Recording Requested by: City Clerk, Fresno, California No Fee-Govt. Code 6103 Return to City Clerk, Fres no Space above this line reserved for Fres no County Recorder's OffICe RESOLUTION NO. 2012- 171 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRESNO, CA LI FORNIA, DESIGNATING THE J.R. TURNER HOME LOCATED AT 815 E. DUDLEY AVENUE, FRESNO, CALIFORNIA TO THE LOCAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC RESOURCES WHEREAS, the J .R. Turner Home was built circa 1910 in the streetcar subdivision of the Meadow Brook Tract, north of Belmont Avenue in what is now the Tower District; and WHEREAS, the one story home was designed in the Craftsman style and has maintained high integrity to its period of significance both on the exterior as well as on the interior with original wood wainscoting, beamed ceilings, built-in china hutch and brick fireplace; and WHEREAS, the home is an excellent example of middle class housing constructed at a time of transition in the City from the "horse and buggy days" (hence the extant hitching post in the propert y's park strip) to streetcars to automobile transportation; and WHEREAS, the extant wrought iron hitching post with its clinched fist finial is a contributor to the significance of this property; and WHEREAS, the property owner, Deborah Lynn Schmidt, S Up p0l1Sthe designation of the structure to Fresno's Local Official Register of Historic Resources; and WHEREAS , the City of Fresno Historic Preservation Commission, at a duly noticed public hearing held on August 23, 2012, heard testimony on the subject property; and WHEREAS, based on that testimony, and the presentation of facts relating to the criteria for official designation, as set forth in the Fresno Municipal Code, Chapter 12, Article 16, made the following findings; ;..w,ld C\ -;). J -Ii ... LO - '::> - /?-. 10- \ 7-
Space abovethis line reserved forFresnoCounty Recorder's OffICe
RESOLUTION NO. 2012- 171
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRESNO,CALIFORNIA, DESIGNATING THE J.R. TURNER HOME LOCATED AT
815 E. DUDLEY AVENUE, FRESNO, CALIFORNIATO THE LOCAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC RESOURCES
WHEREAS, the J.R. Turner Home was built circa 1910 in the streetcar subdivision of theMeadow Brook Tract, north of Belmont Avenue in what is now the Tower District; and
W HE RE AS, the one story home was designed in the Craftsman style and has maintainedhigh integrity to its period of significance both on the exterior as well as on the interior withorig inal wood wainscoting, beamed ce ilings, built-in china hutch and brick fireplace; and
W HE REAS, the home is an excellent example of middl e class housing constructed at a timeof transition in the City from the "horse and buggy days" (hence the extant hitching post in theproperty's park strip) to streetcars to automobile transportation; and
WHEREAS, the extant wrought iron hitching post with its clinched fist finial is a contributorto the significance of this property; and
WHEREAS, the property ow ner, Deborah Lynn Schmidt, SUpp0l1S the designation of thestructure to Fresno 's Local Official Register of Historic Resources; and
WHEREAS, the City of Fresno Historic Preservation Commission, at a duly noticed publichearing held on August 23, 20 12, heard testimony on the subject property; and
WHEREAS, based on that testimony, and the presentation of facts relating to the criteria forofficial designati on, as set forth in the Fresno Municipal Code, Chapter 12, Articl e 16, made thefollowing findin gs;
That the J .R. Turner Home meets the criteria set out in Article 16, Chapter 12,Sect ion 12-1607 (a) of the Fresno Municipal Code; and is eligible for listing onFresno's Local Register of Historic Resources; and be recommended to the FresnoCity Council for adoption as a Local Resource; and whereas in accordance withFresno Municipal Code, Article 16 Section 12-1601 et seq. this hearing has beenduly noticed for Council action upon the designation recommended by theCommission; and
W HEREAS, on September 27,20 12, Council held a hearing where it considered therecommendation of the Historic Preservation Commission, and considered substantial evidence,including but not limited to, staff presentation, a report prepared by staff addressing theproperty' s eligibility to the Local Register, a Primary Record ("P R") and a Building, Structureand Object Record ("BSOR") prepared by the City's Historic Preservation Specialist (as definedin FMC § 12-1604(b)) finding that the property met the Historic Resource eligibilityrequirements for criteria i and iii to subdivision 12-1607(a)( I).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Fresno:
I. Council finds that the above recitals are true and correct.
2. Council finds that the J .R. Turner Home is eligible for listing under criteria i andiii of Fresno Municipal Code, subdivision 12-1607(a)(I ) based upon the evidencepresented to Council in the staff presentation, staff report, the PR and the BSOR.
3. Council designates the J.R. Turner Home as a Historic Resource to the Loca lRegister of Historic Resources.
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CLERK'S CERTIFICATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )COUNTY OF FRESNO ) ss.CITY OF FRESNO )
I, YVONNE SPENCE, CMC, City Clerk of the City of Fresno, certify that theforegoing resolution was adopted by the Council of the City of Fresno, at a regularmeeting held on the day of 27th of October , 2012.
State of California - The Resources AgencyDEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Page _1_ of ..l..- Resource nam e(s) or number (assignedby recorder) 830 Van Ness Avenue
P1, Other Identifier:· P2, Location: DN ot for Publication _Unrestricted ·a, County Fresno County
-e. USGS 7,5' Quad Date T R·c, Address 830 Van Ness Avenue City Fresno Zip 93721·e, Other Localional Data: APN: # 46825208T
· P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design. materials , conditio n, alterations. size, setting , and boundaries.)This property is located on the northeast side of Van Ness Avenue between Inyo Street and Kern Street, and contains a twostory, commercial office building constructed in 1961. Rectangular in plan, this Mid-Century Modern style building is of steelframe construction with stucco and tile cladding and a flat roof. The main (southwest) facade is dominated by an appliedrectangular slab extending across the front fa~de above a recessed ground floor. The slab is clad in sculpted clay tiles. Theground fIoor entry features f1oor-to-ceiling metal frame windows and a wood entry door recessed behind steel and concretepillars. A ten-foot wing wall clad in marble tiles extends beyond the buildinq's edge to the north. A cantilevered canopyextends over the sidewalk from the wing wall . The northwestern fa~de is distinguished by a series of vertical metal fittingsspaced at regular intervals that span the full height of the building. Fenestration includes floor-ta-ceiling metal frame windowson the first floor and a continuous band of metal frame windows on the second floor. The southeast facade faces a narrowrectangular side yard. Open metal framing encloses the side yard. A floating stair leads from the ground floor to second flooroffices accessed by a cantilevered balcony. The building appears to have had few alterations since its construction and hashigh integrity.
· Attachments: D None DLocation Map DSketch Map _ Continuation Sheet _ Building, Structure, and Object RecordD Archaeological Record DDistrict Record D Linear Feature Record D Miliing Station Record D Rock Art RecordDArtifact Record DPh otograph Record 0 Other (list)
DPR 523A (1/95) "Required Information
State of California - The Resources Agency Primary #'- -+-'+DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREAT ION HRI# -\~
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORDPage --.Lof ....;L · NHRP Status Code "'3S.....,3"'C"'S"'-"S""S"'3 = =_
*Resource Name or #: 830 Van Ness Avenu e
Bl . Historic Name : Robert N, Klein & Associates; ESK Land Company82. Common Name: 830 Van Ness AvenueB3. Original Use : Commercial - Office B4. Present Use: Office
· B5. Architectural Style: Mid-Century Modern* 8 6. Co ns tru ct io n History: (Construction date, alterations, and date of alterations):
830 Van Ness Avenue was constructed in 1961 according to the 1963 Fresno Sanborn Map . No bui lding perm its were locatedfor this survey but it appea rs that only minor alterations have been made since construction.
B9a. Architect: Robert W, Stevens b. Builder: Unknown
· Bl 0. Significance:Theme Mid-20th Century Commercial Redevelopment 1945-1970 Area Downtown FresnoPeriod of Significance: 1961 Property Type: Commercial - OfficeApplicable Cr iteria: NRHP: C; CRHR: 3; City of Fresno: iii.
(Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme, period, and geographic scope. Also address integrity)
830 Va n Ness is significant as a goo d example of a Mid- Centu ry Modern small commercial office building in DowntownFresno. Constructed in 1961, the bui lding 's geo metric massing, recessed and overhang ing volumes, exposed structuralelements, minimal decorative detailin g and the incorporati on of outdoor garden spaces are all indi cati ve of important MidCentury design innovation s. Th e design includ es decorative sculpted clay tiles design ed by important local artist Stan Bittersfor the Hans Stumpf Compa ny. 830 Van Ness is also significa nt as a representative exa mple of the work of important Fresnoarchitect Robert W. Stevens (1919-1989), A graduate of the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Stevensdesigned num erou s distinctive commercia l and residential buildings throughout California including the Fresno ConventionCe nter. He is also noted for his innovative gard en cou rt office complex designs.
Bll . Additional Resource Attributes: None
* 8 12 . References :
""Requ ired Information
Sketch Map
~
(Thi s space reserved for officia l comments.)
City of Fresno Building PermitsCity of Fresno, Mid-Cenfury Modernism Historic Context, September 2008, prepared for the City of Fresno, Planning andDevelopment Department, prepared by Planning ResourceAssoci ates, Inc., Fresno, CACounty of Fresno Tax Assessor DataSanborn Fire Insuran ce Maps
DPR 523B (1/95)
"" 8 14. Evaluator: C. McAvoy & P. Travis
B13. Remarks:
· Date of Evaluation: April 2011
Page 3 of 3 "Resource Name or # (Assigned by recorder) 830 Van Ness Avenue"Recorded by: Historic ResourcesGroup "Date 7 October 2011 lID Continuation OUpdate
State of California - The Resources AgencyDEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary #HRI#
Trinomial
P5a. Photograph or Drawing (continued from page 1):
830 Van Ness Avenue. View ofnorthwest elevation, March 29, 2011.
DPR 523L (1/95) "'Required Information
I·
"" Of 'Ir,.State of California- The Resources Agency Primary # +~
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#- - - - --- - ------1ett-"iCONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial xPage 4 of 4 Resource: The Pillbos Building, 830 Van Ness Avenue "Recorded by: Karana Haltersley-Drayton"Date: August 21, 2012. Continuation .Updated
According to the building permit on file with the City of Fresno the contractor for 830 Van Ness, owned bySteve Pilibos (hence the "Pilibos Building"), was the R. G. Fisher Company The project was valued at$150,000 and it received final approval on July 5, 1961. Robert Stevens, as identified in the bso surveyform was the architect of record.
Stevens was a 1942 graduate of the University of Southern California College of Architecture andmoved to Fresno after World War II to work for architect Walter Wagner. For three years he designedprojects for architects David Horn and M.D. Mortland. Stevens opened his own office in February 1949.Stevens later joined forces with another USC graduate, Gene Zellmer. Robert Stevens was highlyinfluenced by the work of modernists Shindler, Johnson and Neutra and he transferred their aesthet ic anddesign principles to the context of the San Joaquin Valley. Stevens is cred ited with pioneering the "GardenOffice" property type, many of which were constructed out of Hans Sumpf stabilized adobe bricks along theShaw Avenue corridor. Stevens and Associates (or with partner Gene Zellmer) also designed the FresnoConvention Center, Bulldog Stadium, the CSUF Art Building, St. Columba's Church, Hoover High Schooland a score of residences throughout Fresno. Over his career he received a tota l of 14 regional AlA designawards and a fellowship from the AlA for his innovative work on the garden office.
The collaborat ion of Robert Stevens and artistStan Bitters on the facade of 830 Van Ness was,according to an interview with CommissionerJoe Moore, the first of what became manyarchitectura l creations for Bitters (26 July 2010).The Fresno-born artist attended San Diego Statefor three years, had training at the Otis ArtInstitute before comp leting his B.A. at UCLA.Although initially a painting major his encounterwith the legendary sculptor Pete Voulkos at Otisand the Ceramics Department at this Institute hada deep and lasting impact on Bitter's work .
When he returned to Fresno he was offered a job by Hans Surnpf who was interested in creating aceramics department. As Bitters recalls he was handed 20 tons of emulsified clay and told to dosomething with it ("Mister Big" Katie Lockhart, n.d). Hans Sumpf was born in Coalinga in 1914 andattended Stanford University for three years. In the summer of 1935 or 1936 he returned to work in theKettleman Hills oil fields. He set about to make a better adobe brick, and with $350 built a mud-makingmachine. Working with the Standard Oil Company, Sumpf then applied an asphalt emulsion to the bricks,which both strengthened and waterproofed them. With the exception of a government operation inStockton, Sumpf was California's first commercial manufacturer of stabilized adobe brick . He moved to theCarmel Valley in the 1930s and supplied his stabilized bricks for Bay Area constructions. When Fresno washit by the floods in 1938, Sumpf returned toFresno and set up a plant , first at Sierra and Maroa Avenues,and also at Chestnut and Teague Avenues. ' By 1970 Hans Sumpf had moved to 80 acres in MaderaCounty, and annually produced millions of bricks . He was recognized as a world authority on stabi lizedwaterproof adobe and consulted on numero us projects in the Middle East (Hatters ley-Drayton , 2008).
The tiles on the facade of 830 Van Ness were first rolled out with a rolling pin, using meat tenderizers fromsecon d hand stores for imprint designs.
DPR 523 L (1/95) ·Required information
TO: MAYOR ASHLEY SWEAREN CWtCE
THROUGH: STACEY WOO , DEPUTY 1tlWOft-I;§ 0: 34
FROM: YVONNE SPENC E, CMC CITY CLERK. f ESHO CACity Clerk
September 28,2012
SUBJECT: TRANSMITTAL OF COUNCIL ACTION FOR APPROVAL OR VETO
At the Council meeting of 9/27/12, action to consider adoption of resolutions related to thedesignation of the C. Jarman Home located at 385 N. San Pablo Avenue , the J.R. Turnerresidence located at 815 E. Dudley Avenue, the Pilibos Building located at 830 Van NessAvenue and the NewmanJ. Levinson Home located at 1636 Broadway. RESOLUTION,Designating the J.R.: Turner Residence located at 815 E. Dudley Avenue , to the LocalRegister of Historic Resources. Item 10:15 AM - b by the following vote:
Please indicate either your formal approval or veto by completing the following sections andexecuting and dating your action. Please file the completed memo with the Clerk's office onor before October 8,2012. In computing the ten day period required by Charter, the first dayhas been excluded and the tenth day has been included unless the io" day is a Saturday,Sunday, or holiday, in which case it has also been excluded. Failure to file this memo withthe Clerk's office within the required time limit shall constitute approval of the ordinance,resolution or action, and it shall take effect without the Mayor's signed approval.
