Download Appendix B - San Carlos School District

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.
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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.
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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).
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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).
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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,
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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).
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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.”
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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“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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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Sandstone & Tile. “A Signature Style: Architect Birge Clark and Stanford’s Historic Houses of
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San Jose Mercury News. “Class of ’62 installs memorial plaque so old San Carlos High School
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San Mateo County Historical Association and San Mateo County Historical Resource Advisory
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Seavey, Kent. “San Carlos Central School Historic Resource Inventory.” August 15, 1991.
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Project Drawings
(drawings provided by Swinerton Management & Consulting)
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Stafford King Wiese. Central Middle School Gymnasium. 1998.
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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.
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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.
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Figure 5: The south end of Mustang Hall at Chestnut Street.
Figure 6: The WPA plaque at the entrance of Mustang Hall.
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Figure 7: The southwest corner of the 1960 classroom building.
Figure 8: View of a Pod building looking southeast.
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