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APPENDIX B CENTRAL SCHOOL HISTORIC REPORT APPENDIX B CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL/BRIDGE SCHOOL PROJECT EIR HISTORIC RESOURCE TECHNICAL REPORT Central Middle School/Bridge School at Arroyo San Carlos, California October 4, 2013 Prepared for Amy Skewes-Cox PO Box 422 Ross, CA 94957 Prepared by Kimberly Butt, AIA Interactive Resources, Inc. 117 Park Place Pt. Richmond, CA 94801 HISTORIC RESOURCE TECHNICAL REPORT Central Middle School/Bridge School at Arroyo San Carlos, California TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................1 METHODOLOGY...............................................................................................................................1 SUMMARY OF HISTORIC ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS ............................................................1 HISTORIC CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................2 EXISTING CONDITIONS ....................................................................................................................8 REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT/EVALUATION CRITERIA ..............................................................10 EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANCE ....................................................................................................13 EVALUATION OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY ........................................................................................15 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ................................................................................................................16 PROJECT IMPACT ANALYSIS .........................................................................................................17 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................17 REFERENCES..................................................................................................................................18 FIGURES .........................................................................................................................................22 HISTORIC RESOURCE TECHNICAL REPORT Central Middle School/Bridge School at Arroyo San Carlos, California October 4, 2013 INTRODUCTION Interactive Resources, Inc. has undertaken a historical evaluation of the Central Middle School located at the 828 Chestnut Street, San Carlos, California. As part of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) being completed prior to the redevelopment of the campus, the San Carlos School District has requested that a historical evaluation of the campus buildings be completed. This report is intended to provide a historical evaluation of the property through an analysis of its buildings and site, its history and its historical associations in order to determine if the property appears to be a historic resource as defined by the National Register of Historic Places, the California Register of Historic Resources, and/or the City of San Carlos. METHODOLOGY Interactive Resources prepared this historic resource evaluation by reviewing existing materials provided by the client, undertaking archival research, and conducting a site visit to inspect the property and take photographs. Archival research was carried out at the San Mateo County Recorder and Assessor’s Offices, the San Carlos History Museum, the San Francisco Public Library, the Division of the State Architect, and numerous on-line sources. Record set drawings of existing buildings were provided by Swinerton Management and Consulting on behalf of the San Carlos School District. Further the results of a records search from the Northwest Information Center were provided by LSA. The site visits was conducted in August 2013. EVALUATION SUMMARY The following evaluation was based on the eligibility criteria for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) which requires that the resource be at least fifty years old (except under special circumstances), that it retain its historic integrity, and that it be significant under at least one of four criteria. These four criteria include: association with historic events, association with important persons, distinctive design or physical characteristics, and the potential to provide important information about history or prehistory. In determining National Register eligibility, the author weighed known historical associations, architectural merit, and the current level of integrity. The historic significance of the campus was also evaluated using the established criteria of the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) in order to assess if it is eligible for listing in the state register. Finally, the City of San Carlos maintains an inventory of historic resources that were identified in the 1991 Historic Resource Inventory conducted by a group of volunteers; however the City does not have a historic preservation ordinance and relies on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) regulations to provide protection for local historic resources. October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA The property is currently not listed on the NRHP or the CRHR. The auditorium building, known as Mustang Hall, was identified in the 1991 Historic Resource Inventory as a historic site and is noted in the San Carlos General Plan Update Existing Conditions Briefing Book as a historical resource.1 After conducting a thorough evaluation of the campus it appears that only the building known as Mustang Hall is eligible for listing on the NRHP and the CRHR at the local level of significance for its association with the local event known as the Chicken’s Ball and as a significant example of a Works Progress Administration institutional building executed in the Art Deco style with Spanish Revival influences. HISTORIC CONTEXT Summary History of San Carlos The lands of the town San Carlos were originally included in the 420-acre Rancho de Las Pulgas of the Arguello family. In 1854, Timothy Guy Phelps became the first American to purchase land and make his home in San Carlos. In the ensuing decades the railroad was laid between San Francisco and San Jose and landowner Nathaniel Brittan granted a right-of-way through his property in San Carlos. In 1887-1888, Phelps sold his dairy farm, the town plat was laid out by the San Carlos Land Company, and the historic San Carlos Depot was constructed. The rural community remained unincorporated through the first two decades of the twentieth century. Although both the San Carlos Land Company and the San Carlos Park Syndicate attempted to sell lots and develop the area into a residential community, it wasn’t until Frederick H. Drake took over that the town began to grow. Drake developed the much needed infrastructure of roads, gas, sewer, and electricity and the first school was opened in 1918. In June 1925 the town was officially incorporated with 700 residents. The town grew slowly until after World War II, when several electronics plants opened within the city limits. The population grew to 14,371 by 1950. The area has continued to grow through to the present and remains primarily a residential suburb in the southern San Francisco Bay area.2 1. City of San Carlos, San Carlos General Plan Update: Existing Conditions Briefing Book, (December 19, 2007): 69; and Ken Seavey, “San Carlos Central School, Historic Resource Inventory,” August 15, 1991. 2. History of San Carlos was taken from several sources including: San Mateo County Historical Association and San Mateo County Historical Resource Advisory Board, “Historical Resource Inventory: City of San Carlos,” (City of San Carlos, December 1991); City of San Carlos, “History of San Carlos,” City of San Carlos Website, http://www.cityofsancarlos.org/residents/about/history_of_san_carlos/default.asp (accessed September 2013); and Frank M. Stanger, South from San Francisco: San Mateo County, California, Its History and Heritage. (San Mateo: The San Mateo County Historical Association, 1963): 63 and 160. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 2 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Summary History of the San Carlos School District and the Subject Property The San Carlos School District was established in 1916. Classes were held in a house at the corner of San Carlos Avenue and Elm Street until 1918, when the first school building was constructed using bond funding. As the school population grew a second school bond was issued and a new school was constructed in 1930 at the Chestnut Street site. The original school on Elm Street was purchased by the City of San Carlos for use as their City Hall. The new concrete building designed by San Francisco architect Col. E. L. Norberg featured six classrooms and an auditorium.3 In 1939, the school trustees received funding through the Federal Emergency Administration for an addition at the north end of the school building. Mustang Hall included an auditorium with a stage and dressing rooms, two classrooms, a kindergarten and a clinic. Additionally, a cafeteria was located underneath the stage. Architects Thomas M. Edwards and Harry A. Schary designed the 1939 addition. In 1941, in a stark departure from the previous design style, a Modern classroom addition was constructed at the south wing of the grammar school building, and in 1942 a free standing classroom building, an early “finger plan” model, was constructed across Chestnut Street near Woodland Avenue. Architects Birge and David Clark designed the addition and the new classroom building in the Modern style that was a being used across California in the development of school buildings in the 1940s.4 The district continued to expand and constructed six more schools between 1944 and 1956: White Oaks, Brittan Acres, Tierra Linda, Arundel, Laureola, and Heather. Both Arundel and White Oaks were designed by San Francisco-based architect Ernest J. Kump.5 Kump was wellknown for his Modern post-war school designs. Architect Delp W. Johnson was a San Carlos resident and an associate architect of Ernest Kump on at least two projects: San Jose Technical High School in San Jose and Las Lomas High School in Lafayette. Johnson would become the primary architect for the San Carlos School District from 1960 to 1970. In 1960 he designed both 3. Effie C. Mahany, Through the Years in San Carlos, (San Carlos, CA: San Carlos Villagers, 1967):31-34; and “Sub Contracts Awarded,” Building and Engineering News, (May 17, 1930): 13. 4. Office of the State Architect, Application Card #3513 (January 1, 1941); and Office of the State Architect, Application Card #3763 (November 15, 1941). 5. University of California at Berkeley, Environmental Design Archives, “Ernest J. Kump Project List,” available on-line at http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/cedarchives/profiles/KumpJr.html (accessed September 2013). Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 3 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA San Carlos High School (which was razed in 1988) and a new classroom building for Central School.6 In 1960 a portion of Chestnut Street was deeded from the City of San Carlos to the school district and closed for the construction of the third classroom building. Delp W. Johnson designed the new building to contain six classrooms and a library. At this time Johnson also renovated the north end of Mustang Hall for use as the school district offices and designed an addition at the southwest corner of the building to accommodate new locker rooms. Harrod and Williams of Sunnyvale served as the project contractors.7 At the Central School site Johnson’s firm Delp W. Johnson, Poole and Storm also designed the four octagonal “pod” buildings that were constructed in 1970. At this time, the original 1930 school building was demolished, as it was found to be seismically unsafe. The 1930 building and the 1941 south-end addition were removed and the pods were inserted between Mustang Hall and the two remaining classroom buildings to the south and west. The contractor for the project was De Narde Construction Company of San Francisco. 8 Further design work was completed for the site in 1982 and 1990 by architect James Coke of Sausalito. In 1982 renovations were done to two of the pod structures, the faculty area, the library, and the classroom wings. In 1990 a classroom building, most likely a portable unit, was relocated and a covered porch constructed. Then in 1998 the new gymnasium designed by the architectural firm of Stafford King Wiese was constructed at the north end of the campus. An existing one-story wood frame building was demolished to allow for the new gym. Also at this time interior alterations and modernizations occurred throughout the campus. Campus Building Chronology 1930 Central Elementary School opened at Chestnut Street Architect E. L. Norberg 1939 North end auditorium addition constructed (Mustang Hall) 6. “Class of ’62 installs memorial plaque so old San Carlos High School won’t be forgotten,” San Jose Mercury News, (June 21, 2013). 7. “City School Construction Said Nearing Completion,” San Carlos Enquirer, (August 17, 1960):1 and 5. 8. “8-Sided School Takes Shape in San Carlos,” San Carlos Enquirer, (May 14, 1971); and “Old Central Demolished,” San Carlos Enquirer, (July 7, 1971). Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 4 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Architects Edwards and Schary 1941 Classroom addition constructed at the south end of the original 1930 school building Architect Birge M. Clark and David B. Clark9 1942 Classroom building constructed across Chestnut Street, near Woodland Ave. Architect Birge M. Clark and David B. Clark10 1960 Section of Chestnut Street closed and property deeded to the school; Classroom building and library constructed; Mustang Hall renovated for school district offices and an addition was constructed at the southwest corner for locker rooms Architect Delp W. Johnson11 1970 Original classroom building demolished. Pod structures constructed; Interior alterations to 1960 classroom building Architect Delp W. Johnson12 1982 Alterations to 2 pods, the faculty area, the library, and classroom wings Architect James Coke & Associates13 1990 Construction of covered porch and relocation of a classroom building Architect James Coke & Associates 14 1998 Gymnasium constructed; One story wood frame building at the north end of campus removed; General modernizations throughout the campus Architect Stafford King Wiese15 9. Office of the State Architect, Application Card #3513. 10. Office of the State Architect, Application Card #3763. 11. Mahany, Through the Years in San Carlos,.34; and Delp W. Johnson, AIA, Architect, “San Carlos Elementary School District –Central School,” Drawing Set, 1959: A1-13. 12. Delp W. Johnson, Poole, & Storm, Architects, “San Carlos Elementary School District – Central School,” Drawing Set, 1970. 13. Office of the State Architect, Application Card #44280 (April 5, 1982). 14. Office of the State Architect, Application Card #53737 (August 22, 1990). 15. Stafford King Wiese, “Central Middle School Modernization,” Drawing Set, 1998; and Stafford King Wiese, Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 5 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Early Architects of Central School The Central School site has been developed by numerous architects over its almost eight-and-ahalf decades of existence. Each architect presented a unique design ideology for his portion of the campus. The follow four firms were the earliest architects to work on the campus. Col. E. L. Norberg Based out of San Francisco and Burlingame, Col. Ernest L. Norberg served as the architect of the renovation of the San Carlos’s first school building into the San Carlos town hall and designed the school district a new school building, Central Grammar School, at Chestnut Street in 1930.16 A resident of Burlingame and a Lt. Colonel in the Army Corps of Engineers, Norberg became Burlingame’s most prolific architect and won many awards and citations. After studying architecture together, Ernest and his brother John opened a practice in San Francisco. Norberg designed numerous schools, commercial buildings, residences, and hotels in Burlingame, Hillsdale, and San Mateo. One of his best known buildings is the Burlingame Public Library, which was also designed in the Spanish Revival style. Norberg was a member of the Park and later Planning Commissions for twenty-two years. He was named a “Citizen of the Year” in 1976, and died in 1979 at the age of 89.17 Edwards and Schary Edwards and Schary of San Francisco designed the 1939 WPA auditorium addition (Mustang Hall) to the original Central Grammar School building. The pair received several other WPA commissions including three new civic buildings in Redwood City and an addition to the San Mateo County Courthouse.18 They are also noted to have designed school additions in Belmont, Millbrae, and San Mateo.19 In October 1947, Harry A Schary died in a car accident in Berkeley.20 Edwards continued to practice in San Francisco, and was a resident of San Mateo where he lived until his death in 1963.21 “Central Middle School Gymnasium,” Drawing Set, 1998. 16. “New School Dedication Programmed” San Carlos Enquirer, (September 12, 1930): 1; and “Town Hall Alteration Considered,” San Carlos Enquirer, (September 12, 1930): 1. 17. Carey & Co., “Draft Inventory of Historic Resources, Burlingame Downtown Specific Plan,” (February 19, 2008): 9. 18. “New Civic Buildings,” Architect and Engineer, (June 1929): 113; and “Court House Annex,” Architect and Engineer, (August 1938): 53. 19. “Baywood School Addition,” Architect and Engineer, (December 1938): 57; and “Two Small School Additions,” Architect and Engineer, (September 1929): 112. 20. “Fatally Injured,” Architect and Engineer, (October 1947): 43. 21. Biographical information for Thomas Edwards from Ancestry.com (accessed September 2013). Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 6 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Birge M. Clark and David B. Clark Architects Birge and David Clark were brothers from Palo Alto who practiced together from 1928 until David’s death in 1944. Their father Arthur B. Clark was an architect as well as a professor and chairman of the Art Department at Stanford University. After graduating from Stanford with a BA and Columbia with a BArch, Birge Clark joined the Army for two years and then returned to Palo Alto to begin working with his father. Birge had a defining hand in the development of Palo Alto having designed approximately 450 buildings in the Palo Alto area, at least three of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. His influence was so strong that Palo Alto has been called “The City that Birge Built.” His signature style was Spanish Revival; however he also allowed his designs to develop with contemporary movements in architecture and created numerous buildings in the Streamline Moderne and Modern styles. Birge and David together designed an addition to the 1930 San Carlos Grammar School in 1941 and new free-standing classroom building in 1942. Both structures were executed in the Modern style. Birge became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1952. Birge Clark lived and worked in Palo Alto until his death in 1989 at the age of 96. 22 Delp W. Johnson Delp Waldo Johnson, a native of Fresno, graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1942. He began his practice in San Francisco and during the 1950s was an associate at Ernest J. Kump & Associates. Kump is known for his development of the Modern school style and the “finger plan” school type that was so widely used throughout California. In 1954 Kump and Johnson were recognized for their Modern design of San Jose Technical High School.23 Prior to Johnson joining the firm Kump design two San Carlos elementary schools: Arundel and White Oaks.24 Johnson established his own firm in 1956 and continued to work alone until 1959 when he joined partners to create Delp W. Johnson, Poole, & Storm. The firm specialized in educational buildings and received a special citation for their design of San Carlos High School in 1961. Delp W. Johnson served as the primary architect of the San Carlos School District throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In 1960 he designed the renovation of Mustang Hall for use by the school district offices, an addition at the southwest corner of Mustang Hall, and a new classroom 22. Biographical information on Birge Clark from “A Signature Style: Architect Birge Clark and Stanford’s Historic Houses of the 1920s,” Sandstone & Tile, (Stanford Historical Society: Spring/Summer 2009): 10; and “Birge Clark: Palo Alto’s In-House Designer” PaloAltoHistory.com http://www.paloaltohistory.com/birge-clark.php (accessed September 2012). Birge Clark’s archives are held at Stanford University. 23. “For Technical Training,” Progressive Architecture (April 1954): 88-90. 24. Environmental Design Archives, “Ernest J. Kump Project List.” Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 7 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA building. The classroom building had some elements of the Modern style, but was primarily a simple, functional design. Then in 1970 he designed the four pod structures that replaced the original 1930 classroom building and the 1941 Clark addition. He was a resident of San Carlos and through a review of numerous newspaper articles it appeared he was very involved with the school district. Delp W. Johnson died in 1991.25 History of the Chicken’s Ball The following history is taken from the San Carlos Central School Historic Resource Inventory Form completed by Kent Seavey: The Chicken’s Ball is one of the City of San Carlos’ oldest charity and cultural events. It has become a community tradition over its fifty-one [now seventy-three] year history. Howard Demeke, the school’s principal in 1940, initiated the Chicken’s Ball to raise money for the school milk fund. As a student at San Francisco State College he had participated in the first known revival of the Ball, a celebration that dated back to San Francisco’s Barbary Coast days. Tradition holds that once a year owners and managers of establishments along the infamous Barbary Coast and their guests joined together for a special variety show and competition. The winning act was selected by audience applause. The prize was a cup filled with gold coins. The prize in turn was given to the winner’s favorite charity. The first show in 1940ran one night for an hour-and-a-half and netted $325. Over time this event has become biennial and been extended to a three hour show with an eight night run raising thousands of dollars for the Parent Teacher Association and its activities. At one point it was the single most successful school fund raising event in the United States.26 EXISTING CONDITIONS Site The Central School campus is located within a residential neighborhood near downtown San Carlos. The site features eight buildings and five portal units. Most of the individual buildings are interconnected with exterior covered walkways. The campus buildings were constructed from 1942 to 1998 and executed in a range of architectural styles. Most of the western side of the campus is paved in asphalt and a grass field occupies the southern end. Paved parking areas are 25. Biographical information on Delp W. Johnson from: George S. Koyl, ed. American Architects Directory, (New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1955):278; Ibid, (1962): 351; California Death Index, 1940-1997, accessed on-line through Ancestry.com; “Class of ’62 installs memorial plaque so old San Carlos High School won’t be forgotten,” San Jose Mercury News, August 28, 2013; and various San Carlos Enquirer newspaper articles from the clippings files at the Museum of San Carlos History. 26. Seavey, “San Carlos Central School.” Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 8 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA located in the northwest corner adjacent to Mustang Hall and the southeast end next to the 1942 classroom building. Mustang Hall Mustang Hall is the oldest building on campus and occupies the northeastern section of the site. The combination one- and two-story concrete building is clad in textured stucco and features aspects of both the Mission Revival and Art Deco architectural styles. Art Deco was a common style used in projects carried out by the Works Progress Administration; however the architects Edwards and Schary were clearly trying to tie the new building in with the original school which was executed in pure Mission Revival style. The building features a Spanish tiled combination shed and gable roof along the one-story portion facing Chestnut Street. The rest of the building maintains a flat roof, and the main entry bay illustrates several details typical of Art Deco including: the vertical emphasis, the clean simple building lines, and the chevron patterned tiles affixed to the wall. An addition at the southwest corner of the building was constructed in 1959 as part of a renovation of the locker rooms and kitchen. The addition features plain cement plaster finished walls penetrated by three flush doors. A flat-roofed garage addition stands at the north side of the building and appears to have been constructed in the past ten to fifteen years. 1942 Classroom Building The second oldest building on campus is the easternmost classroom wing near Woodland Avenue. When the building was originally constructed in 1942, Chestnut Street ran along the western side of the building and the J-shape of the building plan aligned with the route street. The building design is Modern in style with its low horizontal massing, connection to the exterior spaces, and lack of ornamentation. Known as a “finger plan,” the one-story, flat roof, linear building is single loaded with a covered exterior walkway connecting the classrooms. The wood-frame building is clad in stucco and houses six classrooms that each open out to a rear patio, or “exterior classroom.” The front entries and covered walkway are located along the west side of the building and each classroom features clerestory windows in the wall above the awning. The east façade is occupied by a large window wall and features a covered porch extending out into each patio area. A ramp was constructed at the northernmost classroom, and at the central classroom the exterior porch was enclosure into two rooms. 1960 Classroom Building Directly west of 1942 classroom building is another classroom building that was constructed in 1960 atop of a former section of Chestnut Street. The simple wood frame, rectangular building features a gable roof and stucco clad walls. In plan the building maintains a double loaded corridor through the center with classrooms on either side. Each classroom features its own door to the exterior and a series of steel sash windows. The classroom doors are protected by a small projecting overhang at both the east and west sides. The south gable end wall is punctuated by a central recessed entry double door with storefront surrounds and flanked by two flush doors in each of the adjacent wall surfaces. At the north end, lockers cover the blank wall that also features a recessed central entry. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 9 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Octagonal ‘Pods’ Four octagonal “pod” structures stand between the 1939 Mustang Hall and the 1960 classroom building. These four buildings were constructed as a unit in 1970 to replace the original school building, which had been deemed seismically unsafe, and the 1941 addition. The building and addition were demolished and in their place two large one-story pods were constructed for classrooms and two small one-story pods were constructed for administration and staff programs. The “open-plan” design was innovative for its time, as the classroom buildings were designed with interior movable walls to allow for maximum flexibility. The buildings are constructed of both wood frame and concrete masonry units. Exposed concrete block and plaster finish the exterior walls. The school’s primary entry is off of Chestnut Street through the pod structures which are connected with covered exterior walkways that are secured with exterior doors. Gymnasium and Portable Buildings Directly northwest of Mustang Hall stands the 1998 gymnasium. The two-story building is rectangular in plan and features both flat and shed roofs. Stucco clads the exterior walls and the simple elevations include double and single flush doors, vents and clerestory windows with obscure glass. Finally, the site contains five single-story portable or temporary structures. One stands west of the new gymnasium and the other four are grouped at the south end of the campus. REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT/EVALUATION CRITERIA Federal Regulations/ National Register of Historic Places National Register Bulletin Number 15, How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, describes the Criteria for Evaluation as being composed of two factors. First, the property must be “associated with an important historic context.” The National Register identifies four possible context types, of which at least one must be applicable at the national, state, or local level. As listed under Section 8, “Statement of Significance,” of the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, these are: “A. Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. “B. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. “C. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 10 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA “D. Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important to prehistory or history.” Second, for a property to qualify under the National Register’s Criteria for Evaluation, it must also retain “historic integrity of those features necessary to convey its significance.” While a property’s significance relates to its role within a specific historic context, its integrity refers to “a property’s physical features and how they relate to its significance.” To determine if a property retains the physical characteristics corresponding to its historic context, the National Register has identified seven aspects of integrity. These are: “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 is 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.” Since integrity is based on a property’s significance within a specific historic context, an evaluation of a property’s integrity can only occur after historic significance has been established. California Register of Historical Resources California Office of Historic Preservation’s Technical Assistance Series #6, California Register and National Register: a Comparison, outlines the differences between the federal and state processes. The context types to be used when establishing the significance of a property for listing on the California Register are very similar, with emphasis on local and state significance. They are: “1. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 11 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA patterns of local or regional history, or the cultural heritage of California or the United States; or “2. It is associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or national history; or “3. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values; or “4. It has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important to prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation.” Integrity must also be determined for a property to be listed on the state register. The California Register of Historical Resources maintains a similar definition of integrity, while provided for a slightly lower threshold than the National Register. In addition to separate evaluations for eligibility to the California Register, the state will automatically list resources if they are listed or determined eligible for the NRHP through a complete evaluation process. City of San Carlos San Carlos currently does not maintain an ordinance for identifying local historic resources beyond those that were identified in the 1991 Historic Resource Inventory. The city relies on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for determining the historical significance of local properties and regulating their protection. California Environmental Quality Act According to CEQA Section 21084.1, historical resources include any resource listed in, or determined to be eligible for listing in, the CRHR, established in 1992. According to PRC §5024.1, a resource may be listed in the California Register if it: Meets National Register of Historic Places criteria A through D; Has been determined eligible for, or listed in, the National Register of Historic Places; Is a State Historical Landmark designated after No. 770 and potentially if it was designated before No. 770;27 Is a State Point of Historical Interest; or Has been determined significant by the State Historical Resources Commission, including individual resources, contributors to historic districts, significant resources, 27. The current standards for designation were first applied for the designation of Landmark No. 770. Prior Landmark No. 770 a less rigorous set of standards was used to determine eligibility. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 12 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA districts, or landmarks; or has been designated under any municipal or county ordinance. Generally, a resource shall be considered by the lead agency to be “historically significant” if the resource is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, meets the criteria for listing on the CRHR (Pub. Res. Code §5024.1, Title 14 CCR, Section 4852), or is eligible for designation as a local landmark. Current Status of the Central School Campus The subject property is not currently listed on either the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the California Register of Historic Resources (CRHR). Mustang Hall was identified in the 1991 Historic Resource Inventory as a historic resource significant under the theme of cultural development due to its association with the Chicken’s Ball.28 No other campus buildings have been identified as historic resources. EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANCE Age The first consideration for determining a property’s eligibility is age. Typically, a building must be at least fifty years old to be included in either the Federal or State register. Only three buildings on the campus meet the age requirement: Mustang Hall, the 1942 classroom building and the 1960 classroom building. All other structures appear to be less than fifty years of age and would have to possess exceptional importance in order to be determined historic resources. None of the buildings less than fifty years of age appear to possess exceptional importance. Criterion A (NRHP) / 1 (CRHR): Mustang Hall has been the site for the San Carlos School District’s Chicken’s Ball since its inception in 1940 and as such has contributed significantly to the local history of San Carlos. The Chicken’s Ball is a significant local event that contributes both to the history of the San Carlos Schools and the City itself. Therefore, it appears that Mustang Hall would be eligible for listing under NRHP Criterion A and CRHR Criterion 1 at the local level of significance. No other building on the campus appears to be associated with any significant events that have contributed to the broad patterns of our history at the national, state or local level. Criterion B (NRHP) / 2 (CRHR): Research has not indicated that the subject property appears to be tied directly to an individual of significance. Therefore, it does not appear that the property would be eligible for listing under NRHP Criterion B or CRHR Criterion 2. 28. Seavey, “San Carlos Central School,” 1991. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 13 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Criterion C (NRHP) / 3 (CRHR): Mustang Hall also exemplifies the architectural characteristics of the Art Deco style with Mission Revival influences executed in a WPA institutional building. San Francisco architects Edwards and Schary designed an Art Deco style WPA building with Mission Revival attributes in order to relate the building to the Mission Revival style that had been construction in 1930. The Mission Revival style characteristics displayed include: the terra cotta tile roof, the stucco wall finish, and the gable roofs. Some of the Art Deco style characteristics include the flat roofs, vertical entry porch, and the chevron patterned tiles. Therefore, Mustang Hall also appears to maintain significance under Criterion C/3 at the local level, as the building embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type and period. The 1942 classroom building represents an early example Modern-style “finger plan,” and was designed by master architect Birge M. Clark and his brother David Clark. The “finger plan” with its low-slope roofs, single-story classrooms, covered walkways and exterior courtyards was very typical of public schools in the Western United States during the 1940s. The development of the type began in the mid-1930 with designs by California Modernists such as Ernest Kump and Richard Nuetra. This style of design was a striking departure from the earlier works of Clark, who is primarily known as a master for his Spanish Revival style designs. No mention of the project was located in a survey of contemporary architectural literature, nor is the project noted as an outstanding work of Clark. Although the building is an early example of a specific type, it is not an outstanding example or one that is unique to the region. The building appears to be a typical example of a west coast elementary school building executed in the Modern style, and while the architect is known as a master, the building does not appear to be a particularly outstanding example of this architect’s body of work. To be eligible as the “work of a master,” National Register Bulletin 15 provides some guidance on this issue by stating, “the property must express a particular phase in the development of the master’s career, an aspect of his or her work, or a particular idea or theme in his or her craft. A property is not eligible as the work of a master, however, simply because it was designed by a prominent architect.”29 Clark has several more refined built examples of his expression of Modernism. Therefore, it does not appear that the 1942 classroom building is significant as an historical resource under federal or state Criterion C/3. The simple 1960 classroom building by Delp W. Johnson maintains some of the characteristics of the Modern style with bands of horizontal windows and simple unadorned elevations. Overall the building exhibits its programmatic functionality and is quite typical of schools built throughout the region during the period. The building is not an embodiment of Modern architecture, but more of a standard work. Archival research did not reveal any mention of the building in any architectural literature of the time. Finally, while Delp W. Johnson was a prolific local architect, who received recognition for some of his designs, he does not appear to qualify as a master architect. The 1960 classroom building does not appear to embody the distinctive 29. How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Register Bulletin, no. 15 (Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior, 1997), 20. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 14 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction Criterion D (NRHP) / 4 (CRHR): This criterion is associated with archeology and is not addressed within this report. Period of Significance Under Criterion A/1 and C/3, the period of significance for Mustang Hall would be from 1939, the year of construction, to 1960 the date of the first significant alteration to the building. EVALUATION OF HISTORIC INTEGRITY After the historic significance has been established, the building’s historic integrity must also be assessed. For a property to qualify as historically significant under the National Register’s Criteria for Evaluation, it must retain “historic integrity of those features necessary to convey its significance.”30 The California Register of Historical Resources maintains a similar definition of integrity, while provided for a slightly lower threshold than the National Register. While a property’s significance relates to its role within a specific historic context, its integrity refers to “a property’s physical features and how they relate to its significance.”31 Further, for a building to meet registration requirements under Criteria C/3 (Architecture) as an individual resource, the property would need to retain sufficient character-defining features in order to reflect design intent. Assessment of Mustang Hall’s integrity: Location The property remains at its original site and retains the integrity of location. Design The property retains a somewhat diminished integrity of design. Most of the original windows have been replaced, and at least three additions have been constructed at the west and north sides of the building. However, the main front façade of the building remains relatively intact; the original window openings are extant; and numerous original windows appear to existing at the clerestory level. Overall the building maintains its original form and sufficient character defining 30. Ibid., 3. 31. Ibid., 44. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 15 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA features to clearly illustrate its architectural style and original design intent. Setting The building was originally constructed in a residential neighborhood as part of a school campus and as an addition to the 1930 Central Grammar School. The surrounding area remains residential and the building is still part of a school campus, however the original school building was demolished in 1970. Mustang Hall was originally designed to correlate with the Spanish Revival style of the 1930 school building. Since the original building was removed Mustang Hall no longer maintains it association to the original design and therefore has a somewhat diminished integrity of setting. Still the building stands within a residential neighborhood and it part of a school campus. Materials Overall the building retains its integrity of materials with the exception of the loss of many original windows. Workmanship The building retains the general integrity of workmanship as the basic craftsmanship of the original construction is still evident within the buildings character defining features. Feeling The property maintains its integrity of feeling, as it clearly illustrates its aesthetic and historic nature as a PWA institutional building. Association Finally, the property maintains its integrity of association to the San Carlos School District, the Central School campus, and the Chicken’s Ball. Findings Overall, the Mustang Hall retains sufficient historic integrity to convey its significance both in relation to associated historical events and its historic design intent. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS After an evaluation of the entire campus at 828 Chestnut Street, San Carlos in reference to the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Resources it does appear that the building known as Mustang Hall would be eligible for listing on the NRHP and the CRHR at the local level of significance, in addition to having previously been identified as a local landmark. Therefore, the subject building is considered a historic resource according to the CEQA Section 21084.1. No other buildings on the campus site appear to be eligible for listing in either the NRHP or the CRHR. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 16 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA PROJECT IMPACT ANALYSIS The proposed project includes minimal work to be done to Mustang Hall. Fire alarm systems would be upgraded and the yard at the rear would be redesigned. It does not appear that the proposed project would cause a substantial adverse change to a significant historic resource, Mustang Hall. Although must of the surrounding campus will be altered the overall relationship of the building to Chestnut Street and as part of a school campus will be maintained and would not be diminished further. Mustang Hall would not lose its historic association with the Chicken’s Ball or as an example of a WPA institutional building executed in the Art Deco style with Mission Revival influence. The significant character defining features, primarily found on the east façade, would remain intact and the work appears to follow the Secretary for the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Therefore, the project shall be considered as mitigated to a level of less than a significant impact.32 No other building on campus was determined to be a historic resource. Therefore, the proposed project would not cause a substantial adverse change to a historic resource as defined by CEQA. CONCLUSION After a thorough evaluation of the existing campus located at 828 Chestnut Street, San Carlos, it appears that only one building is eligible for listing as a historic resource in either the NRHP or the CRHR. Mustang Hall was identified as a historic resource for both its association with the history of the San Carlos School District’s Chicken’s Ball event and for its architectural significance. No other building located on the campus appears to be eligible for listing as a historic resource. The proposed project includes only an upgrade of the fire alarm system in Mustang Hall and some site work at the west/rear side of the building. Therefore it appears that the proposed project would not constitute a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historic resource. Consultant Qualifications Pursuant to Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR Part 61, the author meets the Secretary of the Interior’s qualification standards for professionals in historic architecture and architectural history. 32. Weeks and Grimmer, 1995; and CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.5 (b)(3). Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 17 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA REFERENCES Architect and Engineer. “Baywood School Addition.” December 1938. ___. “Court House Annex.” August 1938. ___.“Fatally Injured.” October 1947. ___. “New Civic Buildings.” June 1929. ___. “Two Small School Additions,” September 1929. “Birge Clark: Palo Alto’s In-House Designer” PaloAltoHistory.com http://www.paloaltohistory.com/birge-clark.php (accessed September 2012). Building and Engineering News. “Sub Contracts Awarded.” May 17, 1930. California Register and National Register: A Comparison, California Office of Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Series, no. 6. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Parks and Recreation, 2006. California Register of Historical Resources: The Listing Process, California Office of Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Series, no. 5. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Parks and Recreation, n.d. Carey & Co. Draft Inventory of Historic Resources, Burlingame Downtown Specific Plan. February 19, 2008. City of San Carlos. History of San Carlos. City of San Carlos Website. http://www.cityofsancarlos.org/residents/about/history_of_san_carlos/default.asp (accessed September 2013). ___. San Carlos 2030 General Plan. Adopted October 12, 2009. ___. San Carlos General Plan Update: Existing Conditions Briefing Book. December 19, 2007. How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Register Bulletin, no. 15. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior, 1997. How to Complete the National Register Registration Form, National Register Bulletin, no. 16A. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior, 1997. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 18 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Instructions for Recording Historical Resources. Sacramento, CA: California Office of Historic Preservation, 1995. Koyl, George S. ed. American Architects Directory. New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1955. ___. 1962 Koyl, George S. ed. and John F Gane, ed. American Architects Directory. New York: R. R. Bowker Company, 1970. Kyle, Douglas E. Historic Spots in California. Revised edition. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002. Mahany, Effie C. Through the Years in San Carlos. San Carlos, CA: San Carlos Villagers, 1967. Mikulik, Charles, California Historical Resources Information System, Northwest Information Center, letter to E. Timothy Jones, LSA, August 19, 2013. Museum of San Carlos History. School Clippings Files. Office of the State Architect. Application Cards. On file at the Division of the State Architect, State of California, Department of General Services. #3513, January 1, 1941. #3763, November 15, 1941. #44280, April 5, 1982 #53737, August 22, 1990. Poppeliers, John C. et al. What Style is it? A Guide to American Architecture. Washington D. C.: The National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1983. Progressive Architecture. “For Technical Training.” April 1954. San Carlos Enquirer. “8-Sided School Takes Shape in San Carlos.” May 14, 1971. ___. “City School Construction Said Nearing Completion.” August 17, 1960. ___. “New School Dedication Programmed.” September 12, 1930. ___. “Old Central Demolished.” July 7, 1971. ___. “Town Hall Alteration Considered.” September 12, 1930. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 19 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Sandstone & Tile. “A Signature Style: Architect Birge Clark and Stanford’s Historic Houses of the 1920s.” Stanford Historical Society: Spring/Summer 2009. San Jose Mercury News. “Class of ’62 installs memorial plaque so old San Carlos High School won’t be forgotten.” June 21, 2013. San Mateo County Historical Association and San Mateo County Historical Resource Advisory Board. “Historical Resource Inventory: City of San Carlos” City of San Carlos, December 1991. Sanborn Map Company. 1926. San Carlos. New York. Sanborn Map Company. 1950. San Carlos. New York. Seavey, Kent. “San Carlos Central School Historic Resource Inventory.” August 15, 1991. Stanger, Frank M. South from San Francisco: San Mateo County, California, Its History and Heritage. San Mateo: The San Mateo County Historical Association, 1963. University of California at Berkeley, Environmental Design Archives. “Ernest J. Kump Project List.” Available on-line at http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/cedarchives/profiles/KumpJr.html (accessed September 2013). User’s Guide to California Historical Resource Status Code & Historic Resources Inventory Directory. California State Office of Historic Preservation. Technical Assistance Bulletin, no. 8. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Parks and Recreation, November 2004. Weeks, Kay and Anne E. Grimmer. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings. Washington D. C.: National Park Service, 1995. Project Drawings (drawings provided by Swinerton Management & Consulting) Delp W. Johnson, AIA, Architect, San Carlos Elementary School District-Central School. 1959. Delp W. Johnson, Poole, & Storm, Architects. San Carlos Elementary School District – Central School. 1970. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 20 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Stafford King Wiese. Central Middle School Gymnasium. 1998. Stafford King Wiese. Central Middle School Modernization. 1998. Quattrocchi Kwok Architects. Central Middle School and Bridge School on Arroyo. Preliminary Schematic Design. September 2013 Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 21 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Figure 1: 1950 Sanborn Map showing the Central School site. Note: Chestnut Street bisects the campus. Figure 2: The first Central School designed by Col. E. L. Norberg, n.d. Image Courtesy of the Museum of San Carlos History. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 22 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Figure 3: Newspaper photos of the 1942 classroom building. Image Courtesy of the Museum of San Carlos History. Figure 4: The first Central School, looking south, with the 1960 school building located at the far left of the image. Image Courtesy of the Museum of San Carlos History. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 23 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Figure 5: The south end of Mustang Hall at Chestnut Street. Figure 6: The WPA plaque at the entrance of Mustang Hall. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 24 October 4, 2013 Central Middle School, San Carlos, CA Figure 7: The southwest corner of the 1960 classroom building. Figure 8: View of a Pod building looking southeast. Interactive Resources, Inc. Historic Resource Technical Report Page 25