipal Code Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32). This property appears to satisfy all of the mandates of subsection A. and one of the mandates under subsection B. of the Historic Preservation Ordinance. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The apartment building is located in the Beverly Vista subdivision, which is south of Wilshire Boulevard and is comprised of several different tracts. The subject property is located at the northwest corner of South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard and occupies lot 1728 of Tract The parcel has roughly 121 feet of frontage along Charleville Boulevard and measure 50 feet along South Crescent Drive. Configured as a four unit apartment building it is primarily oriented to the south and faces Charleville Boulevard ( Charleville Boulevard). A single unit, 157 South Crescent Drive, faces east onto South Crescent Drive. The property is situated within a well-developed multi-family residential neighborhood that consists of similarly scaled apartment buildings designed in a variety of period revival architectural styles. The subject property was previously identified in the 2004 historic resources survey update within what was identified in the survey as Area 4. This area is comprised primarily of multi family residences that were built prior to World War II. At the time of the 2004 survey update the property was recorded, evaluated and assigned a 5B California Historical Resources status code. This rating code assigned to the property indicates it appears to be historically significant under local criteria both as an individual landmark and as a contributor to a potential historic district. Under the 2006 historic resources survey update conducted by the city no changes to that conclusion occurred. The property has not been included in the State HRI database and, therefore, is not line-item listed in the current HRI printout of previously surveyed properties in the City. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND CONSTRUCTION HISTORY Description. Constructed in 1935, the property is a two-story, multi-family apartment building designed in the French Revival (Eclectic) style. The building is L shape in plan and is located at City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 2

94 WELLER-ScHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING, CREscENT DRIVE the northwest corner of South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard. It is partially obscured from the public view by a tall dense hedge at its east end. A similar hedge extends from the southwest corner of the building along Charleville Boulevard and shelters from view the south side of the detached garage. The wood-frame, stucco sheathed structure is capped by flat roof with parapet and has a decorative slate covered partial mansard roof along the east and south elevations. Other roof elements include shallow flared eaves, dentil molding, small louvered arched shape dormer-like attic vents, plaster cornice beltcourse, and a cut-away gable wall dormer at its south elevation above the entry to the 9363 Charleville Boulevard unit. The building was originally built as a four unit apartment with three units set along Charleville Boulevard ( Charleville Boulevard) and the fourth unit fronting South Crescent Drive (157 South Crescent Drive). Red brick walkways set between low-rise brick lined planter beds stem from the sidewalks and lead to the front doors of each unit. The entry to each unit is distinguished by shallow red brick paved stoops, decorative wrought iron railings, molded surrounds, and large decorative panel doors with small ornate speak easy openings and brass hardware. The central entry door along the south elevation, 9363 Charleville Boulevard, is elaborately framed by engaged fluted columns and an eye brow pediment with classically inspired molded details set within the pediment and above the door header. Access to the fourth unit, along South Crescent Drive, is via a set of square shape plaster pillars crowned with ball caps and a pair of wood plank doors that are sandwiched between the tall, dense hedge. The main entry door to this unit is centered along the east elevation and also features a large slightly recessed wood panel door that is framed by engaged fluted columns and low-relief embellished header trim of plaster iconic scrolls and medallion panel. Period lantern sconces also flank the entry, as do large multi-pane, wood-frame tripartite windows. Because of the tall hedge this end of the building also features a small private yard that is landscaped with small aggregate stone ground cover, low-growing shrubs along the building, herbs, crawling vines, and boxed plantings. Other distinguishing features of the building s primary elevations (south and east) include plaster beltcourse molding; quoin details at its corners and some windows; elongated multipane casement windows with wood casings and sills flanked by louvered wood shutters; round and octagonal shape focal windows with molding trim; large fixed-frame, multi-pane wood bay windows; diamond pattern leaded windows; plaster window molded surrounds; and a prominent exterior brick chimney. Each unit also features secondary utility access along the north side of the building and a small concrete paved walkway that leads to the detached garage to the west. The one-story garage was also built in 1935 with space for four automobiles. Rectangular in plan it is of wood-frame construction, has stucco exterior walls, and is capped with a flat roof with tiled parapet. Decorative finials set atop the parapet highlight the four corners of the structure. The auto entries to the garage (west elevation) have been modified in size and shape to accommodate contemporary cars and the garage doors have been replaced. Pedestrian doors (replaced) to the garage are set at the east and south sides of the structure and auto access is via the alley. City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 3

95 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING, CRESCENT DRIVE A review of building permits indicate the property was constructed in 1935 and remained relatively unchanged until 1970, when it was converted from a four unit flat to a three unit apartment building. It appears that most of the work completed for the conversion was conducted within the interior spaces and did not necessarily adversely alter the exterior of the building. The garage structure; however, was and has been modified over the years. Relevant permits recorded with the City of Beverly Hills include the following: YEAR DESCRIPTION OF WORK 1935 Four-plex apartment unit 1935 Private garage with four spaces 1961 Remodel garage to carport use 1970 Convert four-plex to three-plex (remove 9361 Charleville Boulevard unit) 1970 Interior: demolition of interior spaces ( Charleville Boulevard) 1992 Interior: remodel two kitchens and two baths ( Charleville Boulevard) 1992 Add garage doors 2005 Re-roof main building, slate removed and replaced in-kind 2007 Interior: remodel master bath 2016 Re-roof main building in-kind 2016 Re-roof garage in-kind 2016 Foundation bolting of main building The permitted work listed above was primarily conducted within the main apartment building, along secondary elevations of the building (north, rear elevation), or on the secondary garage structure. Work conducted during the conversion of the building from four units to three units in 1970 did not radically alter the exterior primary elevations of the property. It continues to visually read as a four unit apartment building today from the public right-of-way. The work conducted in 1992, which remodeled two kitchens and two bathrooms ( Charleville Boulevard), did not alter the exterior primary elevations of the building. Jalousie type window frames, which had been installed in the bathroom windows along secondary elevations were replaced with multi-pane double hung wood frames. Any other work performed the along the two primary elevations of the exterior of the main building (re-roof and foundation bolting) were conducted in-kind using period-appropriate materials and features. In assessing the work conducted on the property over the years, its original architectural design, as it appears from both South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard, and all important, visible character-defining features remain intact. In addition, the property appears to retain much of its historical integrity in terms of design, location, materials, workmanship, setting, feeling, and association from its period of significance (1935). HISTORICAL CONTEXT Beverly Hills. The early settlement and development of Beverly Hills began on what was called Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas. This land was originally claimed by Mexican settlers Maria Rita Valdez and her husband Vicente Valdez around Aptly named The Ranch of the Gathering of the Waters, the swamps or cienegas that characterize the natural landscape were created City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 4

96 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING, CRESCENT DRIVE by rain run off flowing out of Coldwater and Benedict Canyons. Vegetable farming, sheep herding, bee keeping and the raising of walnut trees were the primary agricultural activities within the rancho lands during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Several attempts at subdividing and establishing communities on the ranch lands were attempted during the 1860s and 1$80s, but ended in failure. In 1906, the Amalgamated Oil Company reorganized as the Rodeo Land and Water Company. Burton Green played a leading role in formulating the plans for a garden city, located between Whittier Drive on the west, Doheny Drive on the east, Wilshire Boulevard on the south, and the foothills above Sunset Boulevard to the north.2 The syndicate hired notable California park planner, Wilbur F. Cook, Jr., to plan the new community. Cook had worked with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted prior to moving to Oakland in 1905 to establish his own firm. Comprised of Beverly in the commercial triangle between Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards and Beverly Hills north of Santa Monica Boulevard, the new community was one of the earliest planned communities in southern California. Prompted largely by concern over the water and school systems, residents voted to incorporate in 1914 and created the new City of Beverly Hills. The original boundaries of the City were much the same as they are today, except for the area south of Wilshire Boulevard, annexed in 1915, and Trousdale Estates, annexed in Most of the City was open land at the time of incorporation with development scattered around Canon Drive, Beverly Drive, Crescent Drive, and the downtown triangle.3 The architecture of Beverly Hills in the years following the City s founding was dominated by the Craftsman, Mission Revival, and Period Revival styles like Tudor Revival, Georgian, and Beaux-Arts Classicism. With Beverly Hills establishing itself as a haven for movie stars in the 1920s, the architectural character of the city began to realize a varying degree of extravagance in the design of its housing stock. Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s sophisticated period revival styles dominated the domestic architecture of the City, including Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, French Normandy, Tudor Revival, and the like. By the mid to late 1930s Beverly Hills became one of the areas in southern California most closely connected with the development of the Hollywood Regency style. Born of the meeting of Moderne sleekness with the elegance of early nineteenth century architectural forms, it used simple, primary forms and blank wall surfaces to project exclusivity and sophistication.4 Beverly Hills domestic architecture in the post-world War II era saw the incorporation of Revival references in its new housing stock, and also the introduction of contemporary, luxury designs reflective of the Midcentury Modern idiom. By the end of World War II, Beverly Hills was fully developed, but was still growing in density, resulting in the subdivision of some large estates and the demolition of older building stock for new multi-family housing and commercial development. The city s commercial district gained a Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey , pg. 5. pp Ibid. pg. 11. Ibid. pg. 17. City Landmark Assessment Report April 2D18 page 5

97 WELLER-SCHREIEER APARTMENT BUILDING, CRESCENT DRIVE number of professional occupants and Beverly Hills became less of a bedroom community to Los Angeles and more of a destination in and of itself. Beverly Vista Multi-Family Residential Neighborhood, Tract No Tract No was initially established as the Beverly Vista subdivision in the early 1920s by real estate developers Walter G. McCarty, John Vaughan, and John Evans. Only a few years later it had been succeeded in full ownership by John Vaughan. The subdivision established was rather expansive and included the entire area situated between South Robertson Boulevard (originally called Preuss Road) and Beverly Drive on the east and west, respectively, and Wilshire Boulevard and Pico Boulevard to the north and south. The tract also crossed over into a portion of Los Angeles. Tract No was large and configured for residential development with commercial improvements along the major thoroughfares of Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Drive, Olympic Boulevard, and Pico Boulevard. Lots within this tract typically measured approximately 50 feet by 121 feet; however, in some cases parcels were combined to accommodate larger size multi family dwellings. Multi-family improvements were built primarily north of Charleville Boulevard though they were also interspersed within the neighborhood south of Charleville. The subject property was built in the northwest section of Tract No at the northwest corner of Charleville Boulevard and South Crescent Drive. This section of Tract No contains modest scale apartment buildings built in a variety of period revival architectural styles primarily during the late 1920s and 1930s. Visually distinct the neighborhood contains two-story duplexes; fourplexes; and six-, eight-, and ten-unit apartment structures reflective of the French Eclectic, Spanish Colonial Revival, Monterrey Revival, Colonial Revival, and English or Tudor Revival styles. Vernacular modern style buildings are also represented in the vicinity. Preliminary research suggests that a mix of architects, builders, and owner/contractors were responsible for the design and construction of the buildings. Building footprints of the improvements are generally rectangular in shape, although some are L-shape in plan. Many of the multi-family dwellings share common setbacks from the street and rear service alleys where (detached) garages or carports are accessed. Paved paths (usually of concrete) lead from public sidewalks to entrances located on primary or secondary elevations of most buildings. Front yard and parcel landscaping is generally full and mature with hedges, trees, and sometimes grassy lawns. A single species of tree (such as Maple, Elm, or a variety of Palm) distinguishes each of the tract s streets. Apartment Building, 157 S. Crescent Drive. On September 17, 1935, A. Markowitz and Son, as owner and contractor of the property, obtained a building permit to construct a four-unit, twostory apartment building for an estimated cost of $14,000. A separate permit to erect a four stall one-story garage was also obtained at that same time. According to the permit no architect was involved with the project. As described on the permit, the building would be of woodframe construction with a concrete foundation, shingle and compositional roof, and stucco exterior walls. It did not include a chimney (fireplace or flue) for the apartment building. It appears that the brick chimney on the building today was constructed sometime after 1951, as the Sanborn map of that date notes no ch and does not illustrate the exterior chimney on the building site. It is speculated that the chimney was added around 1970, when the 157 South Crescent Drive unit was combined with the 9361 Charleville Boulevard unit. The building permit City Lendmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 6

98 WELLER-SCHREIEER APARTMENT BuILDING, CRESCENT DRIVE for the detached garage to the west of the apartment building notes the utilitarian structure to be one-story with a concrete foundation, frame walls, stucco exterior walls, and a compositional roof (as it was flat with parapet). On October 13, 1935, the Los Angeles Times reported on the construction of the apartment as a two-story apartment divided into four units and owned and built by A. Markowitz & Son. Located in Los Angeles, A Markowitz & Son, a real estate and contracting company, built and sold buildings as investment ventures. In Beverly Hills, they had also built a residential property at 237 South Gale Drive in 1933 (demolished) and a commercial building at 9101 Olympic Boulevard in Upon its completion the property was sold to Stanley M. Weller, a real estate broker, and his wife Helen. Though the Wellers only resided there briefly before moving to 153 South Bedford Drive in 1938, they maintained ownership of the property for just under twenty years. In 1955, the Wellers sold the property to Herman F. Levy and his wife Sophie. The Levys were living on North Alpine Drive before moving into their newly purchased South Crescent Drive property. Herman Levy had worked as counsel for the Theater Owners of America prior to accepting a position in 1953 working at Universal-International in their advertising department. He later took a position with Allied Artists Pictures in 1959 where he continued his work in advertising. Unfortunately, Herman Levy passed away after a long illness at the age of 53 years in Ownership of the property continued under his wife Sophie though she passed only few years later in After that time, the property s ownership was tied up in probate court for several years. The property was eventually transferred to Fidelis Manlove, of Los Angeles in Fidelis Manlove was a widow and never lived on the premises. It was under Manlove s ownership that the conversion of the apartment from four units to three units was made in addition to some modifications to the garage structure. Six years later the property was sold to Harriet L. Pesante. Pesante was also a widow as well as a Christian Science practitioner. She owned, occupied that property and operated a Christian Science practitioner business from the building. In 1992, Harriet Pesante sold the property to Bradley T. Kimball. Under his ownership the kitchens and bathrooms of two of the units ( Charleville Boulevard) were remodeled. The property was sold five years later to Richard Schreiber and his wife Jennifer. They are the current owners of the property and have maintained the property s historic character in an in-kind manner. In reviewing city directory, census files, and voter s registration records, the data shows that apartment building was also occupied by a series of short-term and long-term renters. Some of the earliest tenants of the fourplex included Mrs. Edith Wolf, a widow; William Lucado, an auto executive, and his wife Virginia; long-term tenant Mrs. Mary McClellan, a widow; long-term tenant Varian Green, bank executive, and his wife Gwen; Claire Basset, a costume designer; Miss Jessie Hopkins, divorced, and roommate Gwen Pettit, a realtor; David Filerman, a musician, and his wife Lillian; long-term tenant Harry Stulman and his wife Selma; among others. Research into all known occupants and owners of the subject property found no evidence to indicate any of them as being significant individuals in the history of Beverly Hills or elsewhere. Cfty LandmErk Assessment Report April 2018 page 7

99 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING, CREscENT DRIVE French Eclectic Style. The period between World War I and World War II was one of intense building activity in the southern California region, including Beverly Hills. A wide range of revival styles were incorporated into the design of the buildings constructed during this period. The eclectic revival styles included the Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Mission Revival, French Revival and French Eclectic, Chateauesque, English and Tudor Revival, Italian Renaissance Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Neoclassical Revival, Egyptian Revival, Monterey among others. Many of these styles were popular both as residential and commercial styles, with a few, particularly the Egyptian Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, and French Eclectic styles, being used often for use in small and large scale apartment buildings. The French Eclectic, or French Revival, style was popular throughout the United States beginning in the 1920s and continuing through the early 1940s. The style is intended to mimic the design of country manor houses and vernacular farmhouses of northwest France, especially from the Brittany and Normandy regions. The style may also be mixed with English Cottage and English Tudor Revival styles. It is likely that part of the popularity of this design is attributed to the many American servicemen stationed in France during World War I. The style is generally recognizable by its prominent roof treatments, which is usually configured with tall, steeply pitched hips or gables often with flared eaves. Dormers, either hipped, gabled, or rounded, are often present and may be positioned to intersect the cornice. Multi-paned casement, double or single-hung windows are also common. Full-length casement windows with shutters (French doors) are sometimes used. Lead or stained glass windows may be employed to accent an interior or exterior feature. The French Revival designs may be either symmetrical or asymmetrical depending on the roof type and massing. Tall chimneys further accent the verticality of the roof treatment. Exterior walls of properties designed in this style are clad in stone, brick, or stucco and on occasion feature half-timbering treatments. Some of the more informal examples of the style have front entry doors set in simple arched openings. Front entries may also be surrounded by quolning and recessed with doors of vertical plank, stained or beveled glass panels set as pairs or singular. HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE CONSIDERATION FRAMEWORK Evaluation Criteria. In analyzing the historical significance of the subject property, criteria for designation under the City s local landmark program was considered. Additionally, consideration of historical integrity and the State Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) survey methodology was used to survey and assess the relative significance of the property. City of Beverly Hills Landmark Criteria. The City s Historic Preservation Ordinance (Municipal Code Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32; BHMC ) authorizes the Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) to recommend the nomination of properties as local landmarks to the City Council. The Council may designate local landmarks and historic districts by the procedures outlined in the ordinance. The Preservation Ordinance also establishes criteria and the process for evaluating and designating properties as potential local landmarks. An eligible property may be nominated and designated as a landmark if it satisfies the requirements set forth below: City Cndmark Assessment Report April 2018 pege 8

100 A. A landmark must satisfy all of the following requirements: WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING, CRESCENT DRIVE 1. It is at least 45 years (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary significance; 2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period; 3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance; and 4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of this article. B. In addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph A above, a landmark must satisfy at least one of the following requirements: 1. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; 2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect; 3. It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s endeavors or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraph, personal events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be deemed to be momentous; 4. It is an exceptional property that was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence; 5. It is an iconic property; or 6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. Historical Integrity. Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance. In addition to meeting the criteria of significance, a property must have integrity. Integrity is the authenticity of a property s physical identity clearly indicated by the retention of characteristics that existed during the period of significance. Properties eligible for local landmark designation must meet at least two of the local landmark designation criteria and retain enough of their historic character or appearance to be recognizable as historical resources and to convey the reasons for their historical significance. properts Both the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historical Resources recognize the seven aspects of qualities that, in various combinations, define integrity. To retain historic integrity a property should possess several, and usually most, of these seven aspects. Thus, the retention of the specific aspects of integrity is paramount for a property to convey its significance. The seven qualities that define integrity are location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. The seven qualities or aspects of historical integrity are defined as follows: City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 9

101 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BUILDING, CREsCENT DRIVE Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic event occurred. Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a property. Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. 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. Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any given period in history or prehistory. Feeling is a property s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time. Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic property. EVALUATION OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Application of City Landmark (Significance) Criteria. In summary, based on current research and the above assessment the apartment building located at 157 South Crescent Drive appears to meet the necessary City of Beverly Hills Landmark criteria (BHMC ). The property was evaluated according to the statutory criteria, as follows: A. A landmark must satisfy all of the following requirements (BHMC (A)): 1. It is at least 45 years (45) years of age, or is a property of extraordinary significance. The subject property was built in 1935, and is over 45 years of age. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. 2. It possesses high artistic or aesthetic value, and embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or architectural type or architectural period. The subject property is an excellent example of the French Revival (Eclectic) style, incorporating many of the architectural features associated with the idiom. As adapted to a multi-family apartment building, the styling reflects several French influences with its mansard roof, quoin details, window type and treatment, entry door elaborations, sheathing material, and scale, massing, and siting. It clearly embodies the distinctive character of a particular style, period of time, and architectural type. Therefore, the property appears to satisfy this criterion. City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 10

102 Boulevard; the south and east (primary) elevations; and much of the property property, comprising the setbacks along South Crescent Drive and Charleville apartment building was constructed. The publicly visible portions of the The period of significance for the subject property is 1935, which is when the 3. It retains substantial integrity from its period of significance. owned and occupied by a person of great importance. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. The archival research data reviewed on the property did not indicate that it was endeavors or the history of the nation. For purposes of this paragraph, personal deemed to be momentous. importance, and was directly connected to a momentous event in the person s events such as birth, death, marriage, social interaction, and the like shall not be indicate Markowitz or his sons should be considered a master architect at this time. In addition, Markowitz and Sons is not included on the City s Master Architect List. Therefore, the property does not appear to satisfy this criterion. The 157 South Crescent Drive property was an owner/builder improvement built Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. The subject property is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. satisfy at least one of the following requirements fbhmc (8)): criterion. associated with the French Revival (Eclectic) style and its property type (fourplex Because of its distinctive intact architectural style and key design features multi-family apartment) the subject property has and continues to convey historic value to the community. Therefore, the property appears to satisfy this this article. landmark is reasonable and necessary to promote and further the purposes of evident on those elevations publically visible. Hence, the property appears to overall are substantially intact. Those important features of design, materials, location, setting, workmanship, feeling, and association from this period are still satisfy this criterion. WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BuILDING, CREsCENT DRIVE 4. It has continued historic value to the community such that its designation as a B. In addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph A above, a landmark must 1. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 2. It is an exceptional work by a master architect. by Markowitz and Sons as a speculation investment. There is no information to 3. It is an exceptional work that was owned and occupied by a person of great City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page;;

103 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BuILDING, 157 S. CRESCENT DRIVE 4. It is an exceptional property that was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence. In reviewing archival research data on the history of the property there was no indication that it was owned and occupied by a person of great local prominence. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 5. It is an iconic property. There is no indication that the property should be considered iconic within the city. Therefore, the property does not satisfy this criterion. 6. The landmark designation procedure is initiated, or expressly agreed to, by the owner(s) of the property. The landmark designation procedure was expressly agreed to by the owner(s) of the property. Therefore, the property satisfies this criterion. Character-defining Features. Every historic property is unique, with its own identity and its own distinguishing character. A property s form and detailing are important in defining its visual historic character and significance. It is a property s tangible features or elements that embody its significance for association with specific historical events, important personages, or distinctive architecture and it is those tangible elements; therefore, that should be retained and preserved. Character refers to all those visual aspects and physical features that comprise the appearance of every historic property. According to National Park Service Brief 17, Architectural Character: Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character, character-defining features include the overall shape of a property (building, structure, etc.), its material, craftsmanship, decorative details, interior spaces and features (as applicable), as well as the various aspects of its site and immediate environment (form, configuration and orientation). The Secretary of the Interior s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties defines historic character by the form and detailing of materials, such as masonry, wood, stucco, plaster, terra cotta, metal, etc.; specific features, such as roofs, porches, windows and window elements, moldings, staircases, chimneys, driveways, garages, landscape and hardscape elements, etc.; as well as spatial relationships between buildings, structures, and features; room configurations; and archaic structural and mechanical systems. Identifying those features or elements that give a historic property visual character and which should be taken into account and preserved to the maximum extent possible is important in order for the property to maintain its historical significance. The character-defining features associated with the 157 South Crescent Drive apartment building are those exterior features on the property that reflect and define its French Revival (Eclectic) architectural style and property type as a multi-family dwelling. Such features include, but are not limited to the following: City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 12

104 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BuILDING, CRESCENT DRIVE Location, massing, scale and siting of the two-story apartment building Primary elevations defined as south and east facades Continued visual read of apartment building with four distinct units. Building configuration as L shape with setbacks from South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard Mansard roof with slate shingles along south and east elevation roof lines Roof elements: shallow flared eaves, dentil molding, small louvered arched shape dormer-like attic vents on Mansard roof, cut-away gable wall dormer on south elevation Stucco exterior siding material with small aggregate and towel finish (texture, finish, overall appearance) Paneled front doors (four), some with speak easy openings (size, type, shape, placement, material, finish, texture, hardware); brick entry stoops with decorative wrought iron railings; decorative door surrounds and molding features (engaged fluted columns, eye brow pediment with decorative relief, ionic molded scrolls and medallion panel) Fenestration (size, material, type, shape, location, placement): multi-pane woodframe casement windows; multi-pane fixed pane, diamond pattern lead frame wood windows; multi-pane bay windows; multi-pane tripartite windows; round and octagonal shape focal windows on second floor (east and south elevations), large multi-pane fixed window at west end of south elevation (first floor); wood louvered shutters and associated molding surrounds Plaster molded beltcourse details on building Quoin details at corners and some window openings CONCLUSION As discussed herein, the apartment building located at 157 South Crescent Drive appears to satisfy the City of Beverly Hills criteria for designation as a local Landmark as required in Section of the Historic Preservation Ordinance (BHMC Title 10 Chapter 3 Article 32). This property appears to satisfy all of the mandates of subsection A. and one of the mandates under subsection B. City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 13

105 WELCER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BuILDING, 157 S. CRESCENT DRIvE BIBLIOGRAPHY Ancestry.com. United States Census records; death records; birth records, voter registration records, military draft registration records, city directory listings (on-line databases). Provo, Utah. Accessed November 17, 2017; December 4, 2017; December 14, Anderson, Robert S. Beverly Hills: The First 100 Years. New York: Rizzoli, Basten, Fred E. Beverly Hills: Portrait of a Fabled City. Los Angeles: Douglas-West Publishers, Benedict, Pierce E., ed. History of Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills: A.H. Cawston, Christian Science. List of Practitioners and Teachers, Christian Science Journal, vol 99, Boston: The Christian Science Publishing Society, 1981, P. 51. Davis, Genevieve. Beverly Hills: An Illustrated History. Northridge, California: Windsor Publications, Inc., Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. Architecture in Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Peregrine Smith Books, Gebhard, David and Robert Winter. An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles. Salt Lake City, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishers, Johnson Heumann Research Associates. Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey Final Report. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, Jones & Stokes, ICF. City of Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey Report, Survey Area 5: Commercial Properties. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, June 2006, rev. April Los Angeles County Tax Assessor Information (http ://maps.assessor.iacounty.gov). Los Angeles Public Library. On-line historical and image database archives and files. No Author. Apartment-House to be Constructed, Los Angeles Times, October 13, 1935, p. D3. No Author. Obituary, Herman Levy, Broadcasting, vol 65, New York: Broadcasting Magazine, 1963, p No Author. Restless People, Revolving Doors, The Billboard, New York: The Billboard Magazine, December 12, 1953, p.7. PCR Services. Historic Resources Survey, Part I: Historic Resources Survey Update and Part II: Area 4 Multi-Family Residence Survey. Prepared for the City of Beverly Hills, June Polk s City Directories, City of Beverly Hills. City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 14

106 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BuILDING, CRESCENT DRIVE ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times ( ). Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Beverly Hills. 1922, 1950, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 15. How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 16, Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 24, Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. National Register Bulletin 30. How to Evaluate and Document Rural Historic Landscapes. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, United States Department of the Interior. Preservation Brief 17. Architectural Character Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving Their Character rev. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division, Wanamaker, Marc. Images of America: Early Beverly Hills. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, Wanamaker, Marc. Images of America: Beverly Hills Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, City Landmark Assessment Report April 2018 page 15

107 WELLER-SCHREIBER APARTMENT BuILDING, CREscENT DRIVE APPENDIX Location Map Parcel Map Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Ephemeral Material Photographs City Landmark Assessment Report April2018 page 16

108 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK

109 - Legend [1 Parcels \\ / /, / \\ U]l Notes 157 South Crescent Drive Beverly Hills, CA This map is a user generated Static output from an Internet mapping Site and is for reference only. Data layers that appear on this map may or may not be accurate, current, or otherwise reliable THIS MAP IS NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

110 SHI 2003 WILSHIRE (H.SLt.NI 1JRJ BLVD VZL 850Z zzc, 73o3&3o 89/1D70YaaZ05/-O?OldO9ISllUOSl (- 07 /92.9IFO8IWXBOD/-07 2i2c,o5/2a2o 9oo/-O7 2002/OZ40B003Oc U I7I4 I7I5Q 1716 I7I7 25 S 718 U I56& U CONDOMINIUM PACEL MAP P.M. 311 IO-.lI CONDOM IN KiM TRACT NO M CONDOMINIUM TRACT NO M I.RACI CONDOMINIUM NO M CONDOMINIUM TRACT NO K Z5- -f 4 + @1726 //67 S+EET6 I 1/847.50,.0,, SHEET l r1 / /15.51 /51.40 SHEET I I,,R. 17Q8 zs M.B. 822-FO-II CODE 2410 TRACT NO.6360 M.B.69 II 2O z 0 p0, 4 I z U UU-) U :0-55 In., 21.4 / Po, I :5 -f I214 /7th SHEET nil J U 75 FOR PREy. AS$MT. SEE: &312 I 0 CHARLEVILLE II \N%% BLVD. I II ASSESSOR S NAP COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

111 SAN BORN FIRE INSURANCE MAP, Beverly_Hills lr&ca. V,Lff EvERtYhccs 2121 S.RE)(FORD DRIVE 1 ; EZL -._ L. - r.. -- i L._ fr1 /,.kjzt tzi 2 &L 2 S. ELM DRIVE, _4T_A : H - tw U icih U S. CRESCENT 0 DRIVE -- *0 I of teet..1 Jan iuo, pasteup Jan 1951, vol 1 1

112 SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE MAP, Beverly Hills Jan 1906, paste-up Jan 1951, vol , Apr 1950 DETAIL

113 LOS ANGELES TIMES NEWSPAPER October 13, 1935 FrnwhTypc flisdlhpg Ikuign : Proçkusl oek.j Novsp3puts Co. tpgck. llmc. pg. Di French-Type_Dwelling Design II I. I: I 1! / LJ-J Necru areslfentiat plan Ce scr!bed as adding sartety to the adaptatitsos or Continental archltecgu-e. DetaIls of the dialling are given In the oc compinying article. APARTMENT.HOUSE TO BE CONSTRUCTED Coltatrucilon Is scheduled to start immediately on a SlIXO apartment buudl at 157 bosh Crescent Drive.!evnly JUl10. for A. Mlrbo ash Son It Is annamccd. The bislding ass rise two StOtleS to behht. and to to certain twenty tour rooms dltlded Into four apart ments. EANCE flzckased P.enry Belt boo purchased the lulls VOlley Pooch. foor SIlIca Cf Orange Core, and p10os extensive improvements. It Ia announced. Tlie property consist. of elcht3 acres of.5cm sod eight) acre, ot open land. Home Building Class Offered at Universjt Yeatcr1rj a course ldspted to I these planclet to bufd Sc rams Under the Federal Noitan Act. I college of..-thli,cture and ae a. Cf the Unlromfly at Sctttlseto Cs fonila Ia osesing taeiae cheat, ItCIflt4cte doctor tha liii qiser of trecalt! Ccllege adult r nine dicialon.?woutl-four clasoes In 5e a also are Included In the fall qua Schedule. Prof. C. Raheond JOhon C. head the cewse eti p1snnlo a looncing the boric. The coat deals alto coats and riethodu drunebe. aelection of site. moteet and deslqu. IaIIdscl9ItIg and p10 t nto assd cocstlict$ol cedloanc The clsei ateeta adi Thtesda ci nhsg from 7 to 4:50 p. to the thltedure 3ulldlog. P Writ IC. tf-fifto alrett. Asddtadtu.l Seo10o. air oma natheattog bniidl3g and cot lion coats and Iastducapb itch Iattlne are among the coon schtdulgd fee late aflet0000 a FOtTRTEEN.ROOM HOM TO BE CONSTRUCTE Contract at 155t11 for corotrr lion of a residence and poet to 3e1 Alr. West los Angele fec Robert J. Prlonk baa be awirded to 3 Roted RandaU. IL inzsouncej K RoT KtIb 10 ti architect. The residence lair nonlali. tots rooms. BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS MADE Apoficallon bats beeo mode to U building dcpritrienc. for perreheit 10 construct a $1*.4Sc apoheel bulldlilg at Neath Sfrimo averse tee A. P.. Isoart and Char!, A. Gush. accordlog to the South wool 3tdidcr and Contractor. 17 building will rise two sictbco I heltbt. and 10 to contain tweol crier dteided tots foit apart ApplIcatIon boo been made f,ermbsolon In c000iruct a ori-atsc

114 CITY DIRECTORY LISTING: 157 South Crescent, Charleville Boulevard listings acquired from the Beverly Hills city directory research unless otherwise noted YEAR ENTRY LISTING : No listing 9361: No listing 9363: William G. Lucado (Virginia), auto executive 9365: Mrs. Edith N. Wolf, widow : Julius P. Neist (Clara), owner of the Elite Theatre 9361: Stanley M. Weller (Helen), real estate broker 9363: William G. Lucado (Virginia), auto executive 9365: Mrs. Edith Wolf, widow : ElbertJ. Evans (Hope), broker 9361: Vacant 9363: William G. Lucado (Virginia), auto executive 9365: Lucille Stafford, no occupation listed : Mrs. Fred L. McClellan (Mary), widow 9361: Mrs. Helen Laird Alkire, divorced, no occupation listed 9363: Vacant 9365: Lucille Stafford, no occupation listed : Mrs. Mary McClellan, widow (US Census) 9361: Mrs. Helen Laird Alkire, divorced 9363: Varian S. Green (Gwen L.), banking 9365: Gustaf A. Duttenhofer (Mae F.), retired : Mrs. Fred L. McClellan (Mary), widow 9361: Mrs. Helen Laird Alkire, divorced 9363: Varian S. Green (Gwen L.), banking 9365: No listing : Mrs. Mary L. McClellan, widow 9361: Douglas D. Heimberger (Julia), no occupation listed 9363: Varian S. Green (Gwen L.), banking 9365: Claire Basset, costume designer : Mrs. Mary L. McClellan, widow 9361: Fillmore S. De Voin (Ina G.), salesman 9363: Felix J. Maguire (Alma M.), retired 9365: Claire Basset, costume designer : Mrs. Mary L. McClellan, widow 9361: Miss Jessie Hopkins, divorced/gwen H. Pettit, real estate 9363: Jules Rocklin, general manager 9365: Antonia Nash, no occupation listed : David H. Filerman (Lillian), musician 9361: Herman F. Levy (Sophie), advertising Universal Pictures 9363: Harry Stulman (Selma), sales 9365: Marinna B. Schauer, secretary

115 CITY DIRECTORY LISTING: 157 South Crescent, Charleville Boulevard listings acquired from the Beverly Hills city directory research unless otherwise noted YEAR ENTRY LISTING : David H. Filerman (Lillian S.), musician 9361: Herman F. Levy, advertising manager-allied Artists 9363: Harry H. Stulman (Selma), sales 9365: Isabella F. Adam, no occupation listed : Sophie R. Levy, widow 9361: Harry Bloom (Patrice), theatre manager 9363: Harry H. Stulman (Selma), sales 9365: David Filerman (Lillian S.), musician : Lynne Bennet, no occupation listed 9361: Faith V. Kruger, department store executive 9363: Robert M. Mallin (Ida), public relations 9365: Anna Marie Cruz, no occupation listed : No listing 9361: Not listed 9363: Sam M. Gamson (Shirley), no occupation listed 9365: Celia Jimenez, no occupation listed : Harriet L. Pesante, widow, Christian Science Practitioner 9361: No listing 9363: No Listing 9365: No listing : Harriet 1. Pesante, widow, Christian Science Practitioner 9361: No listing 9363: No listing 9365: No listing continued

116 -. District Other State of California The Resources Agency Primary # DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # PRIMARY RECORD Other Listings Review Code ttus Code 58 Reviewer Date Page 1 of 1 Resource Name or #: (Assigned by recorder) 757 South Crescent Dr. P1. Other Identifier: Beverly Vista MFR District P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted a. County Los Angeles and (P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) b. USGS 7.5 Quad Date T ; R ll4of li4ofsec c. Address: 157 South Crescent Dr. City Beverly Hills d. UTM: (Give more than one for large andiot linear resources) Zone mel e. Other Locational Data (e.g. Parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate) Zip mn B.M. Parcel No P3 Description: (Describe resources and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, and boundaries) Capped by a steeply-pitched hipped roof covered with slate shingles, this two-story multi-family residence is designed in the French Eclectic style with exteriors sheathed in stucco. Roof elements include shallow flared eaves, dentil molding, small round-arched dormer vents, and a through-the-cornice front-gabled dormer. L-shaped in plan and located on the northwest corner of South Crescent Drive and Charleville Boulevard the building is partially obscured by a tall hedge. Distinguishing features of the primary (east and south) include a belt course, quoins, double-hung sash windows (several with flanking wood shutters), a narrow octagonal window, and a prominent exterior brick chimney. Entrances are embellished by elaborate molded surrounds rendered in plaster. b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP 3. Multiple family property P4. Resources Present: vtbullding _Slructure _Object...t Site District Element of District... (Isolates. etc.) P5b Description of Photo: (View, date, accession #) June, 2004 P6. Date ConstructedlAge and Sources: 7935 Prehistoric ; Historic JiBoth P7. Owner Address: Private P8. Recorded by: (Name, affiliation, and address) Jan Ostashay, Peter Moruzzi PCR Services One Venture, Suite 150 Irvine, CA P9. Date Recorded: 6/ PlO. Survey Type: (Describe) Reconnaissance Level Survey P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources, or enter none.) 3umenn, Leslie and Christy McAvoy, Beverly Hills Historic Resources Survey, x,. Attachments: v NONE Continuation Sheet Location Map Building. Structure, and Object Record Sketch Map Nctiaeological Record Other: (List) OPR 528 (1195) PCR Services CcrporaUoi Record Linear Feature Record vlling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record

117 PHOTOGRAPHS: 157 South Crescent Drive PHOTO - 1: Contextual view, looking northwest PHOTO - 2: South (front) elevation, looking north PHOTO -3: Oblique view of property at alley, looking northeast PHOTO - 4: Rear (west) of property, looking southeast PHOTO - 6: East (front) elevation detail view PHOTO -5: West end of building, looking north

118 PHOTOGRAPHS: 157 South Crescent Drive PHOTO - 7: South elevation details, looking northwest PHOTO -8: Roof details PHOTO - 9: Entry details along south elevation PHOTO - 10: Front entry door of Crescent Drive PHOTO - 11: East (front) elevation of 157 S. Crescent Drive PHOTO - 12: Private yard of 157 S. Crescent Drive, looking north

119 PHOTOGRAPHS: 157 South Crescent Drive PHOTO - 13: Southeast corner of building PHOTO - 14: East end of building, south elevation PHOTO - 16: East elevation from South Crescent Drive PHOTO - 17: Rear (north) of building, looking east PHOTO - 18: Rear of building, looking west