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Craftsman homes,
also called bungalows, were built frequently in
Orange County cities, including Tustin during
the early 20th century. Architects and
designers, such as Greene and Greene, Gustav
Stickley and others, used the design, which
followed the simpler scaled down principles of
the Arts and Crafts Movement. Earth tones, high
quality materials, an appreciation for
craftsmanship, and simple yet elegant design
details were the hallmarks of this wonderfully
understated new style.
The Craftsman
Bungalow, which featured big porches,
low-pitched roofs, often double-gabled, and wood
siding, was built at a time when builders were
true craftsmen and many materials used were very
high quality.
Raised concrete
foundations and hardwood flooring as well as the
use of termite resistant redwood for the
structure characterized their construction.
Built-in cabinets, shelves, seats, ironing
boards and niches are other earmarks of these
bungalows, which were often built between 1900
and 1930.
The Old Town
Tustin Home and Garden tour on May 1 will
feature a California bungalow built in 1915 on
Main Street west of the downtown area.
Selected for the
city of Tustin Historical Survey in 1990, the
house has a double-gabled roof, fronted with
wide frontfacing porch gables.
Matching piers of
brick in shades of tan, red and gold support a
railing of wide and narrow balusters on each
side of the centered entrance.
Narrow clapboard
siding, doublehung windows, a brick chimney and
a clapboard double garage in the back yard
verify its architectural style.
Home to several
families, including Charles Greenwood and his
wife, Belle, and Ira and Daisy Price, over the
years, the house has also been owned by the
First Advent Christian Church. Trajan Perez is
the current owner.
Fewer than a
dozen homes were built in Tustin during the
Depression era, resulting in a housing shortage
in later years.
Because there
were few vacant lots available in Tustin at the
time, many of the homeowners with small groves
surrounding their houses divided their property.
The owner of the
Victorian-Italianate house and barn at the
corner of South A and West Second streets sold
the acreage behind his home to Bill and Harriet
Jones, who subdivided it into three 50 by 150
square-foot lots.
Working with two
partners, Jones, who had retired after 30 years
as Knott’s construction supervisor, built a home
on each lot in 1961.
When they didn’t
sell for $18,000, the two partners moved into
the houses on either side. The middle home was
kept as a rental until 1978 when Mr. and Mrs.
Jones made the decision to downsize and moved
into it.
This house, which
will be open to visitors during the home and
garden tour, is warm and cozy, a modern day
bungalow with knotty pine.
A master bedroom
has been added at the rear and the size of the
kitchen has been doubled, but the original
country ambiance remains.
Tickets for the
Tustin Area Historical Society’s annual Old Town
Promenade from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1 are
available at the Museum for $20 ($25 at the
door). Contact the museum (714-731-5701) for
more information or go to their website at
www.tustinhistory.com.
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