HomeMy WebLinkAboutFINAL_REPORT_546_HIGUERA_STREET
ELIGIBILITY EVALUATION OF
546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Prepared for:
John Belsher
PB Companies, LLC
3480 South Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, California 93401
Prepared by:
Michael Hibma, M.A., RPH #603
LSA Associates, Inc.
157 Park Place
Point Richmond, California 94801
(510) 236-6810
www.lsa-assoc.com
LSA Project #PBC1401
July 2014
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... 1
REGULATORY CONTEXT ................................................................................................................. 4
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT .................................................................. 4
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ........................................................................................................ 5
METHODS ............................................................................................................................................. 9
RECORDS SEARCH ...................................................................................................................... 9
LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................................ 9
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH ............................................................................................................. 10
CONSULTATION ......................................................................................................................... 10
FIELD SURVEY ........................................................................................................................... 10
RESEARCH AND FIELD SURVEY RESULTS ................................................................................ 11
RECORDS SEARCH .................................................................................................................... 11
LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................................................. 12
Online Research ...................................................................................................................... 12
Literature and Map Review ..................................................................................................... 12
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH ............................................................................................................. 14
Building Permits ...................................................................................................................... 14
City Directories ....................................................................................................................... 15
CONSULTATION ......................................................................................................................... 18
History Center of San Luis Obispo County ............................................................................. 18
FIELD SURVEY ........................................................................................................................... 18
ELIGIBILITY EVALUATION ............................................................................................................ 20
HISTORIC CONTEXT ................................................................................................................. 20
San Luis Obispo ...................................................................................................................... 20
Downtown Neighborhood ....................................................................................................... 21
546 Higuera Street ................................................................................................................... 21
ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT ................................................................................................... 22
Gothic Revival (Carpenter Gothic) ......................................................................................... 22
APPLICATION OF SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA ....................................................................... 23
California Register of Historical Resources Criteria ............................................................... 23
City of San Luis Obispo Historic Preservation Ordinance Criteria ......................................... 25
INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................ 29
CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 30
Table 3: Resource Status Summary ......................................................................................... 30
REFERENCES CONSULTED ............................................................................................................ 31
FIGURES
Figure 1: Regional Location and Project site ......................................................................................... 2
Figure 2: Project site ............................................................................................................................... 3
TABLES
Table 1: Building Permit Information .................................................................................................. 15
Table 2: City Directory Information ..................................................................................................... 15
Table 3: Resource Status Summary ...................................................................................................... 30
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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APPENDIX
Appendix: California Department of Parks and Recreation 523 Series Form Record
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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SUMMARY
This report presents the results of an eligibility evaluation conducted by LSA Associates, Inc. (LSA),
of a two-story, wood-framed, Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic residence, built circa 1886-1890, at
546 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County (Figures 1 and 2). The property is in
Section 34, Township 30 South, Range 12 East, Mount Diablo Baseline and Meridian, as depicted on
the USGS San Luis Obispo, CA topographic quadrangle (USGS 1995) (Figure 2), and comprises APN
002-402-030, a 2.07-acre parcel located to the west of San Luis Obispo’s Downtown area. The
remainder of the parcel contains the Mission Trailer Park, a 33-unit mobile home park established in
1948. The parcel is bordered to the east by a two-story commercial building at 560 Higuera Street, to
the south by Higuera Street, and to the west by a mixed residential/commercial property at 544
Higuera Street, and to the to the north by San Luis Obispo Creek.
LSA conducted background research, a field survey, and resource recordation to prepare this
evaluation. The evaluation addresses the significance criteria of the California Register of Historical
Resources (CRHR) and the Historic Preservation Ordinance of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code.
This document includes (1) a description of the regulatory context for cultural resources in the project
site; (2) a summary of the methods used to conduct the analysis; (3) a description of the building at
546 Higuera, including its historical context; and (4) an eligibility evaluation.
The results of this study indicate that although the building at 546 Higuera Street possesses expressive
Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic architectural qualities, it does not retain the integrity necessary to
convey those significant characteristics in a manner that would render it eligible for inclusion in the
CRHR. The same deficiencies support a conclusion that the building is also not a candidate for
inclusion in the City of San Luis Obispo Master List of Historic Resources. For these reasons, the
building at 546 Higuera Street is not a historical resource for the purposes of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CCR Title 14(3) §15064.5).
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FIGURE 1
Historic Resource Evaluation
546 Higuera Street
City of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, California
Project Location and Vicinity
0 1000 2000
FEET
I:\PBC1401\GIS\Maps\Cultural\Figure1_Project Location and Vicinity.mxd (6/3/2014)
Project Location
101
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CountyCountyProject Location
Project Site
SOURCE: USGS 7.5-,iomute Topo Quad: San Luis Obispo, Calif. (1994).
I:\PBC1401\GIS\Maps\Cultural\Figure 2_Project Site.mxd (6/3/2014)
FIGURE 2
Historic Resource Evaluation
546 Higuera Street
City of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, California
Project Site
0 1000 2000
FEET
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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REGULATORY CONTEXT
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
Discretionary project approvals must comply with the requirements of the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA). The term CEQA uses for significant cultural resources is “historical resource,”
which is defined as any resource that meets one or more of the following criteria:
Listed in, or eligible for listing in, the California Register of Historical Resources;
Listed in a local register of historical resources;
Identified as significant in an historical resource survey meeting the requirements of section
5024.1(g) of the Public Resources Code; or
Determined to be an historical resource by a project's lead agency.
An historical resource consists of “Any object, building, structure, site, area, place, record, or manu-
script which a lead agency determines to be historically significant or significant in the architectural,
engineering, scientific, economic, agricultural, educational, social, political, military, or cultural
annals of California . . . Generally, a resource shall be considered by the lead agency to be
‘historically significant’ if the resource meets the criteria for listing on the California Register of
Historical Resources” (CCR Title 14(3) section 15064.5(a)(3)). For a cultural resource to qualify for
listing in the CRHR it must be significant under one or more of the following criteria:
Criterion 1: Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns
of California’s history and cultural heritage;
Criterion 2: Associated with the lives of persons important in our past;
Criterion 3: Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of
construction, or represents the work of an important creative individual, or possesses
high artistic values; or
Criterion 4: Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
In addition to being significant under one or more criteria, a resource must retain enough of its
historic character and appearance to be recognizable as an historical resource and retain integrity,
which is defined as the ability of a resource to convey the reasons for its significance (CCR Title 14
§4852(c)). Generally, a cultural resource must be 50 years old or older to qualify for the CRHR.1
National Register Bulletin How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation (National Park
Service 1997:2) states that the quality of significance is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures,
and objects that possess integrity. There are seven aspects of integrity to consider when evaluating a
cultural resource: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association:
1 Generally, for a cultural resource to be considered for listing in the CRHR—and a historical resource for purposes of
CEQA—it must be at least 50 years old or enough time must have passed for there to be a scholarly perspective on the
resource and the reasons for its potential significance.
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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Location is the place where the historic property was constructed or the place where the historic
event occurred. The actual location of a historic property, complemented by its setting, is
particularly important in recapturing the sense of historic events and persons.
Design is the combination of elements that create the form, plan, space, structure, and style of a
property. Design includes such elements as organization of space, proportion, scale, technology,
ornamentation, and materials.
Setting is the physical environment of a historic property. Setting refers to the character of the
place in which the property played its historical role. Physical features that constitute the setting
of a historic property can be either natural or manmade, including topographic features,
vegetation, paths or fences, or relationships between buildings and other features or open space.
Materials are the physical elements that were combined or deposited during a particular period of
time and in a particular pattern or configuration to form a historic property.
Workmanship is the physical evidence of the crafts of a particular culture or people during any
given period in history or prehistory. It is the evidence of the artisan's labor and skill in
constructing or altering a building, structure, object, or site.
Feeling is a property's expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular period of time.
It results from the presence of physical features that, taken together, convey the property's historic
character.
Association is the direct link between an important historic event or person and a historic
property.
“To retain historic integrity a property will always possess several, and usually most, of the aspects”
(National Park Service 1997:44).
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
Chapter 14.01 of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code contains the Historic Preservation Ordinance
(HPO). Enacted by the San Luis Obispo City Council in 2010, the HPO authorized the creation of a
Cultural Heritage Committee (CHC) to implement the ordinance, which is tasked with making
recommendations to decision-making bodies regarding:
Development of guidelines to implement the HPO assist persons planning development projects
subject to CHC review; and for city and property-owners decisions regarding cultural resources in
the city;
Develop and maintain the city’s master lists of Historic Resources and Contributing Historic
Resources which are those properties, area, sites, buildings, structures, or other features having
significant historical, cultural, architectural, community, scientific or aesthetic value to the
citizens of San Luis Obispo;
Actions subject to discretionary city review and approval which may affect significant
archaeological, cultural or historic resources;
Apply architectural, historic, and cultural preservation standards and guidelines to projects and
approvals involving historic sites, districts, and structures;
Develop and participate in public education outreach efforts;
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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Provide recommendations to decision-makers regarding alterations and demolitions of listed
resources and properties within historic preservation districts;
Provide recommendations in developing incentive programs directed at preserving and
maintaining cultural resources; and
Assist property owners in preparing local, state, and federal historical resource nominations to
utilize preservation incentives, including Mill’s Act and federal tax incentives.
In addition to its policy development, resource management, and public outreach and documentation
assistance duties, the CHC is authorized to review, comment, and make recommendations on
applications to that may result in a change to a resource listed in the Master List of Historic Resources
or Master List of Contributing Historic Resources, or potentially affect an existing or proposed
historic district. Examples include applications to alter, demolish, or relocate listed buildings or
structures, and for new construction within historic districts. The CHC is also authorized to review
and comment on statements of historic significance and on proposed actions by public agencies that
may affect cultural resources.
The CHC also reviews and comments on applications for inclusion in the Master List of Historic
Resource or Master List of Contributing Historic Resources. Designation requests may originate from
the property owner, the CHC, the Architectural Review Commission, the Planning Commission, or
the San Luis Obispo City Council. In considering designation applications, the resource must be at
least 50 years old, exhibit a high level of historic integrity, and satisfy at least one of the following
criteria set forth by the HPO beginning at Section 14.01.070 of the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code:
A. Architectural Criteria: 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.
(1) Style: Describes the form of a building, such as size, structural shape and details within
that form (e.g. arrangement of windows and doors, ornamentation, etc.). Building style will
be evaluated as a measure of:
a. The relative purity of a traditional style;
b. Rarity of existence at any time in the locale; and/or current rarity although the
structure reflects a once popular style;
c. Traditional, vernacular and/or eclectic influences that represent a particular social
milieu and period of the community; and/or the uniqueness of hybrid styles and how
these styles are put together.
(2) Design: Describes the architectural concept of a structure and the quality of artistic merit
and craftsmanship of the individual parts. Reflects how well a particular style or combination
of styles are expressed through compatibility and detailing of elements. Also, suggests degree
to which the designer (e.g., carpenter-builder) accurately interpreted and conveyed the
style(s). Building design will be evaluated as a measure of:
a. Notable attractiveness with aesthetic appeal because of its artistic merit, details and
craftsmanship (even if not necessarily unique);
b. An expression of interesting details and eclecticism among carpenter-builders,
although the craftsmanship and artistic quality may not be superior.
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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(3) Architect: Describes the professional (an individual or firm) directly responsible for the
building design and plans of the structure. The architect will be evaluated as a reference to:
a. A notable architect (e.g., Wright, Morgan), including architects who made
significant contributions to the state or region, or an architect whose work influenced
development of the city, state or nation.
b. An architect who, in terms of craftsmanship, made significant contributions to San
Luis Obispo (e.g., Abrahams who, according to local sources, designed the house at
810 Osos Street - Frank Avila's father's home - built between 1927 – 30).
B. Historic Criteria
(1) History – Person: Associated with the lives of persons important to local, California, or
national history. Historic person will be evaluated as a measure of the degree to which a
person or group was:
a. Significant to the community as a public leader (e.g., mayor, congress member,
etc.) or for his or her fame and outstanding recognition - locally, regionally, or
nationally.
b. Significant to the community as a public servant or person who made early,
unique, or outstanding contributions to the community, important local affairs or
institutions (e.g., council members, educators, medical professionals, clergymen,
railroad officials).
(2) History – Event: Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the
broad patterns of local or regional history or the cultural heritage of California or the United
States. Historic event will be evaluated as a measure of:
(i) A landmark, famous, or first-of-its-kind event for the city - regardless of whether `
the impact of the event spread beyond the city.
(ii) A relatively unique, important or interesting contribution to the city (e.g., the Ah
Louis Store as the center for Chinese-American cultural activities in early San Luis
Obispo history).
(3) History-Context: Associated with and also a prime illustration of predominant patterns
of political, social, economic, cultural, medical, educational, governmental, military,
industrial, or religious history. Historic context will be evaluated as a measure of the degree
to which it reflects:
a. Early, first, or major patterns of local history, regardless of whether the historic
effects go beyond the city level, that are intimately connected with the building
(e.g., County Museum).
b. Secondary patterns of local history, but closely associated with the building
(e.g., Park Hotel).
C. Integrity: Authenticity of an historical resource’s physical identity evidenced by the survival of
characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance. Integrity will
be evaluated by a measure of:
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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(1) Whether or not a structure occupies its original site and/or whether or not the
original foundation has been changed, if known.
(2) The degree to which the structure has maintained enough of its historic character
or appearance to be recognizable as an historic resource and to convey the reason(s)
for its significance.
(3) The degree to which the resource has retained its design, setting, materials,
workmanship, feeling and association.
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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METHODS
A records search, literature review, archival research, consultation, field survey, and eligibility
evaluation were conducted for this study. Each task is described below.
RECORDS SEARCH
At the request of LSA, staff at the Central Coast Information Center (CCIC) conducted a cultural
resources records search (Invoice #6147) of the project site and adjacent parcels on June 5, 2014. The
CCIC is an affiliate of the State of California Office of Historic Preservation and the official state
repository of cultural resource records and reports for San Luis Obispo County. The records search
was done to identify previous cultural resources and associated documentation in and adjacent to the
project site. The records search included a review of the following federal, state, and local
inventories:
California Points of Historical Interest (California Office of Historic Preservation 1992);
California Historical Landmarks (California Office of Historic Preservation 1996);
Five Views: An Ethnic Historic Site Survey for California (California Office of Historic Preservation
1988);
Directory of Properties in the Historic Property Data File (California Office of Historic Preservation,
April 15, 2012). The directory includes the listings of the National Register of Historic Places,
National Historic Landmarks and the California Register of Historical Resources;
City of San Luis Obispo Citywide Historic Context Statement (Historic Resources Group 2013);
City of San Luis Obispo Master List of Historic Resources (City of San Luis Obispo 2012);
City of San Luis Obispo Master List of Contributing Historic Resources (City of San Luis Obispo
2013); and
75 SLO City Sites (Taylor and Lees 2010).
LITERATURE REVIEW
LSA reviewed the following publications, maps, and websites for historical information about the
project site and its vicinity:
California Place Names (Gudde 1998);
Historic Spots in California (Hoover et al. 1990);
California 1850: A Snapshot in Time (Marschner 2000);
Historical Atlas of California (Hayes 2007);
San Luis Obispo Quadrangle, 60-minute topographic quadrangle (U.S. Geological Survey 1900);
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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San Luis Obispo, Calif., 15-minute topographic quadrangle (U.S. Geological Survey 1897, 1942,
1952);
San Luis Obispo, Calif., 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle (U.S. Geological Survey 1965, 1979,
1995);
Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Maps for San Luis Obispo (1886, 1888, 1891, 1903, 1905, 1909,
1926, 1950); and
Calisphere at http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu.
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
On June 25 and 26, 2014, LSA conducted research at the San Luis Obispo County Assessor and
Recorder offices, the City of San Luis Obispo Community Development Department and Public
Works Department offices, the local archives room at the History Center of San Luis Obispo County,
the University Archives and Special Collections at the Robert E. Kennedy Library at California
Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and the San Luis Obispo Branch of the San Luis
Obispo County Library. The archival research examined local histories, maps, images, government
records, newspaper anthologies, city directories, and previous surveys for historical information about
the building at 546 Higuera Street. Information identified included former owners, past land use
activity, dates of alterations to the building, construction permits, and the architectural context of the
neighborhood.
CONSULTATION
On June 9, 2014, LSA sent a letter describing the project site with maps depicting the project site to
the History Center of San Luis Obispo County requesting any information or concerns they may have
regarding the building at 546 Higuera Street.
FIELD SURVEY
LSA architectural historian Michael Hibma, M.A., conducted a field survey of the building at 546
Higuera Street and a cursory visual review of the surrounding neighborhood on June 24, 2014. The
exterior of the building was reviewed and photographed, as was its setting (currently including
Mission Trailer Park) and the context of the surrounding neighborhood.
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
JULY 2014 546 HIGUERA STREET
SAN LUIS OBISPO, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
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RESEARCH AND FIELD SURVEY RESULTS
RECORDS SEARCH
No previously recorded or listed cultural resources were identified within the project site. One
resource, P-40-040121, the Black Residence (a.k.a., the Simmler – Waterman Adobe/Rosa Butron
Adobe), built in 1860 at 466 Dana Street, is across San Luis Obispo Creek and Dana Street northwest
of the project site. In addition, there are two single-family residential properties located north of, and
adjacent to, the project site listed in the City of San Luis Obispo’s Master List of Contributing
Historic Resources: 525 Dana Street and 531 Dana Street. These properties are contributing elements
to the Downtown Historic District, a 61-acre area that contains 98 designated resources dating from
the 1770s through the 1920s. Collectively, these resources contribute to the historic character of the
Downtown area and consist of commercial and residential properties. All are historical resources for
purposes of CEQA.
One previous study by Brock and Wall (1986) included the project site ). This report, prepared for the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, presents the results of a cultural resources assessment for proposed
improvements to San Luis Obispo Creek, which forms the northern boundary of the project site
parcel. The study identified and recorded 140 historical buildings, four bridges, and a cemetery. Of
the identified and recorded properties, 40 appeared “potentially eligible for inclusion in the National
Register of Historic Places.” The building at 546 Higuera Street was identified, described, and
considered a “potentially eligible” property for its architectural qualities “considered rare in San Luis
Obispo. The rareness, fine façade detail, and age of the structure make it an important architectural
resource. This was the home of Dr. James Sinclair in 1899” (Brock and Wall 1986:38). The report did
not contain any additional information regarding the history of the property or of Dr. Sinclair.
Six studies were conducted adjacent of the project site, including the City of San Luis Obispo (1983);
Singer, Atwood, and Frierman (1993); Nettles (1999); Singer (2001); Bertrando and Bertrando
(2003); and Bertrando (2003). In 1983, the City of San Luis Obispo compiled an architectural and
photographical inventory of over 2,000 pre-World War II-era buildings within the city. Those deemed
significant by the Cultural Heritage Committee on the basis of their architectural and/or historical
qualities were included in the Master List of Historic Resources. The building at 546 Higuera Street
was not included among those buildings deemed significant and not listed (City of San Luis Obispo
1983).
The Singer, Atwood, and Frierman report documented archaeological monitoring activities associated
with an expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment system. One resource, CA-SLO-1449H, a
portion of the Old City Dump located near the modern wastewater treatment plant, was identified
(Singer, Atwood, and Frierman 1993). A report prepared by Wendy Nettles presented the results of
archaeological monitoring and excavation along San Luis Obispo Creek near Lipoma and Monterey
streets. The letter report did not identify any significant historical resources in or adjacent to the
project site (Nettles 1999).
A report documenting the monitoring results associated with a demolition of a two-story apartment
building at 464 Dana Street, which was north of and adjacent to P-40-040121, the Black Residence
LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. ELIGIBILITY EVALAUTION OF
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(a.k.a., the Simmler – Waterman Adobe, Rosa Butron Adobe), built in 1860 at 466 Dana Street. Aside
from the location of P-40-040121, the report did not identify any significant historical resources in or
adjacent to the project site (Singer 2001). A cultural resource inventory prepared for a series of water
and sewer improvement projects in the Downtown area of San Luis Obispo in 2004. The report did
not identify any significant historical resources in or adjacent to the project site (Bertrando and
Bertrando 2003). A historic resource inventory and evaluation of a single-family residence at 581
Dana Street (P-40-041148) was prepared in 2003. At the time of the report, the residence was listed
on the Master List of Contributing Historic Resources. The report concluded that the residence was
“not significant as defined in the [California] Public Resources Code and the City of San Luis Obispo
[Historic Preservation Program] Guidelines (Bertrando 2003). The building at 546 Higuera Street was
not identified as a historic resource in the report.
LITERATURE REVIEW
A review of online archived materials, including scanned photographs and written materials, was
done.
Online Research
A review of online archived materials, including scanned photographs and written materials, did not
specifically describe or inform the research of the building at 546 Higuera Street.
Literature and Map Review
Uniform residential development is depicted in and around the project site on the San Luis Obispo,
Calif., 15-minute quadrangle (USGS 1897). The parcel containing 546 Higuera Street and most of the
north side of Higuera Street between Nipomo and Carmel streets is developed with eight, uniformly
spaced residential properties. Specific building shapes and any associated outbuildings are not
depicted. The San Luis Obispo, Calif., 60-minute quadrangle, depicts the building at 546 Higuera
Street and surrounding area is depicted as shown in 1897. Higuera Street east of 546 Higuera Street is
shown as fully developed and is part of the emerging downtown core (USGS 1900). The properties
along both side of Higuera Street that contain 546 Higuera Street and adjacent properties are depicted
as fully developed on the San Luis Obispo, Calif., 15-minute quadrangle (USGS 1942). Subsequent
versions of the San Luis Obispo, Calif., 7.5 and 15-minute quadrangles depict 546 Higuera Street and
surrounding area in a shaded pink color and not individual buildings, indicating a high density of
development in the area (USGS 1952, 1965, 1979, 1995).
The 1886 Sanborn map of 546 Higuera Street depicts an L-shaped, multi-story, wood-framed, single-
family residential building with the address of “17 Higueras.” The building is divided into two parts:
a rectangular-shaped, 30-foot-deep, two-story portion that faces the street; and a rectangular-shaped,
30-foot deep, single-story wing that is attached perpendicularly in an offset fashion to rear of the two-
story portion. A single-story inset porch is located in the inside angle of the L-shaped building
footprint and a full-width, single-story porch is located on the southern, street-facing façade. The
building rests on a pier foundation and is covered by wooden shake roofing. The building has a
moderate setback on the 365-foot-by-200-foot rectangular parcel that contains two additional,
detached, single-story, single-family residential buildings with addresses of “18 Higueras” and “19
Higueras” with uniform setbacks farther west along Higuera Street. The parcel also contains five
variously-sized and shaped wood-framed, single-story outbuildings with wood shake roofs, and one
rectangular-shaped, wood-framed, two-story stable covered by a wood shake roof. The outbuilding
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nearest the building at 546 Higuera Street is labeled as “Out Ho.” which presumably means
“outhouse” and has an open, covered area attached to the far right side of the west façade. Two
outbuildings are located to the west of and behind the building at 546 Higuera Street, and each is
labeled “Shed.” One small, square-shaped outbuilding is close behind the single family residence with
the address of “18 Higueras.” The stable is located behind the building at 546 Higuera Street, at the
far northwestern corner of the parcel, near the (unnamed) San Luis Obispo Creek. No other buildings,
structures, or objects are shown. The building at 546 Higuera Street is located in a lightly developed,
mixed-use area with single-family dwellings on variously-sized parcels and non-uniform street
setbacks. Many of these residential properties have associated outbuildings, suggesting a semi-rural
area of mostly small farms. Other land uses depicted include small-scale commercial activity,
including the “San Luis Obispo Gas Works” and a “Brewery” located across San Luis Obispo Creek
(Sanborn-Perris Map Co., Ltd. 1886).
The 1888 Sanborn map depicts the building at 546 Higuera Street and associated built environment in
a similar configuration as shown two years earlier. The only discernable change is the addition of a
single-story, shed-roofed porch on the west façade of the stable located at the rear of the property.
The “Brewery” labeled in 1886 is renamed “Pacific Brewery” (Sanborn-Perris Map Co., Ltd. 1888).
The 1891 Sanborn map depicts the parcel shown in 1886 and 1888 which contains the building at 546
Higuera Street was subdivided into three parcels. The building at 546 Higuera Street has the address
of 82-84 Higuera, and its footprint is more detailed. The rear, single-story portion is depicted with
two rectangular-shaped sections. The street-facing, two-story portion is depicted with a two-story
addition where the single-story porch was in 1886 and 1888. The earlier outhouse is gone, but was
replaced by an L-shaped, single-story, wood-framed outbuilding(Sanborn-Perris Map Co., Ltd. 1891).
The 1903 Sanborn map depicts the same built environment shown 12 years earlier in 1891. The only
discernable change is the addition of a single-story, shed-roofed porch on the west façade of the stable
at the rear of the property. Changes nearby include residential in-fill development across Higuera
Street and a “Gas Works” facility belonging to the “Pacific Coast Heat, Light, and Power Company”
across San Luis Obispo Creek at the site of the former “Soda Works,” “San Luis Obispo Gas Works,”
and the “Pacific Brewery” (Sanborn-Perris Map Co., Ltd. 1903).
The 1905 Sanborn map depicts the same built environment shown two years earlier in 1903. The only
discernable changes are (1) the address of the building at 546 Higuera Street is changed from 82-84
Higuera to “546 Higuera” and (2) the “Pacific Coast Heat, Light, and Power Company” gas works
facility site across San Luis Obispo Creek is labeled “Old and Vac[ant]” (Sanborn-Perris Map Co.,
Ltd. 1905).
The 1909 Sanborn map depicts the same built environment as shown four years earlier in 1905. The
only discernable change is evidence of further parcel splitting in lots across Higuera Street (Sanborn-
Perris Map Co., Ltd. 1909).
The 1926 Sanborn map depicts alterations to building footprint of 546 Higuera Street. The rear of the
house has a 10-foot long addition, as well as a nearly full-length porch along the north-facing façade
of the single-story wing that is attached perpendicularly to rear of the street-facing two-story portion,
now depicted as “1½” story. Another alteration is a short, rectangular, single-story, shed-roofed
addition (laundry or wash room) to the center of the west façade. The two-story stable at the rear of
the parcel is depicted, and the L-shaped, single-story, wood-framed outbuilding located to the west of
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the building at 546 Higuera Street is gone. The surrounding area is shown as a nearly built out
residential neighborhood (Sanborn-Perris Map Co., Ltd.1926).
The 1950 Sanborn map depicts the building and surrounding parcel at 546 Higuera Street as was
shown 24 years earlier in 1926. The surrounding area is showing signs of a shift in land uses,
examples include gas stations, storage facilities, and International Order of Odd Fellows Hall on Dana
Street, west of 546 Higuera Street (Sanborn-Perris Map Co., Ltd. 1950).
ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
A review of San Luis Obispo historic resource inventories, government records, photographs, and
newspaper articles, indicates that 546 Higuera Street is not listed in the City of San Luis Obispo
Master List of Historic Resources, or in the Master List of Contributing Historic Resources, or is
located within an existing or proposed historic district (San Luis Obispo 1983, 2010a, 2010b, 2013,
2014; Taylor and Lees 2010). Records at the History Center of San Luis Obispo County for 546
Higuera Street consisted of a two-page document with attached photograph prepared in 2012 by San
Luis Obispo resident Jean A. Martin, a series of San Luis Obispo Morning Tribune articles compiled
by Wilmer Tognazzini, a partial set of City Directories, and a several photographs contained within
the “Higuera Street” photograph folder (Martin 2012, Tognazzini 1988-2000). Records at the San
Luis Obispo County Recorder included several maps and a death certificate for James Sinclair, a
former resident (San Luis Obispo County Recorder 1913). Records at the San Luis Obispo County
Assessor’s Office included a copy of the Residential Building Record which included information
regarding estimated build date, dates of alterations, and other property-related information from
assessments taken between 1946 and 1970 (San Luis Obispo County Assessor 1946-1970).
Research indicated that the building at 546 Higuera Street was the residence of New York native and
physician Dr. James Sinclair, his wife Ida, and their two sons. However, records do not indicate that
Dr. Sinclair constructed or contracted for the construction of the building. The Sinclairs attended the
San Luis Obispo Congregational Church and hosted social events at 546 Higuera Street. Dr. Sinclair
was one of a few physicians in San Luis Obispo during this time and conducted his medical practice
out of an office on Chorro Street, between Higuera and Marsh streets. Due to his competence and
reputation, Dr. Sinclair was appointed Head Physician of the San Luis Obispo County Hospital in
1896, a position he held until circa 1902. He was commended in official reports for his efficiency,
care, and prudent use of public funds (Tognazzini 1988-2000). James’ wife Ida was involved in the
local women’s suffrage movement. She joined the San Luis Political Equity Club, and was elected
(along with six others) a co-Vice President. Around 1907, Ida and their two sons left San Luis Obispo
and moved to the Alameda County community of Berkeley. Based on the research, the reasons for the
move are not clear; it is possible that it was health related. After his wife and sons moved to Berkeley,
Dr. Sinclair moved from 546 Higuera Street to a room at Noyes Lodging House at 667 Monterey
Street and traveled often between Berkeley and San Luis Obispo. Dr. Sinclair died in July 1913 from
endocarditis; this was noted on his death certificate as a complication that derived from a pulmonary
tuberculosis infection contracted 10 years before (San Luis Obispo Tribune 1913; San Luis Obispo
County Recorder 1913; Tognazzini 1988-2000).
Building Permits
A review of official building permit records on file at the University Archives and Special Collections
at the Robert E. Kennedy Library, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and the
City of San Luis Obispo Community Development and Public Works Development offices did not
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contain a copy of the original building permit. No information was identified as to the original
architect and builder, as well. However, as listed below, research indicated the permitted events in the
history of the building:
Table 1: Building Permit Information
Date Permit Number Description
August 7, 1917 N/A Building repairs (unspecified).
July 19, 1922 N/A Building repairs (unspecified).
March 23, 1960 BCPI 3122 Concrete retaining wall (unspecified location).
February 15, 1962 BCPI 2476 No details given.
May 15, 1973 BCPE 3253 Repairs to water line.
January 6, 1995 BCPF 9792 Install separate gas meters for single family
residence and Laundry Room.
June 30, 1995 PHOA 0-95 Mail order sales of catalog items.
December 23, 1996 BCPF 11311 Emergency creek bank stabilization.
September 19, 1997 PADA 116-97 Home Occupation - Appeal
February 26, 2004 PHOA 0-04 Design/Draft House Plans
June 9, 2004 EF 4540 Sewer connection and sidewalk repair.
March 20, 2007 PHOA 0-07 Office Cleaning
November 18, 2010 BCPI 25104 Code correction letter – exterior facia (sic)
repair and paint.
City Directories
A review of San Luis Obispo City and County directories available at the University Archives and
Special Collections at the Robert E. Kennedy Library, California Polytechnic State University, San
Luis Obispo and the History Center of San Luis Obispo County was completed. A summary of
occupants is listed below (due to data gaps resulting from an incomplete set of directories, only a
partial listing of occupants was obtained):
Table 2: City Directory Information
Date Name Occupation Citation
1901 James Sinclair physician J.M. Deeds’ San Luis Obispo
Coty and County Directory, pg.
57
1914 Fred Schroeder baker San Luis Obispo City and County
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Directory, pg. 81
1916 no listing no listing San Luis Obispo County
Directory
1919 no listing no listing San Luis Obispo County
Directory
1922 Fred Schroter (sic) baker San Luis Obispo County
Directory, pg. 86
1928 George Long grain dealer Pacific Telephone & Telegraph
San Luis Obispo County
Telephone Directory, pg. 8
1930 George Long grain dealer Pacific Telephone & Telegraph
San Luis Obispo County
Telephone Directory, pg. 8
1932-1932 George Long grain dealer A to Z Directory Publishers, San
Luis Obispo City and County
Directory, pg. 48
1933-1934 Harvey and Dora Korn none listed A to Z Directory Publishers, San
Luis Obispo City and County
Directory, pg. 48
1938 Harvey and Dora Korn none listed General Directories, 1938 San
Luis Obispo County and City
Telephone Directory, pg. 187
1939 Harvey Korn none listed California Directories – San
Luis Obispo County and City
Telephone Directory, pg. 218
1942 Lillie B. Shelton boarding house Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 183
1947 W.G. Reed none listed Pacific Telephone & Telegraph
San Luis Obispo County
Telephone Directory, pg. 24
1948 Mission Trailer Park trailer park Pacific Telephone & Telegraph
San Luis Obispo County
Telephone Directory, pg. 22
1949 Mission Trailer Park trailer park Pacific Telephone & Telegraph
San Luis Obispo County
Telephone Directory, pg. 23
1950 Mission Trailer Park trailer park Pacific Telephone & Telegraph
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San Luis Obispo County
Telephone Directory, pg. 24
1951 Mission Trailer Park trailer park Pacific Telephone & Telegraph
San Luis Obispo County
Telephone Directory, pg. 24
1953 Mission Trailer Park trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 376
1954 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 376
1956 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 289
1957 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 440
1958 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 427
1960 Mission Trailer Park trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 361
1961 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 361
1962 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 258
1963 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 267
1965 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 324
1967 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 293
1968 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 332
1970 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 271
1971 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 307
1972 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 288
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1974 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 342
1975 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 383
1976 Mission Trailer Court trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 381
1979 no listing no listing Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory
1980 Mission Trailer Park trailer park Polk’s San Luis Obispo City
Directory, pg. 286
CONSULTATION
No response to LSA’s consultation letter was received. After three weeks, LSA made a follow-up
telephone call. A summary of the follow-up call is shown below.
History Center of San Luis Obispo County
On June 23, 2014, LSA made a follow-up telephone call to the History Center and left a voice mail
message requesting any information or concerns they might have regarding the project. No response
has been received to date.
On June 25, 2014, LSA received an email response from Allan Ochs, History Center Volunteer
Researcher to an online research appointment request made by LSA on June 19, 2014. In the email,
Mr. Ochs indicated, “You are most welcome to come to the Research Room of the History Center and
review what little we have on Dr. James Sinclair. He died July 19, 1913, and unfortunately his
obituary contains almost no facts about his life. Apparently, his office was on Chorro Street, at least
for part of the time he practiced. As far as the property at 546 Higuera Street is concerned, there is
very little, if any, details of interest in our files.” LSA replied to Mr. Ochs, thanked him for his time
and information. A research appointment was made for June 25 and 26, 2014.
FIELD SURVEY
The field survey of the project site at 546 Higuera Street identified a two-story, approximately 2,300-
square-foot, wood-framed residence on a L-shaped plan, built circa 1886-1890, situated at the
southern end of a 2.07-acre, upside down L-shaped parcel. The building was constructed in a Gothic
Revival/Carpenter Gothic style covered by a steeply-pitched, cross-gabled roof clad in composition
asphalt over wooden shake roofing. The roof has open, exposed eaves with decorative bargeboards,
and two, unreinforced masonry chimneys. A decorative triangle attic vents are in the south, east, and
west façade gable peaks. The walls are clad in various-width, horizontal, wood lap siding. The
building rests on stacked brick and wooden post piers. The main entrance is in the center of the
southern, symmetrical street-facing façade and consists of a solid wooden door with glass glazing
near the top, and is accessed via a raised, full-width, single-story wooden porch. The windows are
likely the original wooden, fixed-paned and double-hung sash windows set within wide surrounds and
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shallow window hoods. The building is in an urban, mixed commercial and residential setting west of
downtown San Luis Obispo. This building appears in fair condition. Landscaping elements include a
grassy area, shrubs, and a mature palm tree. The rest of the 2.07-acre parcel contains the Mission
Trailer Park, a 33-unit mobile-home estate established in 1948.
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ELIGIBILITY EVALUATION
This section presents the historic and architectural context of the project site and evaluates the
eligibility of the building at 546 Higuera Street under CRHR and HPO significance criteria.
HISTORIC CONTEXT2
This section describes the historic context of the project site, property-specific development,
including the Modern/International architectural style of 546 Higuera Street.
San Luis Obispo
Recorded European activity in what would become San Luis Obispo began in September 1769, when
a military and settlement expedition headed by Captain Gaspar de Portolá to solidify Spain’s hold on
California left San Diego. Called the “Sacred Expedition,” it consisted of settlers, soldiers, and a
group of Franciscan missionaries led by Father Junípero Serra who had been ordered to establish a
chain of missions in California. In 1772, Father Serra returned to the area and established Mission
San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, named for Saint Louis of Toulouse, a 13th century Catholic Bishop and
son of Charles II, King of Naples. The land and favorable climate surrounding the mission made it
one of the more prosperous in Alta California. At its height in the early 1810s, the mission was home
to 961 Native American converts and produced over 11,000 bushels of produce; over half was wheat
and the other half consisting of barley, corns, bean, and peas. The mission’s herds of cattle, sheep,
and horses grazed openly over tens of thousands of acres surrounding the mission. However, within
20 years, the mission was nearly destitute (Blomquist 2003:8). By the 1860s, one traveler described
the crumbling mission and quiet town looked “more South American or Spanish than any of the
others we have seen. It is a small, miserable place” (Brewer 1966:83).
Following Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, the Franciscan missions and other royal
landholdings were gradually transferred into private ownership under provisions of the Secularization
Act passed in 1833 by the Mexican government. Secularization of the missions began in 1834, which
made large tracts of former mission lands available for settlement and touched off a land rush. In
what would become San Luis Obispo County, 28 ranchos were granted between 1837 and 1845 by
Mexican Governors to secure large tracts of land in the hands of Mexican citizens and counter the
growing influence of Anglo-American settlers (Marschner 2000:4-6, 87; Robinson 1948:29-31).
In the period following the Mexican-American War and California Statehood, a growing migration of
Anglo-Americans began arriving into the San Luis Obispo area, an influx also accompanied by
regional cultural and economic changes. Anglo-American culture expanded at the expense of the
established Hispanic culture; farmsteads slowly began to populate the immense Mexican ranchos,
while the cultivation of various crops replaced cattle ranching as the primary regional economic
activity (Monroy 1990:123-132). Larger tracts of land were opened for intensive agriculture,
requiring a large labor force and prompting a wave of immigration.
2 Unless noted, this section is adapted from City of San Luis Obispo Citywide Historic Context Statement, Historic
Resources Group 2013.
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Downtown Neighborhood
The modern history of the Downtown area is closely associated with the arrival of the Southern
Pacific Railroad (SPRR) in the late 1890s, and the establishment of the California Polytechnic School
in 1901. The arrival of the SPRR connected distant markets with San Luis Obispo County’s dairy and
agricultural industries along with business services creating a regional hub in the City of San Luis
Obispo for trade and tourism on the Central Coast. The economic growth allowed the Downtown area
to spread.
The arrival of the California Polytechnic School (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis
Obispo) further ensured the town’s survival and it continued to experience dramatic growth during
the early-20th century as many of its residential neighborhoods grew. A key event driving this growth
was the spread of the automobile. The automobile spurred growth outside the city core and the
attendant need for municipal services, road improvements, and utilities. In the downtown commercial
core, most of the present built environment took shape by 1930, with few additions during the 1941s
and 1950s. Most of the early commercial establishments were small-scale enterprises, the majority of
which dealt with food-related goods and services. As the County Seat of San Luis Obispo County, the
presence of county government facilities also further ensured the town’s viability and promoted the
growth of specialty and professional services, such as law firms, finance, and real estate.
Today, San Luis Obispo has a well-defined downtown commercial core with a mix of commercial
and multi-unit residential properties. These mainly serve a growing student population alongside a
variety of smaller, specialized boutique businesses catering to tourists, a tight core of civic
institutional buildings, and entertainment venues. The city’s resistance to redevelopment pressures
during the late-20th century enabled it to retain an early-20th century downtown. San Luis Obispo
retains its feeling as an intact city center retaining an architectural character and variety next to its
namesake 18th century Franciscan Mission.
546 Higuera Street
The building at 546 Higuera Street is located on Lot 30, Block 61 of the McDougall Tract, named
after Samuel Porter McDougall, a Scottish immigrant and owner of the Eagle Hotel. Records did not
indicate that McDougall lived in or near 546 Higuera Street (Bancroft 1871; Ward and Forrester
1882). The project site was first occupied by 1900 by Dr. James Sinclair, his wife Ida and their two
sons. The Sinclairs owned the parcel containing the building at 546 Higuera fronting Higuera Street
(Deeds 1901:57).Dr. Sinclair was born in Utica, New York in 1850 and came to California in the
1890s (San Luis Obispo County Recorder 1913). He was a physician who lived with his family in the
building at 546 Higuera Street and operated his medical practice in an office on Chorro Street
between Monterey and Carmel streets (Tognazzini 1988-2000). Dr. Sinclair was appointed head
physician of the San Luis Obispo County Hospital in 1896 and ran the institution until circa 1902.
Information regarding the history of the San Luis Obispo County Hospital system does not mention
Dr. Sinclair’s tenure with the institution (Young 1971). However, records were not located which
indicate that Dr. Sinclair was responsible for building 546 Higuera Street, he did not conduct his
professional medical practice there, and the Sinclair family left 546 Higuera Street by 1907, when his
wife Ida and their two sons moved to the Alameda County community of Berkeley. Dr. Sinclair died
in 1913 at the Noyes Lodging House at 667 Monterey Street from complications of tuberculosis (San
Luis Obispo County Recorder 1913).
As shown in the City Directory research results above, after the Sinclairs left by 1907, the building at
546 Higuera was then occupied by Fred Schroter (sic), a baker who remained at 546 Higuera until at
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least until 1922. In 1928 George Long, a grain and feed dealer moved into the house. He operated his
grain business at an office at 850 Higuera Street. He remained at 546 Higuera until 1933 when
Harvey and Dora Korn moved in and remained at the house until the early 1940s when the building
was converted into a boarding house by Mrs. Lillie B. Shelton. Following World War II, the house
was occupied by a W.G. Reed. In 1948 the Mission Trailer Park began operating on the parcel
surrounding the house, which had converted to commercial uses, such as a multi-unit rental property,
and a used clothing store. Today, the building at 546 Higuera Street is vacant.
ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT
Gothic Revival (Carpenter Gothic)
The Gothic Revival (circa 1840 -1880) style of architecture has its historical roots in English
Romanticism of the early to mid-19th century. Gothic Revival was seen by philosophers and the
religious community more than a just style; it was medicine. English architects and writers such as
Augustus Charles Pugin and his son Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin considered the Middle Ages a
period that represented a spiritual harmony and patriotism, with an architecture that reflected simple
function. They advocated reviving medieval architectural themes to counter the decay they perceived
was eroding core English spiritual and nationalistic values by the fundamental and destabilizing
transformations associated with the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution. The result of which
was deepening social divisions, loss of nationalist pride, and a shallow, materialist society. They and
others such as architectural critic John Ruskin believed a fundamental connection between culture and
architecture existed, and incorporating mediaeval architectural design into new construction would
serve to reverse the cultural erosion. Stated differently, the right culture creates emotionally stable
and morally good people who then in turn, build the right buildings. Therefore, working backwards,
using architectural themes from the mediaeval period in present design will eventually restore social
and spiritual harmony and cure the culture itself (Gelernter 1999:144). Gothic Revival was most
frequently expressed in the design of large religious buildings, such as New York’s Trinity Church
and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., in civic
buildings such as the British and Canadian parliaments, and many American university campuses that
wanted to evoke an older, established universities such as Oxford and Cambridge (Pierson 1978:154;
Gelernter 1999:148).
The style quickly spread to the United States for two main reasons. First, depictions of medieval
architecture in architectural guidebook drawings were accurate enough for use as templates for skilled
carpenters. Secondly, good architecture came from following two principles, first, the only justifiable
building elements are those based in convenience in either construction or propriety, and secondly,
ornament should enrich the building, and by extension, the people (Pierson 1978:150; Gelernter
1999:144). As the Gothic Revival was increasingly incorporated by carpenters and builders into the
design of everyday buildings, such as cottages and middle-class homes, it passed into the vernacular
realm. In the United States, the style was popular by the late 1830s and surpassed the Greek Revival
in the eastern states and gradually came west during the 1860s and remained popular up to 1880
(Gelernter 1999:1949; McAlester 2013: 270-280).
Ironically, the Industrial Revolution helped propagate the spread of Gothic Revival and the
development of a more informal version called Carpenter Gothic (described below). The growth of
railroads allowed distant mills and factories to mass-produce and offer to American builders a
selection of affordable Gothic-based ornamentation to choose from. This new industrial-based
method of home decoration coupled with balloon-framed buildings allowed carpenters of modest skill
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to easily plan, build, and ornament a Gothic-styled house to the limits of taste and budget (McAlester
2013:134-140). The mass-production of standardized building forms and materials allowed wood-
based building traditions that were developed in wetter climates to supersede local building traditions
such as adobe construction common in more arid areas, such as San Luis Obispo County.
Carpenter Gothic. As an off-shoot of the Gothic Revival, Carpenter Gothic houses and small
churches became common in North America in the late nineteenth century. These buildings
incorporated larger Gothic motifs such as pointed arched windows and doors and steep gabled roofs
to balloon-frame wood construction. Technological advancements such as the development of the
scroll saw allowed suppliers to mass-produce intricate, Gothic-inspired wood moldings, brackets,
tracery, and other ornamentation to give the builder on a budget an opportunity to imitate more
complex, custom designs. In practice however, Carpenter Gothic buildings typically lacked the more
intricate woodwork yet retained trademark design elements such as pointed-arch windows and steep
gables (Pierson 1978:416, 419; Harris1998:48). Probably the best known example of Carpenter
Gothic is the house in Eldon, Iowa, that artist Grant Wood used in as the back drop in his famous
painting, American Gothic (Wikipedia 2014).
Some character defining features of Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic architecture include:
More than one story;
Asymmetrical façade with vertical emphasis;
Steeply pitched roof, usually with steep cross gables;
Gables have decorative vergeboards and other fanciful wood ornamentation;
Wall cladding extending into gable without transition;
Light-colored painted walls;
Windows commonly extend into gables
Arched (steeply pointed) window casements and door trim;
Partial or full-width front porch and supported by flat-arched bracket supports;
Small building footprint, generally rectangular;
Stone or wood tracery; and
Simple construction techniques and mass-produced materials (McAlester 2013:266-273;
Harris1998:48; City of San Luis Obispo 2013:135).
APPLICATION OF SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA
Due to the differences in how significance criteria are presented between the CRHR and the San Luis
Obispo HPO, the section below contains a two-part presentation of the evaluation results under their
respective set of evaluative criteria.
California Register of Historical Resources Criteria
This section applies the CRHR significance criteria to the building at 546 Higuera Street and assesses
the building’s status under the Historic Preservation Ordinance. The project site does not contain any
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built environment resources that were previously listed or determined eligible for inclusion in the
CRHR or in a local inventory of historical resources.
Criterion 1: Is it associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad
patterns of California’s history and cultural heritage?
Research indicates that the building at 546 Higuera Street is associated with the residential
growth of San Luis Obispo in the late-19th century, an event which made a significant
contribution to the broad patterns of the history of San Luis Obispo and, as the city was an
important economic, social, and administrative center, San Luis Obispo County, as well.
However, the building at 546 Higuera Street is one of many buildings in San Luis Obispo and San
Luis Obispo County that are associated with its residential development, and no evidence was
identified to elevate the building in associative stature; it does not possess specific, important
associations with this context that distinguish it from the many other buildings with similar
design, construction history, and use.
Criterion 2: Is it associated with the lives of persons important in our past?
Research in local history publications, newspaper collections, and previous cultural resource
surveys indicate that the building at 546 Higuera Street is associated with Dr. James Sinclair, a
late-19th century San Luis Obispo-based physician who lived with his family in the building. Dr.
Sinclair was later appointed head physician of the San Luis Obispo County Hospital. However,
records were not located which indicate that Dr. Sinclair was responsible for building 546
Higuera Street, he did not operate his medical practice there, and the Sinclair family in its entirety
left 546 Higuera Street by 1907, when his wife Ida and their two sons moved to the Alameda
County community of Berkeley, while Dr. Sinclair moved to a room at the Noyes Lodging House
at 667 Monterey Street where he died in 1913 from complications of tuberculosis. The lack of a
strong associative connection of the building at 546 Higuera Street with Dr. Sinclair, his
professional life as a physician, and the relatively short-term occupancy by the Sinclair family,
roughly 15 years, demonstrates that the association of the building at 546 Higuera Street with Dr.
Sinclair and his family is peripheral in associative stature under this criterion.
Criterion 3: Does it embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of
construction, or represent the work of an important creative individual, or possess high artistic
values?
The building at 546 Higuera Street possesses some of the general architectural characteristics of
the Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic, an architectural style well represented in the existing
building stock of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, California, and nationwide. Better,
more representative examples that have equal or greater architectural expressiveness, possess
higher levels of integrity, and are currently listed in the City of San Luis Obispo Master List of
Historic Resources include:
690 Islay Street (Kimball House, built 1900);
1445 Broad Street (Falkenstein House, built 1895);
726 Buchon Street (Jessie Wright Maternity Home, built 1900);
779 Buchon Street (Upham House, built 1889);
1344 Nipomo Street (St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, built 1873);
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860 Buchon Street (Hourihan House, built 1895); and
559 Pismo Street (Biddle House, built 1889).
Criterion 4: Has it yielded, or may it be likely to yield, information important to history?
This criterion is usually used to evaluate the potential of archaeological deposits to contain
information important in understanding the past lifeways of San Luis Obispo’s early historic-
period and pre-contact inhabitants. Its application to architecture is less common in eligibility
assessments due to the prevalence of multiple media that thoroughly document the form,
materials, and design of a given building type. Consequently, information about Gothic
Revival/Carpenter Gothic design and construction techniques, as represented by 546 Higuera
Street, can be obtained from other widely available sources on this familiar architectural style.
Additionally, due to alterations, further study of this building will not result in new information
about construction techniques or the Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic architectural style and
design. For these reasons, the building at 546 Higuera Street will not yield information important
to the history of the local area, California, or the nation.
City of San Luis Obispo Historic Preservation Ordinance Criteria
The section below provides a discussion of the building’s status per Section 14.01.070 of the HPO
outlined above.
A. Architectural Criteria: 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.
(1) Style:
a. The relative purity of a traditional style;
While this building is associated with Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic architectural
style, subsequent alterations have diminished its ability to convey the purer form of
its architectural qualities it had at the time of construction. It is not a prototype, or an
outstanding example of Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic design. See the attached
California Department of Parks and Recreation 523 Series Form Record in the
Appendix for historical images of the building at 546 Higuera Street.
b. Rarity of existence at any time in the locale; and/or current rarity although the
structure reflects a once popular style;
The building at 546 Higuera Street is not a prototype, or an outstanding example of
Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic design. This property is not the best surviving
example of (1) the Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic design as expressed in the City
of San Luis Obispo, nor (2) of a period, style, architectural movement, or
construction. Better, more representative examples that have equal or greater
architectural expressiveness, possess higher levels of integrity, and are currently
listed in the City of San Luis Obispo Master List of Historic Resources include:
690 Islay Street (Kimball House, built 1900);
1445 Broad Street (Falkenstein House, built 1895);
726 Buchon Street (Jessie Wright Maternity Home, built 1900);
779 Buchon Street (Upham House, built 1889);
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1344 Nipomo Street (St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, built 1873);
860 Buchon Street (Hourihan House, built 1895); and
559 Pismo Street (Biddle House, built 1889).
c. Traditional, vernacular and/or eclectic influences that represent a particular
social milieu and period of the community; and/or the uniqueness of hybrid styles
and how these styles are put together.
The building at 546 Higuera retains some character-defining features of Gothic
Revival/Carpenter Gothic design which was an architectural style popular in the
United States from 1830 to 1880. This style is associated with the residential
development of San Luis Obispo during the late-19th century. However, a recent field
survey of the building indicates that subsequent alterations to the building have
compromised the architectural qualities it once had due to alterations to the building
and surrounding parcel, the building at 546 Higuera Street is no longer able to convey
its significance under this criterion.
(2) Design:
a. Notable attractiveness with aesthetic appeal because of its artistic merit, details
and craftsmanship (even if not necessarily unique);
Background archival research of 546 Higuera Street indicates that it does not qualify
under this criterion. A field survey of the building identified subsequent alterations
(additions, removal of upper story balustrade and original porch columns and support
bracketry, and creation of Mission Trailer Park among others) which have
compromised several key architectural qualities it once had thus affecting the overall
quality of artistic merit and craftsmanship of the individual parts. Due to alterations,
the building at 546 Higuera Street is no longer able to convey its significance under
this criterion.
b. An expression of interesting details and eclecticism among carpenter-builders,
although the craftsmanship and artistic quality may not be superior.
However, a recent field survey of the building indicates that subsequent alterations to
the building have compromised the architectural qualities it once had due to
alterations to the building and surrounding parcel, the building at 546 Higuera is no
longer able to convey its significance under this criterion.
(3) Architect:
a. A notable architect (e.g., Wright, Morgan), including architects who made
significant contributions to the state or region, or an architect whose work influenced
development of the city, state or nation.
Background research did not identify an architect or architectural firm responsible for
designing the building at 546 Higuera Street.
b. An architect who, in terms of craftsmanship, made significant contributions to San
Luis Obispo
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Background research did not identify an architect or architectural firm associated
with the building at 546 Higuera Street.
B. Historic Criteria
(1) History – Person:
a. Significant to the community as a public leader (e.g., mayor, congress member,
etc.) or for his or her fame and outstanding recognition - locally, regionally, or
nationally.
Background research indicated that the building at 546 Higuera Street is associated
with Dr. James Sinclair, a late-19th century physician who lived with his family in the
building. Dr. Sinclair was later appointed head physician of the San Luis Obispo
County Hospital. However, records did not indicate that Dr. Sinclair was not the only
physician who operated an office in San Luis Obispo nor did his stature in the
community rise to a level comparable to a major political or social figure.
Information regarding subsequent occupants did not indicate that any rose to a level
of notable prominence in the history of San Luis Obispo, the State of California, or
the nation.
b. Significant to the community as a public servant or person who made early,
unique, or outstanding contributions to the community, important local affairs or
institutions (e.g., council members, educators, medical professionals, clergymen,
railroad officials).
Background research indicated that the building at 546 Higuera Street is associated
with Dr. James Sinclair, physician who lived with his family in the building at 546
Higuera Street. Dr. Sinclair was later appointed head physician of the San Luis
Obispo County Hospital. However, records indicate that Dr. Sinclair did not operate
his professional medical practice at 546 Higuera Street, and the Sinclair family had
left 546 Higuera Street by 1907, when his wife Ida and their two sons moved to the
Alameda County community of Berkeley. Dr. Sinclair died in 1913 at the Noyes
Lodging House at 667 Monterey Street from complications of tuberculosis. The lack
of a strong associative connection of the building at 546 Higuera Street with Dr.
Sinclair, his professional life as a physician, and the relatively short-term occupancy
by the Sinclair family, roughly 15 years, demonstrates that the association of the
building at 546 Higuera Street with Dr. Sinclair and his family is peripheral in
associative stature under this criterion.
(2) History – Event:
(i) A landmark, famous, or first-of-its-kind event for the city - regardless of whether
the impact of the event spread beyond the city.
The building at 546 Higuera Street is a single-family, Gothic Revival/Carpenter
Gothic residential property built circa 1886-1890. This property was one of many
similar properties built during this time and is not notable as a landmark or as a “first-
of its kind” in the context of San Luis Obispo’s residential development or for its
architectural qualities.
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(ii) A relatively unique, important or interesting contribution to the city.
Background research indicated that this building is not the only resource associated
with the late-19th century residential development of San Luis Obispo nor is it a
unique, important, or interesting example in terms of its Gothic Revival/Carpenter
Gothic architectural qualities. An examination of pervious residents indicated that the
building was once the home of Dr. James Sinclair and his family. Dr. Sinclair was
named Head Physician to the San Luis Obispo County hospital in 1896, a post he
held for approximately 6 years. However, information regarding the history and
development of the San Luis Obispo County Hospital system does not mention Dr.
Sinclair’s early association with the institution (Young 1971). He did not operate his
private medical practice out of the building at 546 Higuera Street and his family lived
at the residence until 1907, when his wife and two sons moved to Berkeley. Research
did not indicate that associations with Dr. Sinclair does not raise the level of
associative statue of the building at 546 Higuera Street under this criterion to warrant
consideration as making an interesting or substantial contribution to the city.
(3) History-Context:
a. Early, first, or major patterns of local history, regardless of whether the historic
effects go beyond the city level, that are intimately connected with the building.
The building at 546 Higuera is not an early or first example of the late-19th century
residential development of San Luis Obispo or of Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic
architecture in the city. It was one of many such properties that were built in the city
during this period. A field survey of the building identified subsequent alterations
(additions, removal of upper story balustrade and original porch columns and support
bracketry, and creation of Mission Trailer Park) have compromised several key
architectural qualities it once had affecting the overall quality of artistic merit and
craftsmanship of the individual parts. Due to alterations, the building at 546 Higuera
Street is no longer able to convey its significance under this criterion. See the
attached California Department of Parks and Recreation 523 Series Form Record in
the Appendix for historical images of the building at 546 Higuera Street.
b. Secondary patterns of local history, but closely associated with the building.
This building is associated with the secondary pattern of a post-World War II-era rise
in the establishment of trailer parks as an office and secondary property to the
Mission Trailer Park/Mission Trailer Court, established in 1948 on the remainder of
the 2.07-acre parcel. However, research did indicate that this trailer park was the first
or only such property in San Luis Obispo. Background research did not indicate that
trailer parks are a property type recognized for potential historical values and
associations with the city’s past.
C. Integrity: Please see a joint CRHR and City of San Luis Obispo HPO-based integrity
assessment presentation below.
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INTEGRITY ASSESSMENT
As previously discussed, historical integrity refers to the ability of a resource to convey its significant
historical associations. Integrity is a critical component of historical resources that are listed in, or
eligible for listing in, the CRHR and the San Luis Obispo Master List of Historic Resources and/or
the Master List of Contributing Historic Resources. This section discusses the historical integrity of
the building at 546 Higuera Street with respect to seven aspects: location, setting, design, feeling,
materials, workmanship, and association. See the attached California Department of Parks and
Recreation 523 Series Form Record in the Appendix for historical images of the building at 546
Higuera Street.
The building at 546 Higuera Street has not been moved and retains integrity of location.
The building at 546 Higuera Street does not retain integrity of setting and feeling due to the
removal of associated outbuildings and associated equipment that were located in the northern
portion of the property from the 1880s and the late 1940s. Other changes to setting and feeling are
reflected in the gradual transformation of the surrounding neighborhood from the mid-20th
century through today. This change has altered the once predominately single and multi-family
residential and light-commercial character of the area into one more reflective of an expanding
downtown business core along a busy, one-way thoroughfare. This decades-long change resulted
in more property allocated to serve commercial growth and relocation of businesses once closer
to downtown. Many of the older single-family Victorian-era homes were demolished to
accommodate commercial and residential construction along Higuera Street, converted into
multi-unit flats or apartments, or refashioned as a mixed-use property, as was 546 Higuera Street.
The building at 546 Higuera Street does not retain integrity of workmanship, design, or materials.
This is due to alterations to the original function and historic fabric of the building as a result of
renovations to the building, which include the single story kitchen addition at the rear, north-
facing façade, the single-story, square-shaped washroom/laundry addition on the west façade,
evidence of patchwork wooden siding repair on the east, north, and west facades, the removal of
the original square-shaped wooden, porch supports and balustrade atop the full-width, front porch
on the southern, street-facing façade, replacement of the original large, three-vertical paned
square-shaped gable peak window above the front porch, repainting the originally white-colored
house with red paint and the replacement of the original front door. These alterations, taken
together, diminish the integrity of workmanship, materials, and design.
The building at 546 Higuera Street does not retain integrity of association with the late-19th
century residential development of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, California, and
nationwide. The building at 546 Higuera Street is one of many buildings in San Luis Obispo and
San Luis Obispo County that are associated with its residential development, and no evidence
was identified to elevate the building in associative stature; it does not possess specific, important
associations with this context that distinguish it from the many other buildings with similar
design, construction history, and use. The establishment of Mission Trailer Park in 1948 which
occupies the remaining area of the parcel has diminished the building’s associative qualities as a
representative example of a late-19th century residential property in San Luis Obispo.
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CONCLUSION
Background research and field survey identified one cultural resource in the project site at 546
Higuera Street: a two-story, Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic building constructed circa 1886-1890.
The building has been used as a single family residence, a multi-family residence, and as a small-
scale commercial retail space. In 1948, the parcel was converted to the Mission Trailer Park, a 33-unit
mobile home estate. While the building at 546 Higuera Street is associated with the late-19th century
residential development of the San Luis Obispo, its specific association with this pattern of events is
not prominent or important. The building is associated with Dr. James Sinclair, a late-19th century San
Luis Obispo-based physician who lived with his family in the building at 546 Higuera Street. Dr.
Sinclair was later appointed head physician of the San Luis Obispo County Hospital. However,
records were not located which indicate that Dr. Sinclair was responsible for building 546 Higuera
Street, he did not operate his medical practice there, and the Sinclair family had left San Luis Obispo
by 1907. The building possesses the design characteristics of the Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic
architectural style; however, due to alterations, high level of structural deterioration, the establishment
of the 33-unit Mission Trailer Park that encompasses the remaining area of the parcel, and the
location of numerous, better, more representative examples of the Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic in
San Luis Obispo which possess more integrity and are identified as historic resources, this building is
not a suitable, representative example of Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic architectural style.
For the reasons stated above, the building at 546 Higuera Street does appear eligible for inclusion in
the CRHR under Criterion 3 as it possesses expressive Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic architectural
qualities. However, it does not retain the integrity necessary to convey those significant
characteristics in a manner that would render it eligible for inclusion in the CRHR. The same
deficiencies support a conclusion that the building is also not a candidate for inclusion in the City of
San Luis Obispo Master List of Historic Resources. For these reasons, the building at 546 Higuera
Street is not a historical resource for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CCR
Title 14(3) §15064.5). This conclusion affirms the status of the parcel at 546 Higuera Street as
presented in the 2012 City of San Luis Obispo Master List of Historic Resources and the 2013 San
Luis Obispo Master List of Contributing Historic Resources, both of which indicate that the building
at 546 Higuera Street is not a recognized Historic Resource, nor is it a contributing element to an
existing or proposed Historic District (City of San Luis Obispo 2012, 2013).
Table 3: Resource Status Summary
Resource
Listed in Master List
of Historic
Resources?
Listed in Master List of
Contributing Historic
Resources?
CEQA
Historical
Resource?
546 Higuera Street No No No
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APPENDIX
California Department of Parks and Recreation 523 Series Form Record
546 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County
State of California C The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code: 6Y
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer ____________________Date
Page 1 of 8 Resource Name: 546 Higuera Street
P1. Other Identifier: Lot 30, Block 61, McDougall Tract; Sinclair House; Mission Trailer Court, Mission Trailer Park
P2. Location Not for Publication Unrestricted:
a. County: San Luis Obispo
b. USGS 7.5' Quad: San Luis Obispo, CA Date: 1995; T30S/R12E; NE¼ of the NE¼, Section 34; M.D.B.L.
c. Address: 546 Higuera Street City San Luis Obispo Zip 94704
d. UTM: Zone 10S; 712114mE/3906344mN
e. Other Locational Data: San Luis Obispo Township, APN 002-402-030
P3a. Description: This two-story, approximately 2,300-square-foot, wood-framed residence on an L-shaped plan, built circa
1886-1890, is situated at the southern end of a 2.07-acre parcel in an urban setting. It is a Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic
residence covered by a steeply-pitched, cross-gabled roof clad in composition asphalt over wooden shake roofing. The roof has
open, exposed eaves with decorative bargeboards, and two, unreinforced masonry chimneys. Decorative triangle attic vents are in
the south, east, and west gable peaks. The walls are clad in horizontal, wood lap siding of variable widths. The building rests on
stacked brick and wooden post piers. The main entrance is in the center of the symmetrical, southern, street-facing façade and
consists of a solid wooden door with a small, 4-paned window, under a lattice glass transom, and is accessed via a raised, full-
width, single-story wooden porch. The windows are likely the original wooden, fixed-paned, and double-hung sash windows set
within wide surrounds and shallow window hoods. The building is in an urban, mixed commercial and residential setting west of
downtown San Luis Obispo. This building appears in fair-to-poor condition and is currently vacant. Landscaping elements include
a grassy area, bushes, a concrete walk, street trees, and a mature palm tree. The rest of the parcel contains the Mission Trailer Park,
a 33-unit mobile-home estate established in 1948.
P3b. Resource Attributes: (HP2) Single-family building; (HP3) Multiple-family property; (HP30) Trees/vegetation
P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other (Isolates, etc.)
P5a. Photograph:
P5b. Description of Photo:
546 Higuera Street, south façade, view
northwest. Photo taken 6/24/14. Portion
of Mission Trailer Park at right.
P6. Date Constructed/Age and
Source: Historic Built circa 1886-
1890; San Luis Obispo County
Assessor.
P7. Owner and Address:
Higuera Commons, LLC.
3480 South Higuera Street, Suite 130
San Luis Obispo, California 93401
P8. Recorded by:
Michael Hibma, M.A., RPH
LSA Associates, Inc.
157 Park Place
Point Richmond, California 94801
P9. Date recorded: July 9, 2014
P10. Survey Type: Intensive
P11. Report Citation: Hibma, Michael. 2014. Eligibility Evaluation of 546 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo
County, California. LSA Associates, Inc., Point Richmond, California.
Attachments: Location Map Continuation Sheet(s) Building, Structure, and Object Record
DPR 523A (1/95)
State of California C The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
Page 2 of 8 NRHP Status Code: 6Y
Resource Name: 564 Higuera Street
B1. Historic Name: Sinclair House, Mission Trailer Court
B2. Common Name: Mission Trailer Park
B3. Original Use: Single family residence
B4. Present Use: Mobile home estate
B5. Architectural Style: Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic
B6. Construction History: According to records on file at the San Luis Obispo County Assessor’s Office, this building was
constructed circa 1886-1890. Subsequent alterations include the the single story kitchen addition at the rear, north-facing
façade, the single-story, square-shaped washroom/laundry addition on the west façade, evidence of patchwork wooden
siding repair on the east, north, and west facades, the removal of the original square-shaped wooden, porch supports and
balustrade atop the full-width, front porch on the southern, street-facing façade, repainting the originally white-colored
house in red, the removal of the original front door, and conversion of the remaining property from a single-family
residential property to a 33-unit, mobile home estate in 1948.
B7. Moved? No
B8. Related Features: None
B9. a. Architect: Undetermined
b. Builder: Undetermined
B10. Significance: Theme: Late-19th century residential development, architecture Area: San Luis Obispo
Period of Significance: circa 1886-1890 Property Type: Residential building/trailer park Applicable Criteria: A,C
This two -story, 2,300-square-foot, former single-family residential building is situated on a 90,000-square-foot parcel in an urban
setting. The period of significance for this residence is 1886-1890, which is the approximate date of construction. Research
indicates that 564 Higuera Street is associated with the residential growth of San Luis Obispo in the late-19th century; an event
which made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, California,
and nationwide. However, 546 Higuera Street is one of thousands of buildings in San Luis Obispo and San Luis Obispo County
that are associated with this theme, and no evidence was identified to elevate the building in associative stature; it does not possess
specific, important associations with this context that distinguish it from many of other buildings with similar design, construction
history, and use (Criterion 1). (see continuation sheet).
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None
B12. References:
City of San Luis Obispo
2012 City of San Luis Obispo Master List of Historic Resources,
updated March 2012. Electronic document,
http://www.slocity.org/communitydevelopment/Long%20Range/S
LO%20Final%20Historic%20Context%20Statement_1.21.2014.p
df, accessed June 4, 2014.
2010 City of San Luis Obispo Historic Preservation Program
Guidelines. Electronic document
http://www.slocity.org/communitydevelopment/historicpreservati
onord/New_Folder/HistoricGuidelines%20%284-18-11%29.pdf,
accessed June 4, 2014.
Hibma, Michael
2013 Eligibility Evaluation of 546 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, San
Luis Obispo County, California. LSA Associates, Inc., Point
Richmond, California.
B13. Remarks: None
B14. Evaluator: Michael Hibma
LSA Associates, Inc.
157 Park Place,
Point Richmond, California 94801
Date of Evaluation: July 9, 2014
DPR 523B (1/95)
(This space reserved for official comments.)
546 Higuera Street
North
State of California C The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Page 3 of 8 Resource Name: 546 Higuera Street
Recorded by: Michael Hibma Date: July 9, 2014
B10. (continued)
The building at 546 Higuera Street is associated with Dr. James Sinclair, a late-19th century San Luis Obispo-based physician
who lived with his family in the building at 546 Higuera Street. Dr. Sinclair was later appointed head physician of the San Luis
Obispo County Hospital. However, records were not located which indicate that Dr. Sinclair was responsible for building 546
Higuera Street, he did not operate his medical practice there, and the Sinclair family left 546 Higuera Street by 1906, when his
wife Ida and their two sons moved to the Alameda County community of Berkeley. Dr. Sinclair died in 1913 at the Noyes
Lodging House at 667 Monterey Street from complications of tuberculosis. This indicates that the association of the building at
546 Higuera Street with Dr. Sinclair and his family is peripheral in associative stature under this criterion (Criterion 2). The
building at 546 Higuera Street possesses some of the general architectural characteristics of the Gothic Revival/Carpenter
Gothic, an architectural style well represented in the existing building stock of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County,
California, and nationwide (Criterion 3). The building is not likely to yield information important to history (Criterion 4).
Integrity
The building at 546 Higuera Street has not been moved and retains integrity of location. The building at 546 Higuera Street
retains integrity of association with Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic architecture in San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County,
California, and nationwide.
The building at 546 Higuera Street does not retain integrity of setting and feeling. This is due to the removal of associated
outbuildings and associated equipment that were located in the northern portion of the property from the 1880s and the late
1940s and the establishment of Mission Trailer Park. Other changes to setting and feeling are reflected in the gradual
transformation of the surrounding neighborhood from the mid-20th century through today. This change has altered the once
predominately single and multi-family residential and light-commercial character of the area into one more reflective of
downtown business core expanding along Higuera Street, a busy, one-way thoroughfare. This decades-long change resulted in
more property allocated to serve commercial growth and businesses once closer to downtown. Many of the older single-family
Victorian-era homes were demolished to accommodate commercial and residential construction along Higuera Street, converted
into multi-unit flats or apartments, or refashioned as a mixed-use property, as was 546 Higuera Street.
The building at 546 Higuera Street does not retain sufficient integrity of workmanship, design, or materials. This is due to
alterations to the original function and historic fabric of the building as a result of renovations to the building, which include the
single story kitchen addition at the rear, north-facing façade, the single-story, square-shaped washroom/laundry addition on the
west façade, evidence of patchwork wooden siding repair on the east, north, and west facades, the removal of the original square-
shaped wooden, porch supports and balustrade atop the full-width, front porch on the southern, street-facing façade, replacement
of the original, large, three-vertical paned square-shaped gable peak window above the front porch, repainting the originally
white-colored house with red paint and the replacement of the original front door. These alterations, taken together, diminish the
integrity of workmanship, materials, and design.
Conclusion: The building at 546 Higuera Street is a two -story, Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic residential building built circa
1886-1890. The building was originally used as a single-family home. Subsequent uses include a boarding house, multi-unit
rental property, and a used clothing store. It is currently vacant. The surrounding parcel was converted to a 33-unit mobile home
estate property in 1948. Based on background research and field survey, the building at 546 Higuera Street does appear eligible
for inclusion in the CRHR under Criterion 3 as it possesses expressive Gothic Revival/Carpenter Gothic architectural qualities.
However, it does not retain the integrity necessary to convey those significant characteristics in a manner that would render it
eligible for inclusion in the CRHR. The same deficiencies support a conclusion that the building is also not a candidate for
inclusion in the City of San Luis Obispo Master List of Historic Resources. For these reasons, the building at 546 Higuera Street
is not a historical resource for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CCR Title 14(3) §15064.5). This
conclusion affirms the status of the parcel at 546 Higuera Street as presented in the 2012 City of San Luis Obispo Master List of
Historic Resources and the 2013 San Luis Obispo Master List of Contributing Historic Resources, both of which indicate that the
building at 546 Higuera Street is not a recognized Historic Resource, nor is it a contributing element to an existing or proposed
Historic District.
DPR 523L (1/95)
State of California C The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Page 4 of 8 Resource Name: 546 Higuera Street
Recorded by: Michael Hibma Date: July 9, 2014
P5a. Photograph (continued)
546 Higuera Street, east façade. View to the west. 6/24/14.
546 Higuera Street, north and east façades. View to the southwest. 6/24/14.
DPR 523L (1/95)
State of California C The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Page 5 of 8 Resource Name: 546 Higuera Street
Recorded by: Michael Hibma Date: July 9, 2014
P5a. Photograph (Continued)
546 Higuera Street, east façade. View to the east. 6/24/14.
546 Higuera Street, north façade. View to the south from mid-parcel (Mission Trailer Park). 6/24/14.
DPR 523L (1/95)
State of California C The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Page 6 of 8 Resource Name: 564 Higuera Street
Recorded by: Michael Hibma Date: July 9, 2014
P5a. Photograph (Continued)
San Luis Obispo, circa 1900. View east along Higuera Street toward downtown.
546 Higuera Street at left, medium distance.
Photo courtesy of History Center of San Luis Obispo County
DPR 523L (1/95)
State of California C The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial
Page 7 of 8 Resource Name: 546 Higuera Street
Recorded by: Michael Hibma Date: July 9, 2014
P5a. Photograph (Continued)
546 Higuera Street, south façade. View to the north. Circa 1904. Note balustrade atop porch, flat-arched bracket at far left porch
support, faux storm shutters and brick chimney at roof peak. Source: Souvenir of San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo Fire Department,
June 1904. On file at History Center of San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Obispo, California.
546 Higuera Street, south and west façade. View to the northeast. Circa 1935. Note balustrade atop porch is gone and porch supports
appear tapered, and more substantial, and the brick chimney at roof peak is gone. Picket fence shown in 1904 is replaced by masonry
wall. On file at History Center of San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Obispo, California.
DPR 523L (1/95)
State of California C The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI#
LOCATION MAP Trinomial
Page 8 of 8 Resource Name: 546 Higuera Street
Map Name: USGS 7.5-minute San Luis Obispo, CA Scale: 1:24,000 Date of Map: 1995
DPR 523J (1/95)