Alta Mesa Historic Context Statement and Reconnaissance Survey

Painter, Diana

From Summary of Findings: "The Alta Mesa neighborhood is significant as both Monterey's oldest residential neighborhood, and one of its more recent, for the fact that the area developed primarily after World War II. The earliest residence in the neighborhood, which has been continuously occupied since first settled, dates to 1817. Three additional nineteenth century adobes are also still extant in the neighborhood, one of which was moved there in the 1920s. The neighborhood also had an important period of development in the 1920s and early 1930s, when a master plan was developed, subdivisions were put in place, and new construction by master builder J.C. Anthony and his colleague, artist/sculptor Jo Mora, catered to visual artists and writers who were attracted to Monterey for its thriving art scene. J.C. Anthony moved and reconstructed one adobe and renovated two additional adobes at this time and undertook new construction in the Spanish Colonial and Monterey Revival styles that reflected his own particular interpretations of the styles. In 1939 a Master Plan for City of Monterey was developed that addressed the preservation of historic resources and conservation of natural resources, another landmark activity. ...The Period of Significance for the neighborhood is 1817 to 1969, embracing all major periods of residential development. Areas of significance are Exploration/Settlement, Community Planning and Development, Architecture, and Landscape Architecture. ...The nineteenth century adobes and 1920s-1930s residences designed and/or constructed by J.C. Anthony and partners could be eligible for listing in the National Register as a Multiple Property Document (MPD), which is a themed nomination associated with individual, non-contiguous properties. The properties would be significant for their association with J.C. Anthony and his vision to create an artists' enclave of 'Spanish houses', a goal toward which he made great progress. Creating a historic context for an MPD plus the nomination of at least one individual property allows an MPD to go forward and be listed in the National Register. This same grouping of resources could be evaluated as a small historic district whose boundaries could be slightly modified from the 1923 survey that Margaret Jacks commissioned and that was not part of the formal Olmsted plan. This would be significant for its collection of Spanish-influenced buildings associated with master builder J.C. Anthony." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the California Office of Historic Preservation, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P18AF00112).

Alta Mesa Historic Context Statement and Reconnaissance Survey

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