Anaheim

Welcome to part two of the Southern California Virtual House Tour.

After touring wealthy Pasadena, a visit to Anaheim offers a wonderful look back at early 20th century homes for the middle class. The Kroeger-Melrose District (1892 - 1923) is Anaheim's most cohesive unit of early Twentieth Century housing stock. Although the oldest house in the neighborhood dates to 1892, the majority of the houses were built between 1900 and 1915. The neighborhood contains the highest concentration of Transitional Bungalows with Neo-Classical elements in the city. Combined with the Queen Anne cottage and the Craftsman and California Bungalows, the District is representative of a significant pattern of residential California architectural history.

The Kroeger-Melrose District is a compact square comprised of five streets: Olive, Kroeger, Melrose, Broadway and Philadelphia. The first house built here is an 1892 Queen Anne cottage constructed by S. H. Claybaugh. Located at 115 S. Olive, it was the first house to be built on the single family lots laid out in 1887. Between 1898, when the Boyd House at 129 S. Olive was built, and 1907, over 20 of the Neo-Classical houses were built throughout the district. Between 1900 and 1918 the area grew to include more than 20 bungalows.

Also of interest is the 1923 "Court of California Bungalows," located at 116-118 S. Olive. The court was once called the Anaheim Court and was a popular place for newlyweds to start their new life together. Apart from the Kroeger-Melrose District, there are several additional areas to explore within Anaheim. The houses in these areas feature a wide range of styles -- from bungalows and Mission style to Spanish colonials -- dating from the mid-1920ís through the 1930s.

A great site devoted to Anaheim history and house tours can be found here:
Historic Anaheim

Other West Coast Architecture Pages:
Pasadena, California
Riordan Mansion, Flagstaff, Arizona

Thumbnails for Anaheim, CA

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Photo Guide:

1. Queen Anne style at 205 Kroeger
2. Anaheim Court, 1923, South Olive Street
3. Kellenberger House, an historic bungalow on South Olive
4. Corner of Center Street and Kroeger. These townhomes look brand new, but are actually early 20th century.
5. 1.5 story bungalow at 120 Kroeger
6. Quaint bungalow, 214 Melrose
7. Wonderful double gabled bungalow at 129 Atchison
8. Bungalow with Japanese influences at 124 Kroeger
9. Bungalow at 112 Melrose
10. Charming bungalow with river rock foundation at 211 Kroeger
11. Sunny bungalow, 216 Melrose
12. Looking down Atchison Street from Citrus Park
13. 1923 Colonial Revival from Floral Park section of Santa Ana