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Home My WebLink About12/18/2002 - STAFF REPORTS (9) DATE: December 19, 2002 TO: City Council FROM: Director of Planning and Zoning FRANCES S. STEVENS SCHOOL NOMINATION TO THE CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORIC RESOURCES RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to file an application to the California State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for the nomination of the Frances S. Stevens School to the California Register of Historic Resources. BACKGROUND: The City Council approved the designation of the Frances S. Stevens School as a City Class 1 Historic Site November 7, 1984. Further acknowledgement of the historic significance of Frances S. Stevens School to the State of California requires the nomination of the school to the California Register of Historic Resources. Approval of the nomination of Frances S. Stevens School to the California Register by the State Historic Advisory Board will enable the City to apply for special grant allocations for needed repairs to the school. The State nomination could also facilitate the process of establishing a downtown historic district of City owned properties (Frances Stevens School, Plaza Theater, Village Green and the Downtown Fire Station) to the National Register of Historic Places or as a State Historic Landmark. Caltrans recognizes National Register Districts with directional billboard signage from adjacent freeways or State Historic Landmark status with the smaller bear and star signage from adjacent freeways. The nomination of the Frances S. Stevens School to the California Register of Historic Resources does not impose any additional regulatory control upon the property. A remodel or demolition would have to be addressed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process for historic properties. The school, as a property currently identified as a historic resource at the local level, is presently required to comply with CEQA regulation. DOU LLA C4fAN S Director of Planning and Zoning DAVID H. READY City Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1. Application 2. Minute Order State of California The Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI # PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial NRHP Status Code Other Listings Review Code Reviewer Date Page 1 of 2 *Resource Name or#: Frances S. Stevens School Pl. Other Identifier: Patin Canyon Theater *P2. Location: Not for Publication X Unrestricted *a. County: Riverside and (P2b and Plc or 1`2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.) *b. USGS 7.5' Quad: Palm Springs Quadrangle Date: 1959 T 4;R 4 ; SE'/ of SEr/ of Sec 10; M.D. B.M. c. Address: 538 Pahn Canyon Drive, North City: Palm Springs, CA Zip: 92262 d. UTM: Zone: 10 mE/ mN (G.P.S.) e. Other Locational Data: (e.g.,parcel#,directions to resource,elevation,etc.,as appropriate)Elevation: APN#505-325-003, the NE Corner of Alejo Road and Palm Canyon Drive North *P3a. Description: (Describe resource and its major elements. Include design,materials,condition,alterations,size, setting,and boundaries) The resource is an elementary school constructed in the Mission Revival style. The Main Building is a U-shaped 9,730 square foot building designed by T.C.Kistner and Co.,Los Angeles,California,in October 1926. It consists of two classroom wings with bathrooms,a kitchen,patio,teacher's room,library,covered arcades and a 4,000 square foot auditorium complete with elevated stage and adjacent dressing room. The school site occupies an entire block. The footprint of the original structure has maintained its integrity exclusive of a modest two hundred and fifty square foot addition of an athletic storage area to the eastern end of the south wing. Other built changes are as follows:* PLEASE SEE CONTINUATION SHEET Page 1 of 2 * The City of Palm Springs has original blueprints to document most major construction and demolition occurring at the Frances S.Stevens School site. *P3b. Resource Attributes: (List attributes and codes) HP10-Theater, HP15-Educational Bldg. and HP31-Urban Open Space 6hZ *Pa. Resources Present:Building x Structure Object Site District Element of District Other(isolates,etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: View,(late,accession#) P5a. Photo or Drawing (Photo icquned for buildings,sonctuies,and objects.) *P6. Date Constructed/Age and Sources: Historic 1926, 1936, 1944, 1945 Prehistoric Both The construction dates are factual, determined from architectural drawings and Palm Springs Unified School District records. *P7. Owner and Address: City of Palm Springs 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way PO Box 2743 Palm Springs, CA 92263-2743 *P8. Recorded by: (Name,affiliation,and address) Kathy Marx,Associate Planner City of Palm Springs *P9. Date Recorded: November 15,2002 *P10. Survey Type:(Describe)General Recotmaissance California Register Nomination *P11. Report Citation: (Cite survey report and other sources,or enter"none.") None *Attachments: NONE x Location Map x Sketch Map x Continuation Sheet x Building, Structure, and Object Record Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record x Photograph Record Other(List): DPR 523A(1195) *Required information 6d3 State of California—The Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD Page 1 of 2 *NRHP Status Code 7 *Resource Name or# (Assigned by recorder)-Frances S.Stevens School B1. Historic Name:Frances S.Stevens School 82. Common Name:Village Center for the Arts,Frances Stevens Park,Palm Canyon Theater B3. Original Use: Elementary School B4. Present Use: Theater,Art School *B5. Architectural Style: Mission Revival *B6. Construction History: (Construction date,alterations,and date of alterations) The resource is an elementary school constructed in the Spanish Revival style. The Main Building is U- shaped,9,730 square feet,and was designed by T.C.Kistner and Co,Los Angeles,California,in October 1926. It originally consisted of two classroom wings with bathrooms,a kitchen,patio,library, teacher's room,covered arcades and a 4,000 square foot auditorium complete with elevated stage and adjacent dressing room. The Main Building is concrete construction. The roof style is low pitch with gables intersecting at right angles. The roof design includes 8"x 8"wood rafter lookouts. It is covered in S shaped red clay and concrete tiles. The building has single story classroom wings on the north and south with a twenty-four foot ceiling height in the western auditorium and stage that joins the two classroom wings together. All exterior walkways are covered arcades with concrete flooring and rectilinear approaches (not arched). Eight inch by eight mch wood posts with inverted pyramid capital detail support the arcade roof at the south elevation. From the east and west elevations the arcade roof is supported by 3'x 1'concrete columns. Windows are all wood and framed in ten styles: 3,4 and 8 paned casement,3 and 6 paned hinged at bottom, and small 3 paned stationary. Window placement is equally spaced between arcade columns at east and west elevations. Irregular fenestration of doors and windows occur at north and south elevations. Doors are of three styles that include: recessed bottom wood panel with either upper glass window or recessed wood panel in single and double door styles for classroom doors;double door vertical lapped wood paneled with nine small paned upper leaded glass window inserts at main portal;or four large paned French double doors at patio entry. Classroom entry doors included a variety of above door ventilation tecludques including glass transom and screening. Interior walls were originally concrete with no plaster, The floors were concrete. *B7. Moved? X No DYes ❑Unknown Date: Original Location: *B8. Related Features: Cypress trees B9a. Architect: T.C.Kistner&Co.,G.Stanley Wilson,Albert Frey b. Builder: *B10. Significance: Theme:Education Area: Palm Springs,CA Period of Significance: 1926-1945 Property Type: Public School Applicable Criteria: The Frances Stevens School yields important information to the history of Palm Springs. It embodies distinctive characteristics of a vernacular regional architectural style and construction methods that are significant to the history of Palm Sprigs. (Discuss importance in terms of historical or architectural context as defined by theme,period,and geographic scope. Also address integrity) (This space reserved for official comments.) *See continuation sheet 2 of 2 B11. Additional Resource Attributes:(List attributes and codes) AP *1312. References: Historic reference material obtained from the Palm Springs Historical Society located at the McCallum Adobe,221 S.Palm Canyon Dr.,Palm Springs,CA 92262, These include: Desert Public School District—Original school board minutes, March 8, 1893—March 28, 1898 List of teachers employed from 1899-1942 Palm Springs Journal—A School Paper, Feb.26, 1926,pp. 1-2 A School in the Desert in the Roaring Twenties by Katherine Finchy(non-published autobiography) Treatise on Jr. High Schools by James S.Milliton,Chapter 2(non-published local author) Book of Palm Springs 1927 By the pupils of the 6�",7",&8"grades of the Palm Springs Grammar School The Desert Sun,April 16, 1974, p.A3,"VP Ford's Visit Gives Gal Reporter Quite a Day!" The Desert Sun,April 15, 1974,p.A1,""Weather is Ideal for Ford's Speech" The Desert Sun, January 9, 1958, p.A2,"Records of Palm Springs Schools in 1893 Discloses Growth from 21 Pupils to 3,042" The Desert Sun,September 23, 1960,p.unknown,"School Sale Planned by Board" Historic photo documentation: Palm Springs School House,class photos, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1915, 1916 B13. Remarks: The Frances Stevens School is listed as a Class I Site on the City of Palm Springs historic register *1314. Evaluator: Kathy Marx *Date of Evaluation: November 15,2002 (Sketch Map with north arrow required.) A9— State of California—The Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial Pagel of 2 *Resource Name or# (Assigned by recorder) Frances S. Stevens School *Recorded by: Kathy Marx *Date: Nov. 15, 2002 x Continuation ❑ Update DPR 523L(1/95) *Required information September 14, 1936— G. Stanley Wilson, AIA, Riverside, CA Primary Building —An L-shaped 5,600 sq. ft. primary classroom building (separate from the Main Building) located on the northwest corner of the site consisting of four classrooms and two bathrooms. Kindergarten Unit—A rectangular shaped building of approximately 500 square feet located on the southeast corner of the site consisting of a classroom and two bathrooms. September 2, 1944—Albert Frey, Architect, Palm Springs, CA Interior remodel of patio, teacher's room and kitchen to offices and reception area in the Main Building. Two skylights were added to the lobby between the auditorium and offices. Shop Building with Patio—A rectangular shaped approximately 500 square foot building located on the southwest corner of the site. July 10, 1945—Albert Frey, Architect, Palm Springs, CA Cafeteria Building, kitchen and storeroom on south end of site between shop and kindergarten. An independently sited classroom building (Classrooms 8 and 9) was also constructed to the south of the Main Building consisting of two classrooms. Architectural drawings are not available for this addition. August 15, 1973 — Richard A. Harrison, AIA, Palm Springs, CA Demolition of Cafeteria Building, Classrooms 8 and 9 Remodel of Primary Building for Senior Citizens'Complex including replacement of five doors and eastern facade window replacement. Eight original doors with hardware remain on primary building. All original windows, interior blackboards and cabinetry remain in north wing of Primary Building classroom. Demolition of the Kindergarten Unit and the Shop Building occurred. Date of demolition not documented. February 2, 1997—T.K.D. Associates, Landscape Architects, Palm Springs, CA Interior remodel of office and library space to include box office. Four large Cypress trees on east property boundary to remain. Exterior addition of banner pole and events kiosk. Sculpture court was added to the western entry. Large fountain constructed on the southwest corner of the site. November 2000 — Reuel Young, Architect, Palm Springs, CA Repair of fire damage to south wing of Main Building. Windows and doors were replaced. The materials used and construction methods were sympathetic to the original. At the completion of additional construction in 1946 the Frances Stevens School site consisted of six separate buildings. The accompanying site plan is from the Albert Frey architectural drawings of July 1945. Of those six buildings, two remain: the Main Building and the Primary Building. 6144 State of California—The Resources Agency Primary# DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI# CONTINUATION SHEET Trinomial Page 2 of 2 *Resource Name or#(Assigned by recorder) Frances S. Stevens School Desert School District records document the purchase of two lots in April of 1896 to accommodate a new one room school. The land cost$160 and the Southern Pacific Railroad loaned the school district$2,017.00 for the construction. There were fifty-two school age children eligible for school in Palm Springs on May 7,1896. By 1922, new teacher,Katherine Finchy,states in her memoirs,"Iere was the school complex consisting of two rustic classroom buildings of one room each with a third structure off to the side[Ilse teacherage]." The number of students were outgrowing the space and high school aged children were bused to Banning in 1924. The Palni Springs Journal-A School Paper, By and For Students, February 26, 1926, stated," Our school is growing rapidly,and the time has come when we need a bigger building. Since last September the enrollment has increased from 65 to 140. We now have four teachers... running double session in the first three grades," Therefore Prescott T. Stevens,a local developer,donated a city block and monetary assistance for the construction of a new school. Construction began in 1926 and the Mahn Building at the school site was complete in the late 1920's. The school was named after the developer's wife,Frances S.Stevens,to commemorate her Interest in public education, As in many rural towns,the new school was the center of activity but Palm Springs imparted its own brand of "style" to its primary school. Katherine Finchy stated,"During this period of expansion,the school remained the center of community interest and activity. Ball games between students and parents...generated a'world series' atmosphere especially when Mayor Jimmy Walker of New York City was on hand to throw out the first ball...Even Rin-tin-tin,Jr.was brought into the classrooms by his trainer to demonstrate training techniques...From Riverside County came a bevy of supervisors to enrich the program with special music, testing,and soccer football. School activities were eventually made into an educational film to be shown at the San Francisco Fair as a model educational unit. The Palm Springs School system was on its way." The school site continued to accommodate new school buildings, adding needed classrooms,cafeteria, bathrooms and shop. The Main Building was remodeled to enclose the original lunch"patio" making way for much needed offices and reception area. The Desert School District,re-apportioned and re-named Palm Springs Unified School District eventually relocated the students from Frances Stevens School,selling the buildings and the property to the City of Palm Springs in 1960. In 1973,the cafeteria,kindergarten,shop and southwest classroom building were demolished allowing room for the creation of a city park. The remodeled Primary Building was occupied by a new senior center. On Monday, April 14,1974,Vice-President Gerald Ford dedicated the Senior Center. hn March 1991 Frances Stevens School was preparing to host another occupant: The Palm Canyon Theater and Village Council for the Arts. The Senior Center was moving to new quarters. The Main and Primary Buildings have been put to their intended functional uses. The stage and auditorium come alive with reparatory theater productions. The Main Building classrooms now are used as scenery shops and costume rooms. The Primary Building includes an art gallery,fine art classrooms and ballet studio. Frances Stevens School is once again the center of community interest and activity. *Recorded by: Kathy Marx *Date: Nov.15,2002 X Continuation ❑ Update DPR 523L(1/95) *Required nilbrrnatiol MINUTE ORDER NO. AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO FILE AN APPLICATION TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE FOR THE NOMINATION OF THE FRANCES S. STEVENS SCHOOL TO THE CALIFORNIA REGISTER OFHISTORIC RESOURCES -------------------- I HEREBY CERTIFY that this Minute Order, authorizing the City Manager to file an application to the California State Historic Preservation Office for the nomination of the Frances S. Stevens School to the California Register of Historic Resources, was adopted by the City Council of the City of Palm springs, California, in a meeting thereof held on the 181h day of December, 2002. PATRICIA A. SANDERS City Clerk