Historic Homes

Historic Home Detail | 72

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Address

709 N 1st Avenue
Upland, CA 91786

Evaluation

Building
5/1/2007

Construction Date

1910

Current Owner

Guadalupe Hernandez Frances D. Ayers

Current Owner Address

P.O. box 9204
Upland, CA 91786

Description

Prominent because of its scale, quality of design, and corner location, this is an attractive example of a large, two-story Craftsman residence. Its cross-gabled roof features contiguous offset gables which extend from the primary gable ends on the east and south elevations. Exposed rafters and decoratively shaped braces punctuate the extended eaves. Tripartite vents are located in the gable ends. The primary (east) elevation is capped by a large front gable. A pair of tripartite windows, one centered below an offset gable, are set into the second story facade. The lower level is shaded by another gable on the south end, which marks the entry porch, and by a shed roof which tops a board tripartite window in the north half. Sidelights flank a glazed door in the entry; all of the openings are framed in oak. The south elevation features a triple casement banded by a leaded and stained glass transom which illuminates an interior staircase and a rounded bay cut into the lower story.

The assessment records for this property are extremely confusing. Currently, it consists of two lots; however, until 1914, the north half of the north lot was part of the parcel associated with 733 North First. It appears that there were improvements made on both parcels in 1899: the one on the corner by C.A. Dewey, the one to the north by A.C. Dewey. Charles A. Dewey, described variously as a budder, orchardist, or nurseryman, was located by the directories at First and G (1900), the northwest corner of First and G (1907), the west side of First 4th south of Eleventh (1909-lo), 709 First (1911) and 705 First (1912-13). The 1907 Sanborn illustrates a one-story residence on the corner which had grown to two stories by 1912. The 1907 Sanborn illustrates a one-story residence on the corner which had grown to two stories by 1912.

Between stories the walls of the clapboarded structure flare outward. Brick is used for the porch pedestals, foundation, and a front planter, and appears somewhat newer than the house. On the south elevation, a cobblestone chimney can be seen above the gables. Another chimney made of brick, rises from a side-gabled, one-story addition at the north end of the facade. Sited on a large, landscaped lot and announced by palms in the parkway, the house is in very good condition and substantially unaltered.

SIGNIFICANCE AND EVALUATION: Apparently the house has either built in stages from 1899-1912, or a new house built between 1907 and 1912. Regardless of its origin, the house as it appears today is one of the best examples of the Craftsman idiom in the Magnolia district.