1
10
95
-
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/f1288214e173c48ea12d4a2484495b7c.JPG
3282e1ec4e6afa1a758e31d3340f848e
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Photograph Collection
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs from the 1860's to the 2000's, documenting the history of Santa Cruz County.
See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/restrictions-on-use">About</a><a> sectionfor the library's reproduction policy and restrictions on use.</a>
Various sources were used to identify persons, events, and places. Citations to print sources were abbreviated. See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/sources-used-to-identify-photographs">About</a><a> section for a list of sources used.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials.
Original Format
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Photo
Physical Dimensions
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3 1/2 x 5 in.
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LH-SVHS-086
ark:/13030/c80g3jj8
Title
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Scott House: Exterior
Subject
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Scott House
Historic Houses
Scott, Hiram
Description
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Exterior of historical Scott House with Christmas lights and decorations.
Creator
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Fetter, Julie
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Scotts Valley Historical Society
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Circa 2005
Coverage
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Scotts Valley
2000s
Format
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Image
Language
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En
Type
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PHOTO
Rights
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Copyright status unknown.
Homes
-
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/9555ff903b40670380a6516b9a23b374.JPG
f21329db0189c3cc2899f082540e9756
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Photograph Collection
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs from the 1860's to the 2000's, documenting the history of Santa Cruz County.
See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/restrictions-on-use">About</a><a> sectionfor the library's reproduction policy and restrictions on use.</a>
Various sources were used to identify persons, events, and places. Citations to print sources were abbreviated. See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/sources-used-to-identify-photographs">About</a><a> section for a list of sources used.</a>
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Still Image
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Original Format
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Photo
Physical Dimensions
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4 x 6 in.
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LH-SVHS-085
ark:/13030/c81c1xc3
Title
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Scott House Restoration
Subject
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Scott House
Historic Houses
Scott, Hiram
Graham, Charles
Description
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Restoration of historic Scott House. Charles Graham, the principal restorer of the 1853 Scott House.
Creator
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Hooper, Virginia
Source
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Scotts Valley Historical Society
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Circa 2005
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Scotts Valley
2000s
Format
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Image
Language
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En
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
PHOTO
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Copyright status unknown.
Homes
-
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/c0e4d35e4b980b251e0897d41f668eb7.JPG
6597511d1a3601863f4bb1dbfcbcbaaf
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Photograph Collection
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs from the 1860's to the 2000's, documenting the history of Santa Cruz County.
See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/restrictions-on-use">About</a><a> sectionfor the library's reproduction policy and restrictions on use.</a>
Various sources were used to identify persons, events, and places. Citations to print sources were abbreviated. See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/sources-used-to-identify-photographs">About</a><a> section for a list of sources used.</a>
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Photo
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image.
3 1/2 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
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Identifier
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LH-SVHS-084
ark:/13030/c8zc83br
Title
A name given to the resource
Scott House: Interior
Subject
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Scott House
Historic Houses
Scott, Hiram
Description
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Interior of historic Scott House with period furnishings and Christmas tree.
Creator
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Fetter, Julie
Source
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Scotts Valley Historical Society
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Circa 2005
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Scotts Valley
2000s
Format
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Image
Language
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En
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
PHOTO
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Copyright status unknown.
Homes
-
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/d02d862633430216602edd004c32e224.JPG
d15f034b7aa574a52cfc6bd181896ead
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Photograph Collection
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs from the 1860's to the 2000's, documenting the history of Santa Cruz County.
See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/restrictions-on-use">About</a><a> sectionfor the library's reproduction policy and restrictions on use.</a>
Various sources were used to identify persons, events, and places. Citations to print sources were abbreviated. See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/sources-used-to-identify-photographs">About</a><a> section for a list of sources used.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Photo
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image.
5 x7 1/2 in.
Dublin Core
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Identifier
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LH-SVHS-083
ark:/13030/c83r0s7p
Title
A name given to the resource
Edwin Scott Home
Subject
The topic of the resource
Scott, Edwin
Historic Houses
Description
An account of the resource
Edwin Scott Home, built by brother of Scotts Valley's founder Hiram D. Scott, in 1865 on Glenwood Road, Los Gatos - Santa Cruz Highway. Pictured are Manuel and Zelmeda Borges and Donald Santos, Jr. Ranch hand's quarters to the right was built in 1945.
Creator
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Webber, Ed
Source
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Scotts Valley Historical Society
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
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Circa 1950
Coverage
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Scotts Valley
1950s
Format
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Image
Language
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En
Type
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PHOTO
Rights
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Copyright, 2001 by Donald E Seapy.
Homes
-
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/ace358092b789b7d95d2b7027ebece0b.JPG
62142daa70c645e5adeae6df0241fb28
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Photograph Collection
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs from the 1860's to the 2000's, documenting the history of Santa Cruz County.
See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/restrictions-on-use">About</a><a> sectionfor the library's reproduction policy and restrictions on use.</a>
Various sources were used to identify persons, events, and places. Citations to print sources were abbreviated. See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/sources-used-to-identify-photographs">About</a><a> section for a list of sources used.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Photo
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image.
3 1/2 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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LH-SVHS-081
ark:/13030/c8125t5k
Title
A name given to the resource
Hiram Scott House in Current Location
Subject
The topic of the resource
Scott House
Historic Houses
Scott, Hiram
Description
An account of the resource
House was built by Hiram Scott's family in 1853, with locally milled redwood. It was moved to its present site in 1936.
Creator
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Seapy, Donald
Source
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Scotts Valley Historical Society
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
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2001
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Scotts Valley
2000s
Format
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Image
Language
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En
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
PHOTO
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Copyright 2001, Scotts Valley Historical Society.
Homes
-
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/71aa09d7b61c2cf5e66381597cbdaddf.JPG
82fed9ef1cc8a81301e614a309e7cde5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Photograph Collection
Description
An account of the resource
Photographs from the 1860's to the 2000's, documenting the history of Santa Cruz County.
See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/restrictions-on-use">About</a><a> sectionfor the library's reproduction policy and restrictions on use.</a>
Various sources were used to identify persons, events, and places. Citations to print sources were abbreviated. See the <a href="https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/sources-used-to-identify-photographs">About</a><a> section for a list of sources used.</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Photo
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image.
3 1/2 x 5 in.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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LH-SVHS-080
ark:/13030/c8z31z06
Title
A name given to the resource
Scott House: Restored Roof
Subject
The topic of the resource
Scott House
Historic Houses
Scott, Hiram
Description
An account of the resource
The back of the Hiram Scott House, built in 1853, at current location in MacDorsa Park in 1998. It has a new restored roof. Site of later rose garden by George and Marcie Clausenius.
Creator
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Seapy, Donald
Source
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Scotts Valley Historical Society
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
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1998
Coverage
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Scotts Valley
1990s
Format
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Image
Language
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En
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
PHOTO
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Copyright, 2001 by Donald E Seapy.
Homes
-
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/ac7c533a55411f2ed980dc04a637302d.pdf
c591b987e53a708dfd5f4b3971d7e05c
PDF Text
Text
History of the Carmelita Cottages
By Rick Hyman
Rick Hyman chronicled the early history of the Carmelita Cottages in a chapter of Every Structure Tells a Story:
How to Research the History of a Property in Santa Cruz County. (Santa Cruz Historical Trust, 1990). “The Early
History of the Carmelita Cottages” presented here are revised from the original work, copyright 1990 Santa
Cruz County Historical Trust. The revised material is copyright 1996 Rick Hyman. Reproduced by permission of
the Santa Cruz County Historical Trust and the author. “Saving Carmelita Cottages” was first published in the
Winter/Spring 1993 issue of California Coast and Ocean, copyright 1993 and is reproduced by permission of
California Coast and Ocean and Rick Hyman. Photographs courtesy Ray Sherrod.
CONTENTS
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: The Owners, Part 1
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: The Owners, Part 2
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: Owners of the Carmelita Cottages Property (table)
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: The Tenants
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: Notes and Bibliography
Saving Carmelita Cottages
1
�Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: The Owners, Part 1
Widows, sea captains, relatives, music, jilted wives, and long-tenure describe the famous owners of the
Carmelita Cottages. The property is located at 315-321 Main Street in the City of Santa Cruz near the famous
Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk. The two front houses, constructed circa 1872, are among the oldest
surviving buildings on Beach Hill. (1) The complex includes six principal structures, which are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places and being renovated into a hostel. Their history has yet to be fully
revealed. The information presented in this article is based on extensive documentary research.
The First Owners were Prominent Citizens
The property on which the Cottages stand has had thirteen different owners (table) . Ownership has come full
circle back to the City of Santa Cruz which, as a town, was also the first recorded owner in 1847.
The initial subdivision of Beach Hill and sale of the Cottages property are interwoven with the history of the
fledgling Anglo control of the Town of Santa Cruz. In order to establish the town and gain revenue from land
sales, the Town Council (the Ayuntamiento, which included an Alcalde - similar to today's mayor) hired Jacob
Rink Snyder to prepare a survey. The result was the 1847 subdivision map, Town of Santa Cruz. (2)
Historian Leon Rowland noted,
Under their interpretation of Mexican law the alcalde made grants of "house lots" and "sowing lots" of
the lands about the mission until every man in the village was owner of three or four.(3)
Uniform prices were $10 and $20 respectively. The state Supreme Court later ruled that some of these titles
were void because they had not been submitted for confirmation by the States Land Commission, created to
resolve ownerships granted during Mexican rule. (4) Therefore, in 1866 Santa Cruz persuaded the U. S.
Congress to enact special legislation to give the probate court authority to confirm titles.
The Cottages sit on what was designated as Lot 8 of Block 6, which measured 50 by 50 varas (137.5 feet by
137.5 feet). It fronted on what was then called Jefferson Street. This, as well as the rest of the Beach Hill
streets shown on Snyder's map, was probably a "paper" or undeveloped street. The lot was simply described
as being "on the beach." (5) In 1846 the Beach Hill area was the site of construction of the first ship
named Santa Cruz with timbers being hauled there by oxen. (6)
Thomas Fallon
The first private owners of the Cottages property were all important figures in the early establishment of
Santa Cruz. On May 22, 1848, Thomas Fallon purchased the vacant Lot 8 and the adjoining Lot 7 to the rear
from the Santa Cruz Town Trustees, through Alcalde William Blackburn, for the standard fee. A native of
Ireland, Fallon came to Santa Cruz in 1845 via an army scouting party including Kit Carson and John Fremont.
In the summer of 1846, he led a group of Americans who rode to join up with Captain Fremont and capture
San Jose from the Mexicans (Blackburn had been a lieutenant in Fremont's California Battalion.) After further
fighting in Los Angeles, Fallon returned north, splitting his time between San Jose and Santa Cruz. He was
engaged in various enterprises including saddletree making. Fallon also leased the Santa Cruz Mission orchard
2
�and built a combination residence, store and hotel facing the Mission plaza. In 1852 he sold it to the County
for $3,500 for use as the first court house. Fallon married Carmelita Lodge, daughter of Martina Castro Lodge,
in 1849. He was involved in various legal disputes, especially over the orchard lease, and decided to leave for
Texas.
The properties that Fallon sold before his journey included Lots 7 and 8 on Beach Hill. Subsequently, he
returned to the area, settling in San Jose, where he served as mayor.
Fallon was later divorced from Carmelita (and later from a second wife), thus becoming the first of three
Cottages property owners to suffer a broken marriage.
John Arcan)
On New Year's Day, 1853, John Baptise Arcan, a Frenchman, became the owner of the Cottages property upon
payment of $75 to Fallon. Arcan and his wife Abigail arrived in Santa Cruz three years earlier by a hot, dry,
inhospitable route reportedly dubbed "Death Valley" by the party.(7) He established a combination shop and
residence on the corner of what is now Pacific Avenue and Soquel Avenue, then known as Arcan Street.
Although he owned the Cottages property the shortest amount of time, he influenced future ownerships.
Theron R. Per Lee & George W. Crane
In February 15, 1853, Arcan sold Lots 7 and 8 to Theron R. Per Lee and partner George W. Crane for $225,
making quite a profit.
Per Lee was the first assemblyman from Monterey Bay, elected in 1849, to serve in the new California
legislature. From 1851 to 1853, he was Santa Cruz County judge. He later returned to New York to practice
law. Crane also fought with Fremont and spent time in the gold mines. He ran for offices several times,
apparently winning assembly seats, only to be replaced by opponents who found additional votes to overtake
his totals. In the early 1850s, Crane came to Santa Cruz to practice law and was selected County Treasurer in
1853.
Joseph Roberts
In November 13, 1858, Per Lee, through his attorney John Elden, sold Lots 7 and 8 for only $140. The
purchaser was Joseph Roberts, one of the earliest Anglo inhabitants of Beach Hill. Roberts was a sea captain
who arrived in Santa Cruz in late 1851 after some harrowing adventures:
In the year 1848 Mr. Roberts was on board an English merchant ship, cruising among the South Sea
Islands. The vessel had been at sea a long time, and the captain concluded to go ashore at the first land
sighted and obtain fresh water, wild fruits and vegetables, and possibly some game. It was not long
before an island was discovered which was not shown on the charts and which was evidently very
fertile. Mr. Roberts and five sailors accompanied the captain, but Mr. Roberts was compelled to return
to the ship, as he had come away without his shoes, and, therefore, could not walk across the jagged
coral reef that lay between the landing-place and the mainland of the island. The lack of his shoes was
3
�doubtless the means of saving his life, for the men who did go ashore were eaten by a tribe of
cannibals who inhabited the island. The next year, Mr. Roberts went ashore by himself on another of
the South Sea Islands, whose natives he knew to be a peaceful tribe. The ship sailed away and left him,
and for eight months he lived among the untutored children of nature. (8)
He then took refuge on a passing American ship which brought him to San Francisco. Coming to Santa Cruz,
Roberts purchased a small, one bedroom house overlooking the San Lorenzo River at Alvarado and Polk Streets
(now Third Street and Riverside Avenue) in January 1854. By that date, according to the 1854 Coast Survey
chart, a rudimentary street pattern with only one access road from town had been developed on Beach Hill. In
October 1856, Roberts purchased two lots from William Hardy on Jefferson Street, the half block north of the
Cottages property. Here he immediately constructed his house, reported to be the second plastered home in
Santa Cruz. It survived a fire in June 1894, only to be razed three years later in October 1897. (9)
After settling on Beach Hill, Roberts was variously described as a contractor, painter and house mover. Moving
buildings was a common practice in the late 1800s involving long tedious work. For example, Roberts
estimated that it would take seventeen days to move a saloon from Pacific Avenue to Front Street. A house
mover's yard typically contained long and short timbers, a roller, jacks and huge ropes and chains. (10) Indeed,
the earliest Sanborn maps (1888 and 1892) for the area show the rear portion of Roberts' land adjacent to the
Cottages property as "storage-house mover-painter". Roberts died in 1895 and is buried in the Odd Fellows
Cemetery (Santa Cruz).
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: The Owners, Part 2
Timothy Dame
Roberts' ownership tenure of the Cottages property was extremely brief, selling it and Lot 7 behind it to fellow
sea captain Timothy Dame on March 5, 1859, for $145. A month later Dame swapped the inner parcel (Lot 7)
for the one adjacent to the Cottages lot to the south (Lot 4). The evenup exchange ($50 per parcel) was made
with Dr. Kittredge, who had a large holding on Beach Hill where the current Hotel McCray was later
constructed. This exchange resulted in Dame owning the entire half block south of the Roberts' holdings
fronting Jefferson Street.
Dame was born in 1823 (or as late as 1827 according to some sources) in New Hampshire. He was an early
'49er, arriving in California in November 1848 in search of gold. Shortly, he returned to the sea, captaining the
schooners Mount Vernon and Queen of the West along the Central Coast. (11) In 1857, Dame ushered in a new
era in Santa Cruz as captain of the new steamer Santa Cruz . Purchased by his employer, lime magnates Davis
and Jordan, this ship reduced travel time between Santa Cruz and San Francisco from what could be thirty or
more hours to seven or eight. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel,
Passengers can leave this place [i.e., Santa Cruz] at nine o'clock on Wednesday evening - take breakfast
in the city, have all day to transact business and be home on Friday, at Two o'clock P.M. - thus
consuming only 32 hours of day time, at a cost of $10.00 passage there and back. The same journey
4
�per stage will consume 60 hours working time, and the fare, including road expenses at Hotels, will be
$28.00 ...
Not a more careful commander, or one better acquainted with the coast than Captain Dame can
scarcely be found on the Pacific - consequently we have no hesitation in saying that a person is in no
more danger on board the Santa Cruz than [in] a bed in his own bedroom. (12)
Invited on the maiden voyage was a reporter named Livingston from San Francisco's Alta California who wrote
glowing accounts of both Santa Cruzes, the ship and the "village."(13) From the wharf at the foot of
Washington Street the vessel embarked across the Bay to Monterey with group of soon sea-sick local
dignitaries. Regular trips continued to be made among San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Monterey carrying a
bounty of raw materials to export, including produce, lumber, leather, and of course lime, as well as
passengers. Dame continued to pilot this run through the rest of the year.
But operating the steamer proved expensive, and Davis and Jordan traded it for land near Felton. Dame went
on to Captain Davis and Jordan's schooner, the Alfred Adams, brother-in-law John Chace's brig, the Wolcott,
and the schooners Anna Anderson and Equity. Ready to depart Santa Cruz in March 1858, Dame noticed that
lime in the Alfred Adams' hold had set fire to some cargo. Faced with a certain major conflagration if an
attempt was made to unload the ship, exposing the smoldering cargo to air, Dame decided to head for his San
Francisco destination. After two days at sea, keeping the hatches air tight, and one unsuccessful unloading
attempt at the San Francisco docks, the cargo was able to be discharged with minimal damage. The Alta
California reported that "a remarkable instance of intrepidity and decision of character" (13a) as well as skill
was displayed by the Captain in bringing this incident to a favorable end.
Dame's first marriage was to fourteen-year old Mary Isabella Liddell on June 1, 1856. (The marriage certificate
claimed that she was sixteen.) Mary was the daughter of George and Elizabeth Liddell, born in Stafford,
England on March 6, 1842, and one of ten children. Circa 1851 Elizabeth, Mary, and seven siblings followed
George to San Francisco, taking six months to sail around the Horn. Mrs. Liddell became very ill on the trip.
Mr. Liddell shortly moved to the north coast of Santa Cruz, where he established a lumber mill on what is now
Liddell Creek. Later the widowed Mrs. Liddell operated a bath house on the bluff above the main Santa Cruz
beach, where Terrace Court is today.
Mary and Timothy Dame lived on Jefferson Street in what was termed a "cabin." Later deeds and court
records all suggest that this Dame residence was on Lot 4, at the corner of what is now Second and Main
Streets, and below Lot 8 (the Cottages property). But further evidence is necessary to completely rule out the
possibility that the Dames lived on Lot 8, perhaps in a building still standing today. Even if the family did not
then live on the Cottages property, Dame, as will be seen, was the original inhabitant of one of the current
Carmelita Cottages. The Dames had two sons; Charles Elliot on April 1, 1859, and Alfred Herbert on March 30,
1861.
In 1863, Timothy Dame experienced legal problems, both marital and financial. Mrs. Dame complained, in a
lawsuit filed on June 18, 1863, that her husband had committed adultery in February. Furthermore, she
alleged that he contracted a loathsome venereal disease, and so she stopped cohabitating with him. (14) She
requested an annulment, custody of the children, and the homestead and furniture. Dame denied the charges
and also claimed that the complaint was defective and ambiguous because it did not say with whom he
5
�committed adultery or when. Mrs. Dame did not file an amended complaint as Judge McKee required, and the
case was dismissed on October 17, 1863.
Hugo Hihn
Meanwhile, on July 29, 1863, John Arcan won a case against Dame in Judge W. Pope's court. Sheriff Charles
Kemp was authorized to seize Dame's land to pay off the judgement. (15) The Cottages parcel (Lot 8) was sold
at a Sheriffs auction on August 24, 1863, to Hugo F. Hihn for $164, the highest bid. Hihn received final title to
Lot 8 on February 26, 1864, when the six months given to Dame to redeem his land lapsed. Hihn, brother to
famous entrepreneur Frederick Hihn, is known for the Flatiron Building at Pacific Avenue and Front Street (site
of the Plaza Bakery and the Teacup Restaurant, razed after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake), which he
acquired from his brother in 1860.
Despite the divorce not being granted, Dame abandoned Mary and at least one son. As a sea captain, Dame
alternately bedded down on board ship, in San Francisco, and in Santa Cruz. Where he lived in Santa Cruz
immediately after early 1863 is unknown, but it was not at the family residence on Jefferson Street. This
information is contained in Mrs. Dame's second filing for divorce on May 2, 1865. She alleged, supported by
her mother's testimony, that Dame deserted her on March 12, 1863, and she had supported herself and the
boys since then with the help of other family and friends. It may be that by the time of this new complaint the
Dames had settled their affairs, since all she requested was a divorce and custody of the younger Alfred. A day
earlier, the Dames, appearing together, had sold their land to Charles Williams, the local Wells Fargo agent
and husband of Mary's sister Anne Elliot, for $50. (16) The case was referred to the Court Commissioner to
take testimony and report back. Although Judge McKee denied the divorce again, it appears that the marriage
remained in name only.
Mary's subsequent whereabouts and what became of the house are not exactly known. A year later, on June
2, 1866, Williams sold Lot 4 back to Captain Dame (solely) for $50. Perhaps Mary went elsewhere to obtain her
divorce, because soon she apparently remarried. Her new partner was a fellow Englishman, Captain George
John Fake of San Francisco, born in 1834. He purchased the Main Street lot below Thomas Johnson's Beach
House in Santa Cruz on January 2, 1869. The couple had a daughter, Lucy, in 1868, who was evidently raised by
her grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth Liddell, after Mary died shortly thereafter. Captain Fake went on to marry
Lena Seegar in 1872 in San Francisco. Lucy eventually married Alexander Cuthill and lived in Duncan Mills on
the Russian River for many years. She died in Santa Rosa on November 22, 1959.
Alexander McDonald
On April 5, 1866, Hugo Hihn sold the Cottages parcel (Lot 8) to Alexander McDonald for $158. McDonald was a
carpenter who immigrated to the United States from Canada. Later that year, Dame once again sold the
adjoining parcel to the South (Lot 4), also to McDonald, for $50. The 1866 Foreman and Wright Official Map of
Santa Cruzreflects McDonald's consolidated ownership of the lower half-block. It reveals new street names,
which remain to this day: Jefferson Street became Main Street, and Water Street became Second Street. The
Cottages parcel, together with the former "Lot 4", then became identified as No. 4 in Block 24. Measurements
6
�shifted from varas (1 vara = 33 inches) to chains (1 chain = 66 feet), with the combined lots' dimensions shown
as 4.22 by 2.12 chains for an area of .898 acres.
George Tait
McDonald did not own the Cottages property very long. In November 1866, he agreed to sell to George Tait
the northernmost 25-foot wide portion that bordered Roberts' property. The transaction was delayed for over
a year. Finally, on March 3, 1868, Tait took title to a 50-foot wide lot adjacent to Roberts' for $100. This date
marks the first time that the land which now contains the entire Carmelita Cottage complex (133-foot
frontage) was partitioned.
Tait was born in Scotland sometime between 1831 and 1835 and was naturalized in Santa Cruz on October
5,1868. He was also a seaman. The day after purchasing the property, he mortgaged it to Josiah Green in
return for borrowing $230 at one-half percent interest per month. He then built his house on what is now 321
Main Street (the site of the front two-story Carmelita Cottage). According to the Census, on June 17, 1870, he
was residing there with his wife Elizabeth and their four children. Also, shown at the same address is another
sea captain and his family: Levi Hannah, his wife (Agnes) Margaret, and two-year old son. (17) Margaret was
Mary Dame's sister.
On July 27, 1870, the house completely burned down. Discovered at one a.m, the fire originated from a candle
left burning on a serving table. The house was covered by insurance and so the mortgage was paid back. A
subscription was immediately taken up and over $200 raised for the benefit of the homeless Tait family. (18)
Thomas V. Johnson
Soon afterward, Tait sold the charred property to Thomas Varley Johnson. The transaction was initially
recorded on November 22, 1870, and rerecorded on January 4, 1871. The price was $800, $700 more than Tait
paid, possibly indicating that some structure remained or was rebuilt on the lot after the fire. Johnson took
out a mortgage on the property for $300 from the Santa Cruz Bank of Savings and Loan on that date and
repaid it six months later.
Johnson, was born some fifty years earlier in England (reported dates of birth range from 1822 to 1826). He
arrived in Santa Cruz with his son Charles W. and daughter Evalena in the late 1860s and worked as a tavern
keeper at the San Lorenzo Saloon on Pacific Avenue. It advertised the choicest kinds of liquors, good billiard
tables, and a "house for gentlemen." (19) In early 1873, Johnson sold the business to Mr. C.H. Bury, but was
again listed as proprietor when it reopened as the Grand Central Saloon. Also, in 1869 Johnson purchased a
building in which he apparently resided from Abel Mann for $1,225. It was located on a very small parcel on
Main Street above the beach and Captain Fake's lot, adjacent to the Liddell House and opposite what is now
First Street. The following year his daughter Evalena married Abel's son Albert. During their brief marriage, a
son Charles was born. In August 1872, Johnson began running an advertisement to sell his well-known "Beach
House" at a reasonable price as "the proprietor wishes to engage in other business." (20) On January 22, 1873,
Johnson briefly sold this property to Mary Peck for $3,000, $500 of which he loaned her by taking a mortgage
7
�on it. He soon repurchased it for $2,800 on September 10, 1873. The Beach House burned down shortly
thereafter in December 1873. According to the Sentinel,
The building was entirely burned. Mr. Johnson estimates his loss in building, furniture and fixtures at
$2,500. The property had been insured up to a few days before the fire, when the policy was allowed
to lapse. Mr. William Elliot, who had kept a liquor saloon in the building, suspended business the day
before the fire. The place had been robbed several times recently and the fire is justly believed to be
the work of incendiaries and thieves. (21)
The building was rebuilt as the Ocean View Hotel, which apparently closed down around 1880. (22) On
October 15, 1881, the Johnsons mortgaged the property for $2,345 to Michael Leonard. On January 9, 1883,
Johnson sold the structure to Alfred Henry Douglas, an artist from San Francisco, for $3,100 and paid off the
mortgage. The Hotel became known as the Douglas House. It was later slightly moved and incorporated into
the grand Sea Beach Hotel, which then burned down in 1912.
May Anne (Hutchinson) Johnson
T. V. Johnson married the much younger Mary Anne Hutchinson, (who later became a relation to Captain
Dame). The wedding occurred at Thomas Week's residence on May 6, 1873, officiated by Reverend P. Y. Cool.
This celebration followed a month after daughter Evalena's second marriage, to John M. Matthews. The
Matthews had three boys; the youngest was named Varley.
Mary was born in Monstreven, Ireland, in 1839 (or as late as 1846 depending on source). In her youth she was
a choir singer. She came to Santa Cruz with her brother Thomas Hutchinson. According to her obituary, she
was a woman of strong character and personality and frankness. (23) In the l880 Census she was listed as a
dressmaker. Either she was not much of a writer, mail got lost, or T.V. kept tight reins over her because he
received a frantic letter from her sister inquiring about Mary's well-being. Written on July 12, 1878, from
Margaret Barton of Boonton, New Jersey, the letter refers to Mary's poor health. It queries whether she was
even still alive, because Mary had not written since New Year's. (24) Obviously, Mary recovered nicely as she
lived another forty-two years at the Cottages. She did suffer an accident on December 2, 1890, when she fell
from a step of her house. She sustained a very painful shoulder dislocation, which was ably attended to by Dr.
F. E. Morgan, assisted by Dr. C. L. Anderson. (25)
Current View of 321 Main Street - Note oval
landmark plaque to the left of the door
In 1872 or 1873 Johnson built the 22 (now 321) Main Street home
that still stands. It was offered for sale in 1874, "cheap, for cash," but
was not purchased. By 1888 (the year that the Sanborn Fire Insurance
Maps first covered Beach Hill) the house had been doubled to its
present size of approximately 960 square feet. On April 28, 1877,
Mary Anne had claimed the property as her homestead, citing a value
of $3,500. The document also suggested that there could have been
more than one dwelling unit on the property, as the term "dwelling
houses" was used. (26) On December 3, 1878, the Johnsons
mortgaged the property to a Mrs. Perkins in order to borrow $400.
8
�Terms were one-and-a-quarter percent interest per month for five years, but the money was repaid by
November 19, 1879. Then shortly thereafter, on January 16, 1880, they borrowed $200 from Martha Wilson,
again secured by the cottages property. Also at one-and-a-quarter percent interest, the loan was repaid on
January 11, 1883, right after the hotel was sold.
T.V. Johnson continued on as a barkeeper, working for Michael Leonard, who owned a liquor store on the
corner of Pacific Avenue and Cooper Street, across from the Courthouse. By 1896, T. V. had likely retired,
being listed by the Voting Registrar simply as a "Gentleman." He died on January 2, 1903. He was reported to
have gone outside of his home to the outhouse when he fell to the ground, "striken by death." (27) He is
buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery (Santa Cruz).
Upon her husband's passing, Mary Anne gained sole title to the property at 22 Main Street by virtue of her
homestead. She lived in their house until her death in 1920. She inherited half of T.V.'s estate, worth
$1305.16, with his son Charles and his by-then-deceased daughter's four sons and husband sharing the other
$652.58.
Timothy Dame (Retired and Remarried)
Meanwhile, returning to Timothy Dame's story, accounts indicate that he retired from the sea in the 1860s.
On July 15, 1868, he purchased the remainder of McDonald's holdings on Main Street for $208. On March 21,
1870, he borrowed $200 from Jose Beltancourt by mortgaging the property. At year's end, Dame sold the
portion of his property at the corner of Second and Main Streets for the third and final time (what had been
mapped as Lot 4 on the old Snyder survey). John Ingalls paid him $500 for the property and homestead
considerations, and Dame in turn paid off his loan from Beltancourt. In selling off only the corner lot, Dame
retained possession of the entire remainder of the property that would house the Carmelita Cottages.
He soon built the one-story, 625 square foot house that still
stands at 315 Main Street. Newspapers found during
renovation pasted to the inside of the single rough redwood
walls have early 1872 dates. However, assuming Dame had
once more been living on the corner lot (#4), the precise date
Garden Party Guests Posing at the Dame Cottage, 315 of his relocation next door to the Carmelita Cottages property
Main Street - Photo courtesy of Jack Howe
remains unknown. (28) Also undiscovered is when the rear
house on the property (the Pine Cottage) was constructed, but
a structure was there by 1888. The summer 1870 Census shows Dame with son Charles residing at an
unspecified location on Beach Hill and possessing $150 worth of real estate. The former captain was employed
loading and unloading cargo at the Powder Mill wharf at the foot of Main Street. Also, for a period in early
1875, Dame lived at Año Nuevo working as a "wharfinger" (wharf manager). He also worked in the 1870s and
1880s at the IXL lime quarry in Felton, living there on a "ranch" part, but not all, of the time until his
death. (29)
Dame made a memorable appearance at Lehmkuhl's bath house on the Santa Cruz beach on June 25, 1875.
Imagine sixty or so people feasting on 150 pounds of fish chowder listening to tales of four grizzled sea
9
�captains. Dame recounted skippering the first vessel to dock at Cowell's wharf and stories of shipwrecks on
the beach twenty years earlier. (30)
In 1877, Dame was once again faced with the possibility of losing the Cottages property. On April 27, 1875,
he had borrowed $150 plus interest from the local chapter (Madrona Grove #21) of the United Ancient Order
of Druids. This loan was due in one year and secured by the Cottages property. When he failed to repay, the
Madrona Grove trustees filed suit. However, he then paid and the case was dismissed.
Ellen (Hutchinson Thomson) Dame and daughter Lottie
On July 25, 1881, Dame remarried. His new wife was Mrs. Johnson's sister -- Ellen (Hutchinson) Thomson, also
a widow and a mother. Ellen, too, was born in Monstrevan, Ireland, in 1837 (or as late as 1845 according to
various sources). She immigrated to the United States when she was about fifteen years old, settled in New
York, and married Thomas Thomson. In 1871, they had an only child, Lottie. After her husband's death,
sometime around 1877, Ellen moved to Santa Cruz with her young daughter. Aunt Margaret Barton's July 1878
letter mentioned above contained a "Happy Birthday" greeting to young Lottie. Lottie attended Mission Hill
School in Santa Cruz. In the 1880 Census, niece Lottie, but not Ellen, is shown as living at the Johnsons'.
On their wedding day, Ellen Thomson Dame purchased from her new husband his Main Street property for
$1,000. The marriage lasted only five years. Captain Dame passed away on May 19, 1886 of apoplexy at the
IXL lime works in Felton. The funeral proceeded from the Beach Hill cottage to the burial plot in the Odd
Fellows Cemetery (Santa Cruz).
On July 28, 1886, a deed was recorded on behalf of Mrs. Dame in which the City of Santa Cruz quit-claimed
title to her a portion of the Cottages property. Thus, twenty years after the Congressional authorization
mentioned above, any lingering doubt about the property's title due to the history of transactions dating back
to the pre- Statehood era was cleared up. Mother and daughter continued to live at 28 Main Street,
presumably in the front house. On September 21, 1889, Ellen deeded to her daughter Lottie a one-halfinterest in the property. This transaction marked the beginning of the longest single ownership tenure of the
Carmelita Cottages.
Between 1888 and 1892 an addition was built on the back unit.
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: Owners of the Carmelita Cottages Property
OWNERS OF THE CARMELITA COTTAGES PROPERTY
Owners
Town of Santa Cruz
Thomas Fallon
John B. Arcan
Portion
entire
entire
entire
Date Acquired
---05/22/48
01/11/53
Years Owned
to 1848
4 1/2
0.1
Theron R. Per Lee
& George W. Crane
Joseph Roberts
entire
02/15/53
5 1/2
entire
11/13/58
1/3
Timothy Herbert Dame
entire
03/05/59
5
Hugo F. Hihn
Alexander McDonald
entire
entire
02/26/64
04/05/66
2
2
10
Amount Paid
----$10.00
$37.50
($75 for 2 lots)
$112.50
($225 for 2 lots)
$70.00
($140 for 2 lots)
$72.50
($145 for 2 lots)
$164.00
$158.00
�George &
Elizabeth Tait
Timothy Herbert Dame
northern 3/8
03/03/68
3
$100.00
southern 5/8
07/15/68
13
Thomas Varley Johnson
Ellen Dame
Lottie Thompson Sly
northern 3/8
southern 5/8
southern 5/8
32
18
66
Lottie Thompson Sly
southern 5/8
--
--
Mary Ann Johnson
Lottie Thompson Sly
City of Santa Cruz
northern 3/8
northern 3/8
entire
01/04/71
07/25/81
09/21/89
(1/2 interest)
01/24/99
(other 1/2 interest)
03/28/03
09/21/11
04/30/55
$150.00
($208 for 2 lots)
$800.00
$1000.00
$00.00
8
44
40+
$00.00
$00.00
Gift
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: The Tenants
Early Tenants of the Carmelita Cottages
Why and exactly when the name Carmelita Cottages emerged has not yet been discovered. The name was first
applied in the singular to the Dame property. An undated turn of the century (no earlier than 1890)
photograph shows the Carmelita Cottage name plates on the fence posts at the front of the Main Street site,
which remained until renovation. The earliest mention of the Carmelita name found in print - from 1890 coincides with the earliest indications of visitor rentals. (31) That summer (and actually into December) and
the following one, Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Marshall of San Francisco rented Carmelita Cottage.
The Surf reported that they made their summer home "so picturesque and tasteful and surround themselves
with such a pleasant coterie that they are always welcome visitors." (32) Incandescent lights were installed in
their cottage in June 1890. It would follow that the referenced Carmelita Cottage would be the remodeled
rear unit, although it is possible that the Marshalls occupied the front house (solely or sharing it with the
Dame women). The 1890 City Directory (possibly reflecting a period before summer) shows the rear unit
rented out to W. T. Morton, an assistant bookkeeper for the F. A. Hihn Company.
The Marshalls, often independently, travelled frequently between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Mrs. Marshall
was usually accompanied by her friend Mrs. Batt (Jeanette) Queenan, who stayed with her on Beach Hill.
Other visitors included J.W. Husband of the Modesto firm of Husband and Turner for a few days in midSeptember 1890 and Mrs. Lizzie Verden, Mrs. John Cosgrave, Miss Millicent Cosgrave, and Miss Irene Cosgrave
of San Francisco. The latter's visit ended tragically as the 14 year old took ill at the Cottage and died shortly
after returning to the City.
Despite their visitor status, the Marshalls appeared to be well ingrained in the Santa Cruz community. In
addition to their remaining in town during the off-season, newspaper accounts describe them as being "of
Carmelita Cottage," note their local friends, and report the gratitude that Mrs. Marshall received for assisting
the local Catholic Ladies Aid Society. (33)
Nevertheless, the Marshalls were also world travellers. They were ill in New York in October 1891, but
returned to Carmelita Cottage in better health for Thanksgiving. Mrs. Marshall and Mrs.Queenan continued to
frequent the Cottage in early 1892, and the Marshalls were reported to have again rented it for the summer.
11
�Instead, they embarked on a European cruise, and the Cottage was rented by Evan C. Evans. In April 1900,
Mrs. Queenan was reported back visiting Santa Cruz after a six-year stay in England.
Beach Hill Spruces Up
In the late 1880s other construction was also occurring in the neighborhood, transforming Beach Hill into a
prestigious address. Previously, the Powder Mill Wharf extended from the warehouse behind Johnson's Ocean
View House to the Bay. Thus, it was hard work to get to the beach from the vicinity of the Dame and Johnson
homes. According to a newspaper account, one either had to take circuitous route or "climb fences, open
gates, scramble down a dusty hillside, well grown with wild grasses that 'stick closer than a brother,' cross a
field that was a foot deep with either dust or mud, and sometimes both in spots, and finally emerge through
an opening in the fence" at the beach. (34)
This adventure became unnecessary at mid-decade with the removal of the wharf (1883) and the extension of
Main Street to the beach. As a result several new attractive homes, as well as the aforementioned Sea Beach
Hotel, were constructed on Main Street.
Behind the Cottages property, the former Kittredge estate was being remodelled into the Sunshine Villa (later
the Hotel McCray). The Surf reported in October 1890 that, due to the road improvements being made
fronting the Villa, "it is expected that all the property owners of the entire block bounded by Main, Second,
Third, and Pacific will straighten boundary fences and lay bituminous sidewalks so that the whole will be
uniform." (35) Not specifically mentioning Carmelita Cottages, the article continued, "with two handsome
houses added by Joseph Roberts and the possibility of still further improvements to the fine property of Mrs.
Martha Wilson, the block bids fair to be one of the most attractive of the City of Santa Cruz." The prediction
for sidewalks soon was realized, but it was several years before Main Street was paved.
The Musical Thompson Family
In June 22, 1892, Lottie Paulina Thomson, approaching her twenty-first birthday, married James Henry
Thompson, then thirty-four years old. She was described as "tall, slender, chataine, blue-eyed and
fair." (36) Over eight-hundred guests crowded the Calvary Episcopal Church for the "stylish" celebration. The
details of the wedding are described in a lengthy Surf article. (37) And, according to the Sentinel, it "will always
rank as among the most elaborate in the city." (38)
The groom, with a fine bass voice, was born on August 8, 1857 to Mr. and Mrs. Uriah Thompson, who owned a
180-acre ranch on the Lower Soquel Road (now Capitola Road) at Rodeo Gulch. Mrs. Charlotte Thompson's
father was Judge Henry Rice and her mother was a professional singer. Henry attended public school in Soquel
and then St. Augustine's College in Benicia. He began to study law and secured a clerk's job in the Secretary of
State's office in Sacramento in 1879. "But a musical inspiration, added to a phenomenal voice, made it [law]
distasteful to him, and he left for studies in Italy under the famous Lamperti." (39)
Thompson became an international opera figure. He spent most of the first seven years of the 1880s in Italy
and other European countries. He performed under the names Enrico (sometimes di or de) Tomaso, and
Enrico Branciforte. Several letters from and tales of his European adventures appeared in the papers. (40) For
12
�example, in October 1883, a platform on which he was performing in Milan collapsed. He suffered a broken
leg and two broken ribs. Earlier that year he refused offers to tour in the Far East and South America. Later he
travelled to various cities in the United States with Haverly's Minstrels and the McCaull Opera Company.
After his return home to Santa Cruz, in 1889, Thompson enjoyed popularity and admiration not only for his
performing fame, but for extensive civic activism. He was a respected leader in musical aspects of the church,
politics, social events and cultural promotion. "Hardly a church or a public project in this city but has profited
by his musical talent and fine voice, given without money and without price." (41) Among his volunteer
activities, Thompson led the Calvary Church choir. One of his attractive choir members, herself a fledgling
music teacher, had an almost identical last name, Lottie Thomson. They found themselves together at many
other musically-related events.
Thompson was the honored guest at two functions in 1890. On June 24 the Santa Cruz Choral Society staged a
reception for him at the Lincoln Street home of Mrs. Jesse Cope. Over seventy-five Society members and
friends attended, including Lottie Thomson who performed "Take A Letter to My Love," and two other
numbers. Henry used the occasion to promote musical culture:
I want to see societies like these all over this grandcountry.
I want to see more conservatories of music,
I want to see opera at popular prices.
I want to see a greater disposition on the part of the people to contribute toward the support
of institutions such as this. (42)
Then, on September 19, a great number of leading citizens arranged a testimonial in Henry's honor at the
Opera House, showering him with floral arrangements. Among the well-received musical selections were
"Who's at My Window?" sung by Lottie and "Tomaso and I," an original laudatory composition by J. H.
Bailey. (43)
In addition to continuing his professional performances, such as concerts in Hollister and San Jose, Thompson
engaged in public service by directing a Glee Club, which performed at Democratic Party political rallies.
Newspaper accounts suggest that his singing of such ditties as "Mariner's Grave," "Larboard Watch," and
"Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep" - and his speech making, too, were tremendous hits, overshadowing the
other political messages. (44) Indeed, despite the popularity of these free October, 1890 gatherings at Soquel,
Sandy's Corner (Five Mile House), Loma Prieta, Corralitos, Felton, and Santa Cruz, the Democrats were badly
shut out in all their local election day contests. Responding to another cause, Henry and Lottie lent their
musical talents to a free, packed meeting in favor of reducing hours that stores were open. Sponsored by the
Clerks' Association, the rally was not entirely successful in securing its objectives. (45)
Thompson continued to be instrumental in promoting music culture. He presented a Kindersymphony concert
and lecture in Santa Cruz and Capitola. His speech promoted better music teaching in the schools, better stage
performances, and voice training. (46) He also wrote a lengthy eulogy of opera star Emma Abbott for the
newspaper. (47) He helped establish Philharmonic Societies in Watsonville, Soquel, and Santa Cruz in 1892.
The latter presented a well-attended social session in early February where Lottie and Henry both sang. (48) In
June 1892, he organized a three day musical festival at the Opera House featuring all three county Societies.
Thompson was praised for their progress. (49) Part of the bill featured a comic opera, "Doctor of Alcantara"
13
�with spirited Tomaso in impressive costume playing Don Pomposo and Lottie as Isabella (who objects to an
arranged marriage).
In addition to these appearances at her future husband's events, Lottie's name was prominent in accounts of
other musical and social events in the early 1890s. At a benefit for the Women's Aid Society, her vocal
rendition of "The Maid of Dundee" was encored. At neighbor Joseph Roberts' daughter Anita's wedding, Lottie
played the "Wedding March of Mendelssohn." At a grand concert at the "Y" on September 29, 1890,
admission 25 cents, she sang a solo number. Lottie received a number of votes for the prettiest lady at the
County Rose Fair in May 1891, but not the highest total. On August 26, 1891, she presented a most
"delightful" garden party for the St. Agnes Guild.
It was the unanimous opinion that it was one of the very prettiest parties given this year in Santa Cruz.
Strings of Japanese lanterns made the garden all aglow, hammocks and marquees furnished cozy seats
and plenty of flirtation corners, while the [Carmelita] cottage was profusely garnitured with flowers
ablaze with lights. (50)
Mrs. Marshall assisted and, of course, future husband Henry was part of the musical program.
After their June 1892 wedding, the newlyweds honeymooned at Paraiso Springs and then resided at 28 Main
Street. For a time they also lived in Sacramento, where Henry taught voice. Ellen Dame visited them in the
capitol city for several months in early 1896. Shortly thereafter, they moved back to Carmelita Cottage,
sharing #28 with the elder Mrs. Dame. They had no children. After an illness for several months, Thompson
died on August 18, 1900, of consumption, leaving Lottie, like her mother previously, a young widow. Funeral
services were at his parents' Rodeo Gulch home and burial was at Evergreen Cemetery. The newly formed
Tomaso Male Quartet sang music written by Henry Thompson.
The Three Widows and Cottage Rentals
Mother Ellen and daughter Lottie continued to reside at 28 Main Street, with sister/aunt Mary Ann Johnson
living next door at 22 Main Street. On May 8, 1897, Ellen and Lottie (and Henry) had sold the lower (southerly)
five foot strip of their property for $5 to A.H. Wilbur, the adjacent property owner who was remodeling his
home. This left their Cottages parcel with an approximately 83 foot frontage on Main Street (by 140 feet
deep). On January 24, 1899, out of love and affection for her daughter, Ellen deeded her remaining interest in
the Cottages property, along with all her possessions, to her daughter. The document is not explicit that this
transfer should occur after Ellen's death, but it was not recorded until then.
The Cottages Are Completed
Additional construction occurred on the Cottages properties in the early 1900s. The progression of changes in
the structures is shown on sequential Sanborn Maps. The rear Dame/Thompson cottage (26 Main Street - now
#317, the Pine Cottage) was rebuilt or further expanded before 1905. In 1897, Fred Evans, a butcher, lived
14
�there. In 1900, William Stevenson, his wife, and her brother
occupied it. In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. William Coburn are listed as its
inhabitants.
Additional construction also occurred by 1905 at the site of an
earlier shed on the north property line. Here a rectangular
cottage, 24 Main Street, was built. (Now 319 Main Street,
pictured to the right.) In 1914, Perry Chamberlin, a telephone
manager, was living there. Later the rear portion was remodeled
into a two-story apartment, known as the "Crow's Nest" (24 1/2
Main Street, later # 319b). This addition was razed in the early
1990's.
Around 1894 the middle cottage on the Johnson property was
constructed (22c Main Street - now #321c). (51) It was 609
square-feet with "very little articulation other than the gable
roof." It was described as being "perhaps the most prototypical
vernacular beach-cottage on the site." (52). It was razed and
rebuilt in 1995.
26 Main Street, now #317, Pine Cottage
The Cottage at 319 Main Street
Between 1909 and 1917 the rear cottage was constructed (22d
Main Street - now #321d). Similar to the middle one, it is 674
square feet with a summer porch and simple gable
roof. (53) This completed the Carmelita Cottages as we know
them today. In 1921 Lottie undertook some unspecified
renovations worth $800.
The Middle Cottage
1912 Visitor's Guide contains the first discovered mention in
this century of the Carmelita Cottages (plural) as rentals. They
are listed under "Furnished Cottages" at 22 Main Street for a monthly rent of $30 to $75.
A 1920s era postcard shows a "Carmelita Cottages" sign on a post in the current driveway between the two
front residences. By this time, as seen on the postcard caption, the complex had become known as Carmelita
Court. The sign was subsequently changed to read "Court" as well.
Ownership Passes to Lottie
Ellen Dame died on January 9, 1918, following a slight stroke, listed as eighty years old. Services were at the
Calvary Episcopal Church and burial was at the Odd Fellows Cemetery (Santa Cruz) next to Captain Dame.
Lottie then cared for Aunt Mary Ann. On September 21, 1911, Mary Ann had prepared a deed transferring to
her niece, for love and affection, her property. This document was not recorded until January 6, 1920. It
15
�Rear Cottage at 22d, now 321d Main Street
resulted in singular ownership of the entire Carmelita Cottages
property, for the first time since McDonald's sales in 1868. Mary Ann
Johnson passed away on Sunday evening November 28, 1920, then
in her eighties and suffering from senility, according to her death
certificate. The newspaper more kindly reported, "She had been ill
for only three weeks, almost recovering when, the day before
Thanksgiving she had a severe stroke of paralysis, from which she
never rallied.", (54) Funeral services were held at the Cottages. She,
like husband Thomas, was also buried in an unmarked grave in the
Dame plot at the Odd Fellows Cemetery (Santa Cruz).
The Lottie Sly Legacy
The name most associated with the Carmelita Cottages is Lottie Sly. In order to discover the name's
connection, it is necessary to return to 1912. Then, Lucian Heath Sly, an extremely wealthy San Franciscan,
purchased Golden Gate Villa. This most ornate Santa Cruz mansion is located a few doors away from the
Cottages at 924 (then 56) Third Street. Built by Major Frank McLaughlin, Golden Gate Villa was the scene of
McLaughlin's double suicide--stepdaughter's murder in 1907. Lucian Sly "was reported to have had the largest
income of any apartment building owner in the State." (55) For example, after the 1906 earthquake Sly had
purchased Leland Stanford's burned mansion property in San Francisco and erected the plush Stanford Court
Apartments.
In a front page special of December 3, 1921 the Santa Cruz News reported:
A veritable host of Santa Cruzans will start with surprise at the news that Mrs. Lottie Thompson of
Carmelita Court, Beach Hill, is reported to have been married at noon today in Sacramento to Lucien
[sic] H. Sly of Santa Cruz and San Francisco... The couple are going on a European wedding tour, France
being the chief objective. (56)
The city directories of 1924 show Lottie living with her new husband at the Villa and then at the 22 Main
Street cottage. In reality the legacy of her step-father Captain Dame proved these entries untrue. For as the
extended honeymooners landed in New York on July 7, 1923, Sly bid Lottie a permanent farewell:
Well, thank goodness, we have at last reach[ed] land, where I can get rid of you; you can go your own
way, for I certainly have made up my mind to go my own way. Goodbye forever. (57)
She first sued for separate maintenance asking $1,500 a month. Then in January 1924, she filed for divorce on
grounds of cruelty and desertion. Accounts indicate that she was locked out of their San Francisco townhouse,
Sly sold their Santa Cruz villa, and he left the state to avoid judgement against him. (58) Lottie quickly received
her divorce. She was awarded $100,000 in cash and title to the King Edward Apartments in San Francisco, with
an estimated monthly rental income of $1,600. Lucian, divorced four times in total, had other legal dealings as
well. One case he lost was before the U. S. Supreme Court in 1937 over payment received when he defaulted
16
�on a $85,000 note to the Prudential Insurance Company. He died at the age of 82 on October 9, 1944, in Palo
Alto.
Lottie Sly remained at Carmelita Court as owner and manager and continued to be active in music until her
death in 1955. By the end of World War II, the cottages were being permanently occupied. Some of the
tenants of long-term included Mrs. Mary Fowle, Mrs. Helen Bracamonte, Mrs. Ada R. Lewis, and Mrs. G.
Homer (Alice) Sigsby. Also living at the cottages for many years were Charles Hamilton, his three sisters -- Mrs.
H. S. (Ida) Northridge, Lois McCurdy, and Minnie Hamilton, and their cousin Mrs. Abra Budworth. Abra was
once a music student of Lottie's who helped manage the cottages as Mrs. Sly aged. Although Lottie willed her
property to the City for eventual use as a park, she granted a life estate, along with the contents and rental
profits, to Mrs. Budworth. The bulk of the remainder of her estate went to Stanford University, musical and
religious institutions, and several friends and relatives, including the children of her Barton cousins in New
Jersey. Abra moved from the "Crow's Nest" to the Johnson house (#321 Main Street), where Lottie had lived.
Mrs. Budworth's brother and sister-in-law, Del and Matilda Bachelder, moved into 317 Main Street in 1962.
When Abra died in 1976, ownership of the Carmelita Cottages property came full circle back to the City of
Santa Cruz, 128 years after the town fathers had originally disposed of it. Initially continuing to rent the
cottages, the City had other plans for the site, as recounted in "Saving Carmelita Cottages."
Early History of the Carmelita Cottages: Notes and Bibliography
NOTES
1. According to the dates given in John Chase's Sidewalk Companion only 917-919 Third Street (1870-71)
and possibly the Terrace Court office and one or two other structures on Beach Hill pre-date the front
cottages.
2. Stanley Stevens to Rick Hyman, personal conversation. [Stevens, Map Librarian, University of
California-Santa Cruz, has made a study of the Jacob Rink Snyder 1847 map, Town of Santa Cruz (see
Maps, below), and the controversy surrounding land ownership of Santa Cruz, 1847-1866.] Snyder was
an early resident of Santa Cruz, later he was an elected delegate from the Sacramento District to the
1849 Constitutional Convention in Monterey (the only surveyor, having served as the SurveyorGeneral of the Middle District of California; he also held several important posts in the early years of
California, including that of State Senator from San Francisco in 1851).
3. Leon Rowland. Santa Cruz: The Early Years (Santa Cruz: Paper Vision Press, 1980), 114.
4. See Jonathan D. Stevenson vs. James Bennett, et al. Case # 889, Supreme Court, State of California.
1866. [35 Cal 424]
5. Roberts to Dame, [Santa Cruz County Book of] Deeds, 5 March 1859, 4:286, for example.
6. For an account of this activity see "Early Ship-Building," Santa Cruz Sentinel 31 July 1875 3:3.
7. Renie Leaman, "Abigal Arcan," talk at Santa Cruz Historical Trust, September 9, 1987.
8. Edward Harrison, History of Santa Cruz County California (San Francisco: History Co., 1890) 308-9.
17
�9. Santa Cruz Surf 15 June 1894, 3:2 and 28 October 1897, 4:1. These articles together with the Deeds
disprove the popular contention that Roberts lived on the Cottages property. However, since he did live
next door, he might have had a hand in the construction of those structures built before his death.
10. McHugh Scrapbook #1, 16 (in UCSC Library, Special Collections).
11. Captain Dame's namesake was a director of three San Francisco Bay Area railroad companies in the
early 1860s. Although the Riptide Centennial Edition for October 19, 1950 indicates that these two
Dames were one and the same, Census information (e.g., railroader Dame was born in New York and was
a lawyer), and signature comparison strongly suggest otherwise.
12. "Steamer Santa Cruz," Pacific Sentinel 1 August 1857, 2:1.
13. "Editorial Correspondence: Trial Trip of the Santa Cruz...," Daily Alta California 27 July 1857, 1:2; and,
"Editorial Correspondence: Sea Sickness...," Daily Alta California 29 July 1857, 1:2.
13a. "The Schooner Alfred Adams on Fire at Sea," Pacific Sentinel 13 March 1858.
14. M. Dame v T. Dame, Santa Cruz District Court 437 (1863).
15. "Sheriff's Sale." Pajaro Times 8 August 1863 2:5 (legal advertisement).
16. It is possible that this transaction was a legal maneuver that enabled Mary Dame to continue living
there, since the transfer was to her sister and husband for a nominal sum.
17. The entry showing the Hannahs living there may be in error, unless it represented a temporary
situation, since for many years they lived on Second Street on Beach Hill.
18. "Fire," Sentinel 30 July 1870 3:1.
19. "San Lorenzo Saloon," Sentinel (advertisement ran from February through October 1869).
20. "Valuable Property for Sale," Sentinel (advertisement ran from August 1872 through January 1873).
21. "Johnson's Building Burned," Sentinel 20 December 1873, 3:3.
22. Leon Rowland file cards (in University Library, Special Collections, University of California, Santa Cruz).
23. "Pioneer Resident of Beach Hill Called By Death," Santa Cruz Evening News 29 November 1920, 5:3.
24. Barton, Margaret letter to T.V. Johnson, July 12, 1878. [The letter was found ca. 1987 by Hostel
members during renovation of the Cottages. A photocopy is available in the Historical Trust Archives.]
25. Surf 3 December 1890, 3:1.
26. [Santa Cruz County Book of] Homesteads 28 April 1877, 2:465.
27. "Death of T. V. Johnson," Morning Sentinel 3 January 1903 3:1. The official case of death was listed as
"apoplexy," Death Records Santa Cruz City 1891 - 1905, p. 45.
28. The official deed of November 22, 1870 (Vol.13, p. 252) describes Tait's Cottages property as running
50 feet from Joseph Robert's lot "toward the house where Timothy Dame once lived."
18
�29. Riptide Centennial Edition for October 19, 1950 says of Dame, "His fortune subsequently dwindled and
he was reduced to laboring in Felton. "More research would be necessary to confirm this economic
status contention. Some sources say he owned a ranch in Felton, but the Deeds do not confirm this.
30. "A Jolly Time at the Beach," Sentinel 26 June 1875, 4:2.
31. Sentinel 17 May 1890, 3:4 (rental of "Dame Cottage" mentioned); Surf 16 September 1890 3:5
"Carmelito Cottage" mentioned).
32. Surf 14 April 1891 3:4.
33. Surf 12 August 1891 3:2.
34. "Beach Hill," Surf 9 May 1885 3:2.
35. "Beach Hill That Pleasant Precinct Improving In Appearance Daily," Surf (Weekly Edition) 25 October
1890, 7:3.
36. "Wedding Bells," Surf 23 June 1892 3:3.
37. ibid.
38. "A Stylish Wedding," Sentinel 23 June 1892, 3:2.
39. "Death of Henry Thompson," Surf 18 August 1900 4:3.
40. Sentinel 27 August 1881, 2:4; 22 April 1882, 1:6; 24 June 1882, 3:5; 6 January 1883, 3:7; 14 April 1883,
2:3; Surf 14 February 1884, 3:2.
41. "Tomaso's Testimonial," Surf 16 September 1890, 3:2.
42. "Tomaso," Surf (Weekly Edition) 28 June 1890,7:5. His entire speech is reprinted here. See "Testimonial
to Enrico de Tomaso," Sentinel 28 June 1890, 3:2 for a list of guests.
43. See "A Popular Vocalist," Surf (Weekly Edition) 27 September 1890, 6:4 for the words to this song. See
"A Rousing Testimonial," Sentinel 20 September 1890, 3:4 for Tomaso's brief thank you speech. Also,
see "Correspondence," Surf 5 September 1890, 3:4 for a list of the 93 people and businesses requesting
the benefit concert and Tomaso's response.
44. "Sandy's Corners An Enthusiastic Old-Time Democratic Pow-Wow," Surf 15 October 1 1890,3:3, for
example.
45. "The Clerks," Surf 20 October 1891, 3:2; "Seven-Thirty," Surf 23 October 1891, 3:3.
46. "Kindersymphony," Surf 23 June 1891 1:4.
47. [Henry Thompson] Enrico deTomaso, "Emma Abbott," Surf 8 January 1891, 3:4.
48. See "Verdi," Surf 16 February 1892, 3:3 for a full column transcript of Tomaso's lecture.
49. "Last Evening," Surf 10 June 1892, 8:1.
50. "A Guild Garden Party," Surf 27 August 1891, 3:4; see also, "A Delightful Garden Party," Sentinel 28
August 1891, 2:2.
51. Although the March 28, 1903, deed to Mrs. Johnson does not mention this cottage, the photograph
19
�taken before 1897 appears to show it.
52. [City of Santa Cruz] "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form," 16 December 1983, 3.
53. Ibid.
54. "Pioneer Resident of Beach Hill Called by Death," Evening News 29 November 1920, 5:3.
55. Millie Robbins, "Sly the Marrying Millionaire," San Francisco Chronicle 19 March 1967, 6:2 (Sunday
Punch.)
56. "Wedding of Local Interest At Capital City," Evening News 3 December 21, 1:4.
57. "Lottie Sly Seeks Divorce in S.F.," Sentinel 25 January 1924, 4:3.
58. Robbins, ibid note 55, and "Lottie Sly Seeks Divorce in S.F.," ibid. note 57. However, the Official Records
do not indicate a sale of the Villa property during this period.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Chase, John. The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture. Santa Cruz: Paper Vision Press, 1979.
Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County. Indexed Cemetery Records of Santa Cruz County California,
1980. Santa Cruz: The Society, 1980.
Harrison, Edward S. History of Santa Cruz County California. San Francisco: Pacific Press, 1892 (on Roberts).
Koch, Margaret. Santa Cruz County: Parade of the Past. Fresno: Valley Publishers, 1973 (on Fallon).
Latta, Frank. Death Valley '49ers. Santa Cruz: Bear State Books, 1979 (on Arcan).
Rowland, Leon. Santa Cruz: The Early Years. Santa Cruz: Paper Vision Press, 1980.
Directories
Handbook and Directory of Santa Clara, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Mateo Counties. San
Francisco: L. L. Paulson. 1875.
McKenney's District Directory for 1879 for Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San
Benito, Monterey Counties. San Francisco: L. M. McKenney. 1879.
Pacific Coast Business Directory for l876-1878. San Francisco: Henry Langley, 1876.
San Jose City Directory for 1884-1885. San Francisco: L. M. McKenney & Co., 1884.
San Jose City Directory for 1887-1888. San Francisco: Uhlorn and McKenney, 1887.
San Jose City Directory for 1889. San Francisco: McKenney Directory Co., 1889.
San Jose City Directories for 1890, 1892. San Francisco: F. M. Husted, 1890, 1892.
Santa Cruz City Directory. Santa Cruz: George Kramer, 1897.
Santa Cruz City Directory. Santa Cruz: H. E. Irish. 1902.
20
�Santa Cruz City Directory 1924. Santa Cruz: Scott L. Imhoff, 1924.
Santa Cruz County Directory 1910-11. Santa Cruz: Albert Thurston, 1909.
Santa Cruz County Directory 1916-1917. Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz Directory Co., 1916.
Santa Cruz County Directory 1918-19. Santa Cruz: Western Directory Co., 1918. Also, directories for 1920,
1921, 1922, and 1924.
Santa Cruz, Watsonville and Boulder Creek Directory 1906-07. Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz County Directory Co.,
1906.
Thurston's Business and Resident Directory 1912-1913 Santa Cruz, Watsonville, and the Pajaro Valley.Santa
Cruz: Albert Thurston, 1911. [also for 1914-1915, 1913.]
Newspapers
Alta California [Many articles throughout the period.]
"Husband Lost Love for Wife While on Trip," San Francisco Chronicle 25 January 1924, 3:6.
McHugh Scrapbook # 1, 16 (undated-unidentified newspaper articles at University Library, Special Collections,
University of California, Santa Cruz)
Pajaro Times (became Santa Cruz Times.) [Many articles throughout the period.]
Riptide Centennial Edition for October 19, 1950.
Robbins, Millie. "Sly the Marrying Millionaire," San Francisco Chronicle 19 March 1967, (Sunday Punch) 6:2.
Rowland Scrapbook, 41, 156,181, 252 (unidentified newspaper articles at University Library, Special
Collections, University of California, Santa Cruz).
Santa Cruz Evening News. [Many articles throughout the period.]
Santa Cruz Sentinel. [Many articles throughout the period.] Santa Cruz Surf. [Many articles throughout the
period.]
Santa Cruz Surf. [many articles throughout the period.]
Santa Rose Press Democrat 23 November 1959, page 10; 25 November 1959, page 6; 26 November 1959, page
10.
"SF Woman Awarded Apartment Building," San Francisco Chronicle 31 January 1924, 7:4.
"Social Act Ruled Likely by May 17, Devalued Dollar Case Rejected," New York Times 4 May 1937, 14:5.
Watsonville Pajaronian. [many articles throughout the period.]
Maps
Foreman, Solomon, and Thomas W. Wright. "Map fractional township No. 11 S Range No. 2 W Monte Diablo
Meridian embracing Santa Cruz - Surveyed by Foreman & Wright 1866." [This map has two parts which are
21
�also known as Official Map of Santa Cruz and Official Map B of Santa Cruz.]
"Lottie Sly Property," City of Santa Cruz Planning File LM-84-01 (plot plan).
Sanborn Map Company. "Santa Cruz" Fire Insurance Maps: 1888,1892,1905,1917.
Santa Cruz Co. "Assessor's Maps," 5:19.
Snyder, Jacob Rink. "Town of Santa Cruz," 1847. [Reproduction in University Library, Map Room, University of
California, Santa Cruz; reproduced from the map filed in the Supreme Court records in the California State
Archives as an Exhibit in Jonathan D. Stevenson vs. James Bennett, et al. Case # 889, Supreme Court, State of
California. 1866. [35 Cal 424].
United States Coast Survey. Preliminary surveys of harbors on the Western Coast of the United States. [One of
the harbors on this chart is:] "Santa Cruz Harbor and Vicinity" Scale 1:40,000. "Topography was executed in
l853." Washington, D.C. : U.S. Coast Survey, 1854.
Santa Cruz County Official Records
Alcalde Book. 1:120.
Certificates of Death. 1920-23, City of Santa Cruz: page 104.
Death Record 1891-1905: 45, 870.
Deeds. Book 1: Page 551; 2:19; 2:341; 3:348; 4:383; 4:384; 6:505; 7:457; 8:234; 8:324; 8:428; 10:271(373);
10:387(538); 12:205; 12:778; 13:(282)445; 13:(252)396; 13:(298)423; 16:232; 16:383; 31:508; 35:225;
35:322; 48:342; 69:282; 115:9; 49:237.
District Court Cases. 437 (1863); 518 (1865); 1451 (1877) (microfilm).
Great Register. 1867; 1872; 1875; 1876; 1877; 1879; 1880; 1882; 1884; 1886; 1888; 1890; 1892; 1894; 1896;
1898; 1904; 1914.
Homesteads. 1:548; 2:465.
Marriages. 1:28; 1:479; 2:167; 2:178; 3:501; 7:23.
Mortgages. 5:10; 6:598; 8:400; 11:537; 14:137; 15:270; 26:321; 30:122; 32:45.
Official Records. 1:151; 295:237; 278:344; 1068:348 (microfiche).
Record of Deaths 1915-1919 City of Santa Cruz: 203.
Superior Court Probate Cases. 184 (1885); 1218 (1903); 4677 (1925); 14249 (1955) (microfilm).
Trust Deeds. 6:62.
Personal Communications
Budworth, Lynn.
22
�Clark, Randy.
Cross, Claire.
Cross, Janet.
Guilbert, Lois.
Guilbert, Robert
Kearney, Ken.
Reader, Phil.
Scott, JoAnne.
Other Sources
Barton, Margaret letter to T. V. Johnson, July 12, 1878.
Board of Fire Underwriters of the Pacific, "Specific Ratings," 1908 (record booklet).
California Death Records (microfiche).
"Carmelita Cottages. 1880s/1890s" (photograph on file at City Museum); untitled cottages photograph
(personal collection of Jack Howe).
"Carmelita Court, 22 Main St."c. 1920s (postcard)
Church of Latter Day Saints, International Geneology Index: British Isles.(computer disk).
[City of Santa Cruz]. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form (for Carmelita Cottages),
16 December 1983.
Gifford, Charles, "Bird's Eye View of Santa Cruz," 1874 (lithograph).
Leaman, Renie. "Abigal Arcan," talk at Santa Cruz County Historical Trust, September 9,1987.
Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, "Visitor's Guide to Santa Cruz," 1912 (brochure).
"United States Census for Santa Cruz, California." 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 (microfilm).
United States Custom House (Monterey, California) Records; Inspection Returns Santa Cruz, 1854 – 1863.
Source
This article is a revision of the article originally published in Every Structure Tells a Story: How to Research the
History of a Property in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz, CA, Santa Cruz County Historical Trust, 1990. Copyright
1990 Santa Cruz County Historical Trust. Revised material copyright 1996 Rick Hyman. Reproduced by
permission of the Santa Cruz County Historical Trust and the author.
23
�Saving Carmelita Cottages
California's newest coastal hostel opens soon [1993] in Santa Cruz, in a Victorian cottage nestled under mature
trees in a garden setting. Travelers of all ages and nations will be welcome. Few will hear of the obstacles bureaucratic, political, financial - that the hostel's sponsors overcame to provide low-cost lodgings while
preserving a piece of Santa Cruz history. The cottage, built in 1872 by Timothy Dame, a steamer captain, is one
of six in the Carmelita Cottages complex.
Exterior of the renovated Dame cottage showing retention and
accentuation of architectural features including stained glass,
double hung windows, stick style gable brace, bay window, and
front porches along with heritage plants in a garden setting and
refurbished iron fence and wooden gate.
This is not the first time that the twin causes of historic
preservation and low-cost coastal access have been furthered by
creation of a hostel. Partly due to financial assistance from the
Photo by Ray Sherrod
State Coastal Conservancy, Californians can visit four other coastal
hostels in historic buildings: a Civil War era building at Fort Mason in San Francisco, a lighthouse on Pigeon
Point in San Mateo County, a lighthouse in Montara, farther north, and in a restored farmhouse (DeMartin
House) in Redwood National Park in Del Norte County. Each is unique. All bring closer the dream of a 1,100mile chain of coastal hostels, each no more than a day's bike ride from the next. But none was so plagued with
controversy, nor required such perseverance from local sponsors and Conservancy staff, as this charming new
one, on Main Street, Beach Hill, two blocks from the Santa Cruz beach and municipal wharf.
The Gift
The hostel project was made possible by a generous gift. Lottie Thompson Sly, who inherited Carmelita
Cottages and lived in them most of her life, bequeathed them to the city of Santa Cruz. In a 1953 handwritten
will, two years before she died at age 83, she stipulated that the property was to become a park, "cleared and
properly landscaped, making it a restful place for the public to enjoy." Should the city fail to establish the park,
the property was to go to Stanford University. Mrs. Sly's will gave life tenancy to her friend Abra Budworth,
who survived her for 21 years. After Mrs. Budworth died, also at age 83, the city took possession.
The bequest consisted of close to one-half acre, with six board and bat cottages, with gables and stained glass
windows. Two face Main Street, four are behind them, close together in a courtyard, surrounded by trees and
flowers. Just three blocks from the noisy, bustling boardwalk, Carmelita Cottages are an island of tranquillity
from a more leisurely time.
"A towering deodora cedar with a trunk larger than a person could reach around stands guard at the
entrance to the garden," wrote Ida Hills in the Santa Cruz Sentinel in 1976. "A liquid amber and tulip
tree only slightly smaller than the cedar complete the ... canopy." Camellia, pink dogwood, variegated
24
�azalea, rhododendron, and a variety of roses are among the "handsome old plants that have outlasted
the generation which planted them," she observed.
The will was unambiguous about the grounds. They were to be a public park. But what of the cottages? Did
they have to be "cleared?" If not, what could be done with them? The city considered its options under the
watchful and covetous eyes of Stanford University attorneys. Under Stanford's pressure, it agreed in 1979 to
demolish five dwelling units by July 1, 1984 - two immediately. Two structures fronting the street would be
allowed to remain for historical museum purposes.
When tenants and preservationists heard of this plan, they were furious. Vocal among them was Matilda
Bachelder, 92.
"I've lived in my home for 25 years and I'm against them wrecking my house to make room for a park,"
she told the city council in 1979. When a reporter called, she met him at the door and pointed at the
elaborately landscaped garden, "I planted everything you see around here."
Others argued that the cottages should be protected for their historic value.
"Preservation must apply not only to prominent civic buildings or impressive major houses, if we are to
have any understanding and appreciation of our past,"
argued Sara Holmes Boutelle, of the Santa Cruz County Society for Historical Preservation, in a letter to
the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
The city backed off and, almost a year later, in 1980, reached a revised agreement with Stanford. As the
tenants moved out, the units would not be rerented, but they would be renovated. The July 1, 1984 deadline
was retained for all units to be vacated and the property made into a park.
Attention turned to the cottages' potential use. A committee established for the purpose of considering
alternatives persuaded the City Parks and Recreation Commission to support a privately operated bed and
breakfast. But the city council was uncomfortable with the idea of evicting low-income tenants for a project
that would serve people of greater means.
It was at this point that the Santa Cruz Youth Hostel Society stepped in. This non-profit volunteer organization
was looking for a permanent home for a successful summer hostel it operated in rented school space. In
canvassing city-owned land, the society became aware of the cottages, decided they would do perfectly, and
applied for their use as a 45-bed, European-style hostel. But, at a special city council meeting held just after
Christmas 1982, the idea was abruptly nixed.
The council majority supported continuing the affordable housing use by renegotiating the agreement with
Stanford. The council did endorse locating a hostel somewhere in town, enabling the society to proceed with
an application to the Coastal Conservancy for funding.
With encouragement from Coastal Conservancy staff and from Jim Lang, director of Santa Cruz Parks and
Recreation Department, and armed with favorable petitions, the Hostel Society returned to the city council for
25
�support of its application seven months later. This time the council told the society that Carmelita
Cottages could be added to the list of possible hostel sites.
The Battle
Thus began - yes, just began - a lengthy battle to actually secure city permission to renovate the cottages as a
hostel. The society set about negotiating a lease, securing plans, and applying for permits. On January
24,1984, the city designated the cottages a historic landmark. (Listing in the National Register of Historic
Places followed on March 20, 1986.) Ironically, because the cottages - the same cottages that the city had
planned to raze - now had city landmark status, the society was required to obtain a special historical
alteration permit. The Historical Preservation Commision was supportive. But when the society came before
the Zoning Board for a use permit, neighbors, concerned about more traffic and transients, testified against
it, bolstered by opposition petitions. The board voted three to two for denial, on the ground that the hostel
would be incompatible with the neighborhood's residential character. The Hostel Society appealed to the
city council.
In preparation for the meeting, former hostel board member Laurel Wilson recalled
"walking door-to-door to counteract misrepresentations that the hostel would attract disruptive
people. It was fun meeting our future neighbors, discovering a wide variety of ages and
lifestyles."
The Hostel Society won the petition battle with hundreds of signatures, as well as many supportive letters.
Opponents testified that they represented the majority of area property owners concerned about the
perceived disruption that the hostel would bring, but the council, in a pivotal four to three decision in
October 1984, overturned the Zoning Board and conditionally granted the use permit. Neighbors then sued
the city over its decision.
Superior Court Judge Rollie Hall concluded that use of the site for a hostel (by night, with the grounds open
to the public during the day) did not violate the terms of Lottie Sly's will. Hostel opponents appealed. Over
one year later, the Court of Appeals also ruled for the city.
In April 1985, the city leased the cottages and surrounding grounds to the Hostel Society for ten years at a
dollar a year. That same month, the Coastal Conservancy approved a $75,000 long-term loan for the
renovation project. The Hostel Society set about the arduous task of securing the remaining necessary
design, landmark alteration, coastal, and finally, building permits. Suffice it to say that they were not
routinely and expeditiously approved. As the Hostel Society's plans had to adhere to rigid city earthquake,
handicapped access, and energy-efficiency requirements, costs escalated. The estimate for the project
skyrocketed from under $200,000 to over $500,000. That meant "a lot of bake sales," observed Ken Sievers,
then-president of the society. A legal dispute with the first designer, who failed to secure his architectural
license, further delayed efforts. Frustrated, the society rented a year-round, 18-bed hostel elsewhere in the
city.
26
�Still, it continued to press on with Carmelita Cottages.
"This is just such a natural," said Sievers. "This is a great place for travelers going up or down the
coast. Somehow there has to be a way to make it happen."
Efforts to find funding under two state bond acts, Propositions 18 in 1984 and 70 in 1988, were
unsuccessful. The society did manage to secure the services of a contractor and youth workers under the
county-sponsored Job Training Partnership Program to spruce up the grounds and deteriorating buildings.
But efforts to parlay cottage rehabilitation into a job training exercise failed to materialize.
By 1990, cost estimates for the project had risen to $800,000. Discouraged, the Hostel Society voted to
terminate the Carmelita Cottages project, reasoning that it could buy a suitable building that was already up
to code for less money. The city again began to explore other options for the property, including a mix of
housing and park use.
As the society still had a lease on the Carmelita Cottages, however, the organization continued to maintain
the grounds and employ a caretaker. Coastal Conservancy staff approached the Hostel Society about
restructuring the restoration by phasing the project over a longer time period. Conservancy staff pledged to
seek out additional funding. After more than a year of extensive efforts by the Conservancy and the Hostel
Society, the funding was secured, and a new plan was developed.
The Victory
By this time, the Hostel Society's permits had expired and its lease had only five more years to run. The
approval process had to be revisited, but this time around, there was comparatively smooth sailing. The
Hostel Society again successfully canvassed the neighborhood to ensure that the project had support. In May
1991, the city council agreed to a new 30-year lease. The next month the Conservancy replaced its original
loan with a $375,000 grant to the Hostel Society. Failing to find off-street parking on Beach Hill, the Hostel
Society planned that Carmelita Cottages would be operated as an annex to the current hostel. In March 1992
the Zoning Board unanimously approved new permits, stipulating that automobile parking not be available at
Carmelita Cottages.
Even with this guarantee, some lingering neighborhood opposition remained. But having previously
expended considerable money only to lose in court, the leaders did not mount another aggressive campaign
and did not appeal the Zoning Board approval.
So in October 1992, a decade after the society first envisioned a hostel at Carmelita Cottages, construction
commenced on what will be the first dormitory at 315 Main Street. Shortly afterward, the adjacent two-story
home, built circa 1872 by saloon keeper Thomas V. Johnson, was raised to add a new foundation. It will be the
second dormitory, and will open later this summer [1993].
27
�Exterior side view of the renovated Johnson cottage showing unobtrusive
disabled ramp access with wooden railing blended in and retention of
historic architectural features including ornamental gable braces.
Photo by Ray Sherrod
While the political battles may now be over, much work remains to complete the project. As visitors enjoy the
remodeled 19th century accommodations, they will initially find the rear building off-limits. The society has
nine years remaining to raise the funds to renovate these into a manager's unit, a kitchen dining/laundry, and
two more dormitories.
If history is any guide, the Hostel Society will succeed, as perseverance has been the organization's
trademark. In highlighting historic milestones, this account does injustice to the untold hours that individuals
expended on grant applications, lawsuits, and other peripheral matters in addition to designing the new
hostel. "We lost a lot of good volunteer people; they got burned out," commented Peter Pethoe, a veteran
board member. But new volunteers have stepped in with equal commitment and determination. Although
board member Peter Kambas bemoans their lack of political acumen, Laurel Wilson recalls hearing praise
from other state hostel leaders about the locals' political sophistication. Kambas believes the society was
encouraged to persist with Carmelita Cottages by a sense of broad support from the community and
government officials, even in the face of the specific negative decisions mentioned. The society's unselfish
mission to provide a needed and rewarding service to world travelers will be apparent to all who will now be
able to stay at Carmelita Cottages.
Source
Rick Hyman, a planner with the California Coastal Commission in Santa Cruz, recognized the Carmelita
Cottages' potential as a hostel over ten years ago. He chronicled their early history in a chapter of
Every Structure Tells a Story, (Santa Cruz Historical Trust, 1990).
This article was first published in the Winter/Spring 1993 issue of California Coast and Ocean, which
is published quarterly by the State Coastal Conservancy. Subscription information may be obtained
by contacting the State Coastal Conservancy at 1330 Broadway, Suite 110, Oakland, CA 94612 or
calling (510) 286-0934.
28
�Copyright 1993 California Coast and Ocean. Reproduced by permission of California Coast and Ocean and Rick
Hyman. Photographs courtesy Ray Sherrod.
It is the library’s intent to provide accurate information, however, it is not possible for the library to completely
verify the accuracy of all information. If you believe that factual statements in a local history article are
incorrect and can provide documentation, please contact the library.
29
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Santa Cruz Homes and Gardens
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Description
An account of the resource
Historic homes and gardens in Santa Cruz County documented through photos and articles.
Included are "Distinctive Plant Specimens of Santa Cruz Gardens." These are observations of plants taken on two tour dates, November 19, 1937 and January 21, 1938. They are written by Albert Wilson, Botanist, and a team of surveyors. These descriptions (and some photos) of plants can be searched either by the plant name or by the location address.
Document
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Original Format
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Paper
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HG-AR-202
Title
A name given to the resource
History of the Carmelita Cottages
Subject
The topic of the resource
Carmelita Cottages
Hostels
Beach Hill
Historic Houses
Description
An account of the resource
315-321 Main Street
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Hyman, Rick
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Originally published in Every Structure Tells a Story: How to Research the History of a Property in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz, CA, Santa Cruz County Historical Trust, 1990. Copyright 1990 Santa Cruz County Historical Trust.
"Saving Carmelita Cottages" published in the Winter/Spring 1993 issue of California Coast and Ocean, which is published quarterly by the State Coastal Conservancy.
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1993, 1996
Coverage
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Santa Cruz (City)
Format
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Text
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En
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ARTICLE
Rights
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Copyright 1990 Santa Cruz County Historical Trust. Revised material copyright 1996 Rick Hyman. Reproduced by permission of the Santa Cruz County Historical Trust and the author.
"Saving Carmelita Cottages" Copyright 1993 California Coast and Ocean. Reproduced by permission of California Coast and Ocean and Rick Hyman. Photographs courtesy Ray Sherrod.
Homes
Hotels Camps Etc.
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https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/e3703a6d4987f3dce29a7527f08bc249.pdf
32177ef9a2fe0209813b89029f4572ee
PDF Text
Text
Santa Cruz's Architectural Heritage:
A Sketchbook of Styles
By Santa Cruz City Planning Department
Architecture and history are closely intertwined in Santa Cruz, California. Each period in the City's history has
left its impression through buildings and certain architectural styles which continue to be used today. Below is
a list of some of the architectural styles in Santa Cruz. For each style, there is a drawing of an existing building
(as of April 1997). Accompanying each drawing is a description of characteristics of that particular style.
Spanish Style, 1791
The City of Santa Cruz was founded in 1791, as both the site of a Franciscan mission, Mission La Exaltacion de
la Santa Cruz, and a Spanish garrison, Pueblo Branciforte. In 1793, the Mission was moved from its original
flood-prone site near the San Lorenzo River to its present location on Mission Hill, overlooking the San Lorenzo
River and today's downtown area. Dedicated in the spring of 1794, the Mission was a complex of buildings
that contained living quarters, workshops, and other uses, built around three sides of a plaza bounded by the
modern streets Sylvar, Emmett, High, and Mission.
In their style, the Missions's fathers tried to reproduce the late baroque architecture familiar to them in Spain
and Mexico. However, the limitations of the adobe building medium and the unskilled Indian labor reduced
the buildings to very plain adobe structures, with thick walls. The missions themselves were buttressed by
thick piers fronted with arcades and ornamental bell towers. Roofs were more often made of "Brea", the tar
found naturally in several spots in California, rather than of tile or shingles, which were not used until the
1840's.
1
�The Neary-Rodriguez Abode at 130 School Street is Santa Cruz's only remaining example of the Spanish era
adobe. Originally, it was one story and subsequently had the roof raised and another half-story inserted
underneath. Constructed as two buildings with a common-party wall, it is likely to have been used as some
kind of living quarters, possibly for the Mission guards.
Pioneer Style, 1850
The earliest frame buildings in Santa Cruz were simple box-shaped clapboard houses. Architectural detail was
extremely simple, varying from posts to split pilasters. An
example of such a house is the Francisco Alzina house at 109
Sylvar Street, built in the 1850's.
Greek Revival Style, 1850
With the improvement of building skills, Santa Cruz architecture of the mid-1850's began to utilize the more
contemporary style used elsewhere in the United States. The Greek Revival
style is perhaps the first example of Santa Cruz architecture truly reflecting
an American style. The Greek Revival style was distinguished by the use of
broad corner pilasters, split pediment, and porches supported by pillars.
A very rare example of a true Greek Revival style of the 1850's is the Judge
William Blackburn house at 152 Center Street. (The drawing to the right
shows the view from Cedar Street.)
Gothic Revival Style, 1860
The second major residential building style of the 1850's and 60's was the Gothic Revival. Buildings of this style
have pointed arches, delicate split pilasters, arched porches and pointed arch windows. This style resulted
from the nineteenth century desire for the picturesque and
romatic medieval Gothic Cathedral style. The 1865 Calvary
Episcopal Church at 532 Center Street is an example of the
Gothic Revival style.
2
�Italianate Style, 1870
The first Santa Cruz business buildings were, for the most part, simple frame structures with small-paned
windows. Two plain brick buildings — the 1850 James Leslie building at 555 Mission Street, and the Hugo Hihn
Flat Iron building at 1538 Pacific Avenue — exemplified this type building. However, all this began to change as
the business community began to grow, and the business buildings of the 1870's began to favor the Italianate
style. This style was derived from fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian architecture. It is characterized by
straight-front buildings without any sizeable projections or recessions. Columns, if present, are primarily
confined to porches and window frames. The crowning feature of this style is a cornice along the entire front
of the building; the roof behind it is low and invisible to the spectator in the street. Large window areas are
fairly common in commercial buildings.
The only two remaining examples of Italianate business buildings
are the Williamson and Garrett Building at 1547 Pacific Avenue
[demolished as a result of damage from the Loma Prieta
earthquake, ed.], and the A.P. Hotaling (McHugh and Bianchi)
Building at 1553 Pacific Avenue, built in 1886. The McHugh and
Bianchi building is one of the two buildings within Santa Cruz which
has been included in the National Register of Historical Places by
the U.S. Department of Interior.
Other examples of the Italianate style can be found in a number of residences constructed in the 1870's and
early 1880's. The 1877 Sedgewick Lynch House, 170 West Cliff Drive, designed and built by John Morrow, is a
prominent example of an Italianate style home.
Stick Style, 1880
In the 1880's, a move away from the classical forms became apparent in the form of the Stick and Eastlake
styles. Stick style buildings have tall proportions with high, steep roofs, and complex and irregular silhouettes.
Diagonal "stickwork" is characteristic of this style. A good example of
this style in Santa Cruz is the two-story house at 419 Locust Street
(H.M. Hanmore House).
3
�Eastlake Style, 1880
Most Eastlake buildings would be classified as Stick style or Queen Anne if they
were not characterized by a distinctive type of ornament. This ornament is
largely the product of chisel, gouge, and the lathe, and somewhat like
ornamentation of furniture during that period. This imitation of the furniture
motif can be seen in decorative knobs of various forms and the posts of
porches or vernadas which often resemble table legs. A good example of the
Eastlake style is the Henry Weeks home built in 1886.
Romanesque Revival, 1890
The Romanesque Revival became the vogue for business buildings in
the 1890's. It can be distinguished by rock-faced masonry work and the
use of short, clustered columns. The Neary building, 1352 Pacific
Avenue, and the old County Courthouse are examples of this style.
Queen Anne Style, 1890
By the early 1890's, the Queen Anne style had appeared in Santa Cruz. This
style is characterized by irregularity of plan and the massing of color and
texture. Several different wall surfaces may occur in one building; brick on
the ground story, and shingles or horizontal boards above is a common
occurrence. Trademarks of this style include elaborate chimneys, corner
turrets, and the use of bay windows. An example of the Queen Anne style
is the W.D. Haslam House at 304 Walnut Avenue.
4
�Colonial Revival Style, 1890
The Colonial Revival was more aptly a nationalistic style. At a time when "manifest destiny" was at its peak,
the early 1890's, Americans began to value their own heritage and architecture. Colonial Revival sought to
follow the style of the period around the Revolutionary War. Distinctive in this style are multiple columned
porches, and doors with fanlights and sidelights. The two-story
apartment buidling at 303 Mission Street (the Weston
Richardson House) is a Colonial Revival building.
Shingle Style, 1890
The idea of the facade of the building being its basic design appeared in the Shingle style of the 1890's. The
distinctive feature of this style was the wide use of shingles as a form of siding on the walls of the upper
stories and, in some cases, the ground story. The overall effect is simpler and quieter than in the Queen Anne
style, with more horizontal emphasis.
This drawing shows a building which is a good example of the Shingle
style. The house is the 1891 "Monte Carlo" at 924 Third Street, which
was built for Major Frank McLaughlin. The towers of this home are
visible throughout the downtown area and provide a charming
yesteryear contrast to other buildings in the area. An interesting
sidelight to this home is that it was the site of notorious tragedy in 1907,
when Major McLaughlin, saddened by the loss of his wife and financial
reverses, shot his step-daughter Agnes and ended his life with a glass of
poison.
5
�Mission Revival, 1900
Around the turn of the century, Californians also began to realize that they had a rich heritage of their own,
and perhaps did not need to import tradition and architectural styles for the East Coast. As one Californian
stated at that time:
“Give me neither Romanesque nor Gothic; much less Italian Renaissance, and least of all English
Colonial--this is California--give me Mission.”
The Mission Revival style was the result. Arches and tiled roofs are
the most general features of this style. Other attributes are low
pitched roofs, smooth plastered walls, balconies, and towers on
larger buildings. The 1912 Piedmont Court, 260 High Street, is a
very effective Mission Revival work. This style lasted up to the
1920's, when Spanish Colonial Revival came into favor, with a
more sophisticated, formal and classic Hispanic style.
California Bungalow, 1920
Sharing the Mission Revival's concern for the California environment, the Bungalow style emphasized the
natural rather than historic aspects. Both stressed a return to simple handcrafted workmanship, and the
Bungalow style also stressed the integrity and beauty of materials in their native state.
Characterized by a rustic exterior and sheltered-feeling interiors, bungalows were most successful in the
growing suburbs of Southern California. Bungalows are often stained rather than painted, covered with
clapboards or shingles, and have broad spreading eaves supported by multiple gables with projecting beams.
Windows may be small-paned or are often divided into a large lower pane and small upper panes. Also
characteristic of this style are spacious front porches supported by squat posts atop chunky river boulder and
brick piers.
The residence at 1107 Mission Street (The W. Holmes House) is an example of the Bungalow style.
6
�Post World War I
While architecturally significant buildings and residences were frequently constructed up to the First World
War, the emphasis changed after this period. In order to meet the housing needs of a rapidly growing
population, quantity rather than quality became the new criteria for building. There were, however, a few
important exceptions to this new emphasis. The 1937-38 Monterey Colonial Revival style City Hall, the
International style house at 1010 Laurent Street, and the La
Bahia Hotel at 215 Beach Street are some of the
architecturally significant buildings of this period. The
founding of the University of California at Santa Cruz campus
in the early 1960's provided another setting for design
innovations in Santa Cruz.
Source
The drawings and text are reproduced from the Draft Historic Preservation Plan of the General Plan, prepared
by the Santa Cruz City Planning Department, 1974.
It is the library’s intent to provide accurate information, however, it is not possible for the library to completely
verify the accuracy of all information. If you believe that factual statements in a local history article are
incorrect and can provide documentation, please contact the library.
7
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Santa Cruz Homes and Gardens
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Description
An account of the resource
Historic homes and gardens in Santa Cruz County documented through photos and articles.
Included are "Distinctive Plant Specimens of Santa Cruz Gardens." These are observations of plants taken on two tour dates, November 19, 1937 and January 21, 1938. They are written by Albert Wilson, Botanist, and a team of surveyors. These descriptions (and some photos) of plants can be searched either by the plant name or by the location address.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
AR-184
Title
A name given to the resource
Santa Cruz's Architectural Heritage: A Sketchbook of Styles
Subject
The topic of the resource
Architecture and Architects
Historic Houses
Historic Buildings
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Santa Cruz City Planning Department
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Draft Historic Preservation Plan of the General Plan, prepared by the Santa Cruz City Planning Department, 1974.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1974
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Santa Cruz (City)
Format
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Text
Language
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En
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
ARTICLE
Description
An account of the resource
The buildings and homes include:
Neary-Rodriguez Adobe (130 School Street), Alzina House (109 Sylvar Street), Blackburn House (152 Center Street), Calvary Episcopal Church (532 Center Street), Lynch House (170 West Cliff Drive), Hanmore House (419 Locust Street), Weeks House, Neary Building (1352 Pacific Avenue), Haslam House (304 Walnut Avenue), Richardson House (303 Mission Street), McLaughlin House (924 Third Street), Piedmont Court (260 High Street), Holmes House (1107 Mission Street), and the La Bahia Hotel (215 Beach Street).
Buildings
Homes
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https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/a498bc646ba98a188a8858037b15a58e.pdf
3fe7550b8960c94b21c6bbb2b288031f
PDF Text
Text
National Register of Historic Places Inventory:
Nomination Form for the Mission Hill Area Historic District
Excerpt: Section 8 - Significance
Form prepared by Doni Tunheim, Vice President
Santa Cruz Historical Society
June 15, 1975
Statement of Significance
1. Statement of General Significance
Mission Hill is the birthplace of Santa Cruz, the first permanent European settlement in Santa Cruz County.
Until the gold rush Mission Santa Cruz was the religious, commercial, industrial and agricultural center of the
county. Its only rival, the secular community of Branciforte, was not viable, and became no more than a placename.
When Thomas Larkin established a branch of his Monterey trading post in Santa Cruz he selected an adobe
building on the Mission quadrangle. When William Blackburn arrived in Santa Cruz he operated his hotel on
the Mission quadrangle. The reasons for their choice was clear - there was no other location in the county that
would have supported their business.
Preeminent in the county during the Spanish and Mexican periods, the Mission neighborhood remained
important during the American period.
A list of important businesses and institutions that established themselves in the neighborhood in the three
decades after statehood would include the following. The Methodist Episcopal Church, the first protestant
church in Santa Cruz (1850). The Mission Hill public school (1856). Thomas Fallon's hotel and saddlery building,
1849 (purchased by the county in 1852, and used as school, courthouse and finally poor house). Temperance
Hall (1860), the early day community and social center of Santa Cruz. The Sisters of Charity Girl's Academy
(1862). James Leslie's store (1860 and possibly earlier). Jackson Sylvar's saloon (1872). The jail building (1854
and 1864).
1
�Holy Cross Church, the successor to the Mission continued to be important replacing the ruins of the adobe
chapel with a wooden church in 1856, and replacing the wooden church with the present brick one in 18841887.
The development of Mission Hill can be summarized as a gradual transition from the center of activity at the
start of the Gold Rush to a predominantly residential district by the turn of the century.
This pattern of development is unusual as commerce usually tends to crowd out residential uses in a city
neighborhood. This has been the fate of the neighborhood immediately west of Pacific Ave. in downtown
Santa Cruz and replacement of buildings from earlier periods.
Perhaps the greatest asset of the Mission Hill Area is its undisturbed character. Except for the construction of
a few structures, the area is relatively unchanged from the early 1900's. Few cities in California have a mission
district which is as unchanged. Architectural styles range from the Mission Era to the Colonial Revival. This
variety is even more unique when you consider the relatively small area in which they are located. Historically,
the area is also vital to the history of the City of Santa Cruz as well as California. As one of the California
mission sites, the Mission Hill area has a wealth of history. Perhaps most indicative of this history, is the fact
that the Neary-Rodriguez Adobe has been continuously occupied from the Spanish Era to the present. Few
buildings in California can claim this distinction. The local importance of the Mission Hill area is best attributed
to by the fact that all but nine lots of the proposed district, are in a Special Use (Historic) District. This district is
intended to minimize change and insure what change occurs is compatible with the area's historic character.
Recent residents of the area have increasingly recognized its importance and have carried out many sensitive
restorations. This new life has proved of great benefit to the entire community by showing the value of
preserving the past in practical everyday terms. To quote Millys Peck, "When the life of a community can be
seasoned with tradition, an awareness of the contribution of its past citizens - the benefit extends far beyond
the momentary." A more specific outline of the area's significance is discussed in the following paragraphs.
2. Archeology – Historic
Certain properties in the proposed landmark district contain subterrain artifacts from the Indian settlements
which once existed near the mission site. Other properties contain evidence of the original Mission ruins.
3. Architectural Significance
The Mission Hill district contains several buildings of special architectural interest.
1. The Calvin Davis house, 207 Mission Street. A light and delicate treatment of the Stick style as a surface
applique to an Italian Villa form. It is the best preserved most important work of Charles Wellington
Davis who was a major architect in Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as Santa Cruz.
2. The Henry Willey house, 105 Sylvar St. for the unusual treatment of the projecting dormer/bay in its
attic, curving out above the porch, and carved with acanthus and anemones.
3. The Reynolds house, 123 Green St. for the two-story bay window on its south facade, sharply and
precisely detailed, the best stick treatment in the city.
2
�4. The Louis Schwartz house, 222 Mission St. for its most effective use of bargeboards in connection with
a central gable, for a strong but simple design.
5. 127 Green St., the Otis Longley house for its integration of Gothic and Classic elements.
6. Holy Cross church for its painted ceiling, and spire, perfectly sited to serve as a landmark for the entire
city. The Mission centennial granite agate in front of the church is the most impressive display of the
stone cutter's art in the city.
7. The Francisco Alzina house, 107 Sylvar St. as a pioneer building type now rare in the state.
8. The Amos-Rodriguez adobe as an uncommon building type, the only building to survive from Mission
Santa Cruz and one of only two adobes in the city.
4. Relationship to Santa Cruz
The Mission Hill district is representative of the early Santa Cruz cityscape, in that it was developed lot by lot,
house by house, over a period of years.
Before the turn of the century, Santa Cruz developers laid out subdivisions that could accommodate many
homes, but almost never built any more than two or three houses in any one location.
Nineteenth century Santa Cruz developed by in-filling between widely-spaced houses or lot-splitting. There
has never been an entire neighborhood dating exclusively from any one decade or period in Santa Cruz. When
the range of styles in the period since 1850 is considered, it is not surprising that this infilling has resulted in a
highly variegated cityscape.
In addition, every decade since statehood has seen the demolition of, and replacement of buildings from
earlier periods.
The Mission Hill district is no different from other Santa Cruz neighborhood in these respects. What is special
about Mission Hill is that the process of demolition and infilling was largely complete by the time the building
boom of the mid-1880's was over. By that time, it was already being described as a desireable [sic] and
attractive residential area in local newspaper accounts.
The particular importance of Mission Hill is its position as the largest geographically contiguous area made up
of buildings of architectural and historical interest. These older buildings dominate the few newer intrusions in
the district.
No other neighborhood in Santa Cruz can claim such a good representation of buildings in each decade from
1850 to 1900. No other neighborhood can claim such a variety of historic uses (church, courthouse, school,
saloon, store, residential). No other neighborhood can claim so many historic sites - first courthouse, first jail,
first brick building, oldest frame house, oldest church building, oldest rectory building, mission building, etc.
3
�5. Agriculture – Commerce
As the center of Mission Era Santa Cruz, the proposed landmark was the focal point of the area's commerce.
The Mission had more than 4,000 head of cattle, extensive vegetable gardens and a grist mill. The mill was
presented to the Mission by Captain George Vancouver who visited it on December 2, 1794, to buy fresh
vegetables. The Mission also had more than 8,000 sheep, and 900 horses by 1828. Herds roamed and grazed
from near Pajaro River up to New Year's Point, a distance about 42 miles.
Santa Cruz County's first hotel was an old Mission adobe, two stories and an attic, with porches running
around it. It stood on the southwest corner of School and Emmett Streets, facing the Plaza where Holy Cross
Elementary School is today. No record exists as to when it was built, and the first transaction regarding it dates
from 1848 when Job Francis Dye sold it to Joseph L. Majors.
When Santa Cruz County was created by the Legislature on February 18, 1[850], its first courthouse business
was conducted in the old Eagle Hotel.
In 1852, the new county paid Thomas Fallon $3,500 and moved into his combination home, store and hotel
which stood just across School Street from the Eagle.
By 1860, it was obvious that "town business" was moving down on the flat, in the former Mission vegetable
garden. By way of incidence, Judge John H. Logan, whose house was in the Mission Hill area, in 1890,
discovered something unusual in his garden: a cross between a native blackberry sprout (Auginbaugh) and the
Red Antwerp Raspberry. He sent samples of the hybrid cross to a firm in Salem, Oregon, where it created great
interest. The new berry was named the Loganberry in honor of Judge Logan.
6. Community Planning
Perhaps the best concise statement of the Mission Hill Area's significance is contained in the City of Santa Cruz
Open Space and Conservation Element:
"The spire of Holy Cross Church serves as the visual focal point of Santa Cruz, as well as the center of the City's
Mission Area. The Mission Hill Area includes the Neary/Rodriguez Adobe, the last remaining building from the
Santa Cruz Mission, and numerous Victorian homes. Portions of this area are now included in a Historical
Preservation District and efforts are now under way to enlarge the area of the district to include the remaining
building of historical significance on Mission Hill."
The wealth of architectural variety is now being appreciated by an increasing number of Santa Cruz residents
and visitors. Efforts are also now underway to restore the Neary-Rodriguez Adobe.
7. Education
The Mission was the site of the first school in Santa Cruz County and today is still the site of two schools
operated by the Monterey Bay Diocese.
4
�8. Landscape Architecture
The Plaza Municipal Park was originally the Mission quadrangle and has always served as public ground. In
1884-87, the Plaza was landscaped by R. G. Ulrich and remains essentially unchanged today.
9. Military
The Neary-Rodriguez Adobe, it is generally agreed, served as the Mission guard house, with the commander of
the guard and his family in one side and his subordinates housed in the other. This is the only guard house
attached to the Missions of California that remains in California.
10. Religion
Since the original founding of the Santa Cruz Mission in 1791, the Mission Hill Area has served as a center for
religious activity in Santa Cruz. Today, the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church stands on the site of the Mission
Chapel and serves as a focal point for the entire City.
Source
Copied as reproduced in Appendix C of Construction Chronology of the Site of Holy Cross Church by Edna E.
Kimbro, originally prepared for the Historic Preservation Commission as part of Holy Cross Parish's application
to build a new Parish Hall.
It is the library’s intent to provide accurate information, however, it is not possible for the library to completely verify the
accuracy of all information. If you believe that factual statements in a local history article are incorrect and can provide
documentation, please contact the library.
5
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Santa Cruz Homes and Gardens
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Description
An account of the resource
Historic homes and gardens in Santa Cruz County documented through photos and articles.
Included are "Distinctive Plant Specimens of Santa Cruz Gardens." These are observations of plants taken on two tour dates, November 19, 1937 and January 21, 1938. They are written by Albert Wilson, Botanist, and a team of surveyors. These descriptions (and some photos) of plants can be searched either by the plant name or by the location address.
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Paper
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Identifier
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AR-092
Title
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National Register of Historic Places Inventory: Nomination Form for the Mission Hill Area Historic District
Subject
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Historic Buildings
Historic Houses
Historic Preservation
Mission Hill
Creator
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Tunheim, Doni
Kimbro, Edna
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Copied as reproduced in Appendix C of "Construction Chronology of the Site of Holy Cross Church" by Edna E. Kimbro, originally prepared for the Historic Preservation Commission as part of Holy Cross Parish's application to build a new Parish Hall.
Publisher
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Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
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6/15/1975
Coverage
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Santa Cruz (City)
1970s
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Text
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En
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ARTICLE
Buildings
Homes
-
https://history.santacruzpl.org/omeka/files/original/02edc22e0d6a8572591cdd16e5d5b5fc.pdf
c022aebb07fc352b44dde402385736b2
PDF Text
Text
Old Riverview Avenue Historic District of Capitola
Methods
Previous Studies
In 1986, the consulting company of Rowe & Associates conducted a thematic study of historic resources in the
City of Capitola. Subsequent studies and evaluations conducted within the city limits for the purposes of
satisfying national, state, and county regulations largely have been based on information provided in the 1986
survey.
In 1986, the City sponsored a city-wide survey of 107 buildings and structures for the purposes of streamlining
development planning, highlighting tangible links to the past, and facilitating the preparation of future
historical resource reports, most importantly NRHP nominations. Rowe & Associates team members
conducted a street-by-street canvas of the city's building stock and took notes and photographs of structures
"of architectural interest." The field survey listed structures more than 50 years old (as of 1986) that had
"retained their architectural integrity over time." After "a broad, representative list emerged," the results
were plotted on maps and "potential historic districts defined." "Significant" individual structures were also
recorded as buildings of local interest. (Rowe & Associates 1986.)
The results of the survey determined that there were "about 240 structures that best represent traditional
architectural styles locally or the community's vernacular architecture"; these structures were listed in the
survey. The survey also identified "several" buildings of local interest that "are eligible for inclusion on the
California Historic Resources Inventory and eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places."
Along with the list of 12 individual buildings and structures "considered to be of local interest," the report
listed three historic districts, including the "Old Riverview Avenue area," "Six Sisters-Lawn Way area," and the
"Venetian Court area." (Rowe & Associates 1986.) These districts were identified as eligible resources
following consultation with the State Office of Historic Preservation. The districts were considered areas with a
common historical "theme" and architecture that "convey[s] a sense of the past and [is] significant in the
community's development." The three districts were listed within the National Register between April 1987
and January 1988 (National Park Service 2001).
1
�The body of the Rowe & Associates survey report consisted of a list of addresses and locations for all surveyed
buildings and structures, photographs (taken in 1986) of each, along with approximate dates of construction
and brief descriptions (including styles, materials, and ownership information when it was available). ...
Concurrent with the completion of the 1986 Rowe & Associates survey, Charles Rowe and Roger Hathaway
prepared an NRHP Inventory-Nomination Form for the Old Riverview Avenue Historic District. The district
described in the nomination form consisted of 57 properties, 46 (81%) of which were contributing (i.e., they
contributed to the historic character of the district). The district's buildings included modest one and twofamily, wood-frame homes of summer cottages constructed between approximately 1935 and 1930.
Architectural styles notes were an informal mix of "Bungalow, Craftsman, and vernacular styles; several
buildings also show influences of the Spanish Colonial Style." Integrity was noted as high, with modifications
witnessed primarily with regards to doors and windows. The noncontributing infill was described as
"compatible with the 'beach-cottage' style of architecture which predominates." (National Park Service 1986.)
The Old Riverview Avenue district's boundaries were described as bounded on the west by Soquel Creek, on
the east by Riverview Drive, on the south by Stockton Avenue, and on the north by a point just north of the
intersection of Riverview Drive and Oak Drive. This point was characterized as the place where "the district's
early twentieth-century colony [is distinguished from] altered and modern dwellings." The railroad trestle and
the narrow creek-side walkway are also noted feature of the district. (National Park Service 1986.) Addresses
included in the district extend the western boundary to a point west of the west bank of Soquel Creek (to
include 1720 and 1720A Wharf Road); the district also incorporates nine buildings between Bluegum Avenue
and Capitola Avenue.
Affected Environment
Historic Setting
The incorporated City of Capitola is located along the Pacific coast of Santa Cruz County. One of the original 27
California counties established in 1850, the boundaries of Santa Cruz County (initially named Branciforte
County, but changed that year) were altered only once in 1868 when the northern limit was moved south (Coy
1973). Capitola is located midway up the coast of the county, approximately 5 miles from Santa Cruz. Soquel
Creek creates a dividing line between two portions of Capitola, with residences to the north of the creek and a
mixture of business, entertainment, and residences along the south side of the creek.
Early Exploration: 1769-1797
In July 1769, the Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola, accompanied by Father Juan Crespi, left San Diego to find
and settle Monterey Bay. After being forced inland by the Santa Lucia Mountains, the expedition followed the
Salinas River to Monterey Bay. However, confusion in the description of a previous expedition misled the
explorers to believe they had not reached their destination, and they proceeded north along the coast. This
route sent the team through areas now known as Watsonville, Capitola, and Santa Cruz. The path they took
from San Diego became part of El Camino Real, and the Franciscan missionaries subsequently established
Mission Santa Cruz in 1791 and nearby Villa de Branciforte (a pueblo or town) in 1797 (Beck and Haase 1974).
2
�Rancho Soquel: 1833-1860
By 1833, Mexico had assumed control of the area. The early steps of secularization, as authorized by Mexican
Governor Jose Figueroa, freed all mission landholdings, as well as several large tracts of land, and authorized
land ownership by private persons (Rawls and Bean 1993). Granting of the large "ranchos," some of which
contained over 32,000 acres in (modern) Santa Cruz County, was intended to encourage settlement of the
area by Mexican citizens, who primarily raised cattle (Rawls and Bean 1993, State Lands Commissions 1982).
Martina Castro (daughter of Mexican governor of California [1835-1836] Jose Castro) obtained a grant to
Rancho Shoquel (more commonly known as "Soquel" and referred to hereafter as such) from Governor
Figueroa in November 1833. After the United States annexation of California in 1848, and as stipulated under
the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Castro applied for a patent to her land in April 1852. Eight years later, after a
formal survey of the land was conducted and confirmed by the Land Commission in 1854, Castro was issued a
formal patent to the 1,668.03-acre Rancho Soquel. This rancho was roughly bounded by Soquel Creek to the
west, Borregas Creek to the east, and a northern boundary line approximately 1 mile north of the beach. Also
in 1854, Castro acquired a patent to the much larger 32,702.41-acre "Shoquel Augmentation" rancho located
directly north of Rancho Soquel (Hart 1978, Hoffman 1862, Perez 1996, U.S. Geological Survey 1954, R 1994).
During Mexican tenure, the (modern) Capitola beach area was referred to as La Playa de Soquel and remained
virtually undeveloped during the ranch period (1834-1846). Following the Gold Rush of 1848, large tracts of
former ranchos were divided into smaller parcels that eventually provided land for newcomers to the state.
During this period, Soquel Landing developed into a more formal schooner landing that serviced ships
delivering San Francisco goods to local markets (Kyle 1990).
Early Development of Capitola: 1869-1913
Capitola's early development is directly associated with Frederick A. Hihn, an entrepreneur and gold-seeker
born in Germany. Having amassed a small fortune in gold, Hihn settled in the Soquel region by 1869 and
established Camp Capitola on the La Playa de Soquel property 7 years later. Hihn had quickly realized the
possible demand for a beach tourist stop along the Santa Cruz Railroad Company route established through
the area in 18874 (Gudde 1969, Robertson 1998); Camp Capitola was Hihn's response to the anticipated
demand. Hihn's name for the new camp was an apparent play on the term "capitol." Hihn likely saw an
opportunity to suggest locating the state capitol at Camp Capitola. By 1876, the Santa Cruz Railroad Company
line extended to Pajaro, and the Camp Capitola resort grew and quickly became a leading summer vacation
spot for numerous central California residents (Robertson 1998, Rowe & Associates 1986).
In the years between 1876 and his death in 1913, Hihn continued to acquire holdings and guide the
development of Capitola. Acting as a land speculator, Hihn bought and sold lots and oversaw the construction
of numerous hotels and other recreation facilities (Lydon & Swift 1978). Like many seaside resorts of the time,
Capitola quickly gained a reputation as a prime tourist and recreation destination. However, unlike many
southern California beach communities, such as Pismo Beach, with more temperate climates, Capitola
transformed from the popular "Tent City" format to more a [sic] permanent resort early on (JRP Historical
Consulting Services 1999, Lydon & Swift 1978, Sanborn 1892). At the turn of the 20th century, the two-lane
road between the Santa Clara County town of Los Gatos and the coastal town of Soquel was the primary route
taken over the Santa Cruz Mountains by affluent Bay Area residents to cities such as Santa Cruz. The road thus
3
�earned the name "Old Santa Cruz Highway," which is still used today. Capitola's proximity to Soquel (in
addition to its easy access via railroad) made Capitola a prime stop for tourists at that time (Beal 1991).
Development of Capitola under Henry Rispin: 1914-1930s
After Hihn's death from pneumonia, his daughter Katherine Cope Henderson sold the Camp Capitola lands in
1919 to Henry Allen Rispin, a Canadian oil millionaire who had relocated to San Francisco. Rispin planned to
transform Capitola into the "Riviera of the New World" and promptly renamed the resort town "Capitola-bythe-Sea." By 1920, Rispin owned the entire waterfront; Hotel Capitola; cottage and bathhouse buildings;
resort concessions; and 30 acres along Soquel Creek, where he built his personal 8-acre estate (Rowe &
Associates 1986).
Rispin made many public improvements to the town and began to subdivide and sell residential and
commercial lots marketed mostly to people of well-heeled communities such as San Francisco. Under various
company names located in larger Bay Area communities, Rispin distributed literature espousing the virtues of
coastal living in an attempt to gain clients (Capitola Properties 1922). His subdivisions under the parent
company, named Bay Head Land Company, led to the development of many new cottages, a deeper
community interest in Capitola activities and business, and the foundation for the eventual incorporation of
the city. Driven by the economic prosperity of the coast region and booming cities such as San Francisco and
San Jose in the 1920s, Capitola-by-the-Sea became a thriving resort community, like many of the coastal
resorts of the time, attracting thousands of summer visitors.
The timing of Capitola's development during the early 1920s worked to Rispin's advantage. Tourism to the
area, and thus access to distant wealthy clients, was facilitated by a number of factors, including the oil boom
of the Los Angeles area, the subsequent rise in the use of the automobile in California, and improvements of
highways by the federal government. The latter phenomenon occurred nationwide and opened up a
significant number of coastal (both Atlantic and Pacific) towns to tourism (Rawls & Bean 1993).
During the early 1920s, the Bay Head Land Company sold numerous lots in subdivisions along the beach and
Soquel Creek. Economic troubles forced the Bay Head Land Company to cease operations in the area by 1924,
and the company conveyed all interest to its landholding in order to focus on its San Jose branch. After the Bay
Head Land Company had left the region, others, such as the Blanchard Company owned by San Francisco
resident C. E. Blanchard, took up the majority of new subdivisions in northern Capitola (Hoag 1928; Lydon &
Swift 1978). However, because of the seasonal nature of the tourist trade and competition with nearby Santa
Cruz, Capitola remained a small town. By 1927, the year-round population was reported to be only 500 (Lydon
& Swift 1978; Rowe & Associates 1986).
In December 1929, Hotel Capitola burned to the ground, symbolically ending the success of the 1920s and
introducing the disastrous depression of the 1930s. Rispin, like many financiers nationwide, went bankrupt
when the stock market crashed, and many of his holdings were auctioned off in an attempt to pay creditors.
With an economy based largely upon the tourist market, Capitola languished through the Great Depression
and the war years and experienced little development (Rowe & Associates 1986). The 1890s improvement of
Capitola (from a simple tent resort to a slightly upper-class permanent resort) later may have become an
obstacle to attracting large numbers of tourists; during the depression, railroad tourism declined substantially,
4
�and lower- to middle-class "automobile" vacationers returned to the more economical tent camps (Belasco
1979).
Modern Development: 1949-Present
The residents of Capitola succeeded in their campaign to incorporate in 1949; the new city supported a
population of less than 2,000 at that time. Despite the major expansion and growth witnessed throughout the
state after the conclusion of World War II, Capitola's growth and development remained slow. Although three
routes over the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains (the Los Gatos-Soquel route, a road along Bear Creek,
and the "Glenwood" route) existed before the 1940 completion of modern Highway 17, all were considered
winding and arduous by travelers reliant on automobiles. Whereas the Los Gatos-Soquel route was heavily
traveled up to the early 20th century, the construction of Highway 17 in 1940 brought the largest number of
automobiles to the south side of the mountains (Beal 1991). The construction of this conduit to San Jose, and
the subsequent improvement to Route 1 between Santa Cruz and Watsonville, served to concentrate
development in these two areas, and left the towns in between, such as Capitola, to languish (Beal 1991).
In the 1970s, Capitola began to urbanize once again through accelerated residential growth and the
annexation of surrounding lands. One example of annexation included the 41st Avenue area west of Soquel
Creek. This region was historically part of the James Brown dairy ranch. The annexed area became the
county's regional shopping center and modern business district (Lydon & Swift 1978).
Despite development beyond the original Camp Capitola tract, the village area and beach continue to thrive
and attract tourists as they did when Hihn and Rispin controlled the beach-front land and recreational
activities. Today, Capitola remains a popular tourist stop, as well as bedroom community, for many of the
surrounding urban areas. In addition, over the last 30 years, Capitola has continued to experience a
considerable amount of growth, particularly in its outlying area beyond the limits of the original town.
Source
Excerpted from: Draft Environmental Impact Report: 505, 505 1/2, and 505A Riverview Drive, City of Capitola,
August 2001; Appendix A. Historical Resource Design Review for 505, 505 1/2 and 505A Riverview Drive,
prepared June 2001, Jones and Stokes, pp. 1-9.
It is the library’s intent to provide accurate information, however, it is not possible for the library to completely
verify the accuracy of all information. If you believe that factual statements in a local history article are
incorrect and can provide documentation, please contact the library.
5
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Santa Cruz History Articles
Description
An account of the resource
Original articles by library staff and by local authors and material from historical books.
Articles on Santa Cruz County history, many with illustrations, are available here.
The Santa Cruz Public Libraries is grateful to our local historians and their publishers for giving permission to include their articles. The content of the articles is the responsibility of the individual authors.
It is the library's intent to provide accurate information. However, it is not possible to completely verify the accuracy of individual articles obtained from a variety of sources. If you believe that factual statements in an article are incorrect and can provide documentation, please contact the library.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
AR-023
Title
A name given to the resource
Old Riverview Avenue Historic District of Capitola
Subject
The topic of the resource
Historic Buildings
Historic Houses
Historic Preservation
Camp Capitola
Van Syckle, Henry
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
City of Capitola
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Draft Environmental Impact Report: 505, 505 1/2, and 505A Riverview Drive, City of Capitola, August 2001
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2001-08
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Capitola
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
En
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
ARTICLE
Relation
A related resource
<a href="http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/17831/">Pacific Coast Architecture Database</a>
<a href="http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/17598/">Pacific Coast Architecture Database</a>
<a href="http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/17822/">Pacific Coast Architecture Database</a>
Buildings
Homes