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Historic Homes
Historic Home Detail | 331
Historic Name
Nels Hawkinson House
Address
499 W Arrow Highway
Upland, CA 91786
Evaluation
Building
5/7/2007
Construction Date
1896
Current Owner
William A. Hawkinson
Current Owner Address
P.O. box 134
Upland, CA 91786
Description
Framed by the branches of mature trees, this is a remarkable
example of a two-story Queen Anne residence. The hipped roof
culminates in iron cresting. On the west, a two-story bay is
topped by a front gable finished with patterned shingles. A pair
of double-hung sash windows break through the horizontal cornice
to straddle the gable face. Below them a single opening of
identical dimensions is distinguished by an art glass upper pane
and a lintel decorated in a scrolled motif. Lacy, sawn brackets
mark the corners where the gable overhangs the bay. A porch
abuts the bay to the east. It appears to have been altered
during the Craftsman period, resulting in an L-shaped space
defined by plain posts and a pent roof with exposed rafters. The
roof shelters the entry, a paneled and glazed door linked to a
half window by a decorated head molding. Above the porch, a cant
bay is topped by a second front gable.
In referring to this well-preserved example of Queen Anne
styling, the July 21, 1981 Dailv Re~ort ran an article about a
"quaint homestead...hidden by trees in an Upland neighborhood."
It is an apt description of this house, which is one of the best
examples of the style in Upland. The article went on to relate
how the current owner, William A. Hawkinson, had recently
obtained the house built in 1896 by his grandfather Nels
Hawkinson. Although the assessment record is not so specific as
to the date of construction, it does confirm ownership of the
property by N.W. Hawkinson at least as early as 1895 when records
began being kept. At that time a $200 improvement was assessed
as well as $750 for trees and vines. By 1901 the amounts were
$400 for the improvement and $700 for the trees and vines. The
1918 assessment saw a substantial increase in the value of the
grove on the property, up to $1750.
Sheathed in narrow clapboard and edged by endboards, this
substantially intact dwelling sits on a stone foundation. It is
in good condition.
19. SIGNIFICANCE AND EVALUATION:
N.W. Hawkinson may have died shortly thereafter. The
directories, which had listed him as an orange grower and
rancher, had no citation in 1919-20 or 1922-23 and the ownership
of Ontario Colony lot 564 passed to Andrew ~awkinson et a1 in
1919 and Harry W. Hawkinson in 1920.
Other than the subsequent subdivision of the original 10 acre
property and the removal of the grove, the Hawkinson House
presents a picture of 19th century Upland. It was a town that,
outside of the downtown core, consisted of homes isolated in
orange groves. Very few examples of pre-1900 grove houses have
survived, making this house all the more noteworthy.