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Historic Name

Upland World Travel Bldg.

Address

247 N 2nd Avenue
Upland, CA 91786

Evaluation

Building
5/10/2007

Construction Date

1906

Current Owner

Mohamed Sadek

Current Owner Address

911 San Diego ave
Upland, CA 91786

Description

Located mid-block on Second Avenue between Ninth and C Streets, the Upland World Travel building is a two-story commercial structure influenced by the Classical Revival and Italianate styles. Of brick construction, the building abuts its neighbors to form a continuous streetscape. The lower story contains a single storefront, with a wood-framed and glazed entry deeply recessed between plate glass display windows. A transom of small square lights, which have been painted, bands the building above the storefront. While the transom suggests a llfrieze*l, the classical brick molding above suggests a cornice. The second story is occupied by three identical double-hung sash windows. The Italianate influence appears in the treatment of the hood moldings, which are straight-sided and segmentally arched.

The Upland World Travel building is significant for its architectural style and integrity, for its contribution to a potential historic district, and for its role in the commercial history of the city. "Main Streetu architecture in Southern ~alifornia in the first decades of the twentieth century was characterized by brick construction, contiguous walls and the use of classical building elements to dignify vernacular design. From one to three stories, buildings contained storefronts on the street level, with office, residential, or meeting space in the upper stories. The Upland World Travel building is a small but pristine example of this genre, the most intact example remaining in Upland. It is the centerpiece of a grouping of commercial buildings from the same era which lines both sides of Second Avenue between A and C Streets.

Above the openings, an empty space functions as another frieze, which is in turn capped by another corbeled molding reminiscent of denticulation. Alterations to the exterior of this remarkably intact building appear to be limited, and include a small canopy, the pavement and base of the entry, and the removal of a parapet element. 19. SIGNIFICANCE AND EVALUATION: The segment of Second Avenue, between A and C on the west side, is the only part of the historic commercial heart of Upland to have avoided the more substantial remodeling and rebuilding evident elsewhere on the street. Second Avenue was the location of nearly all of the service commercial activities necessary to support the local community. Grocers, druggists, doctors, barbers, blacksmith, bicycle shop: all made Second Avenue their place of business. The World Travel building, and its neighbors, are a tangible legacy of this by-gone era, when Upland was a small town surrounded by prosperous citrus groves and fields. The particular history of this structure apparently begins around 1906. A few years previously, in 1900-01, Anton Keiper had purchased the parcel from the Magnolia Land and Water Company. By 1907 an improvement had appeared on the lot, pictured on the 1907 Sanborn as two stories, with a store on the street level, a dwelling on top and a bakery occupying the rear portion of the building. Substantially the same footprint was shown in 1912. The ownership of the building changed in 1918 to Peter Keyser then in 1921 passed through the hands of James and Bertha Dawson, ending up with Henry and Mary Campbell in 1924. According to the 1924 directory, the Campbells operated a ladies furnishings store at 245. In 1924 the improvement assessment increases, suggesting new construction or substantial remodeling; it appears from historic photographs, however, that the building assumed its present appearance prior to that time. Perhaps the increase reflected the elimination of the bakery space which was no longer illustrated on the 1928 Sanborn. In that year the building was labeled, "D.G. and CLO.," and locals remember Harnish Dry Goods in the space for many years. Reports that this was once the space of a drug store operated by "Mac the Medicine Man" (Patrick McQuillen) have not been proven.