California’s Santa Cruz Architectural Styles have become historical icons, which the area proudly preserves with great care. There have been many eras that have left an indelible mark on the buildings, houses and structures of the city. A bit of flavor from the ages remains an undeniable element of the city’s long and varied history.
Santa Cruz, CA was established largely for the sake of a Franciscan mission and a Spanish garrison. The mission was built in 1791 and the garrison was erected in 1793. The Franciscan Mission was moved to the Mission Hill area where it still stands today due to flooding from the St. Lawrence River. The founders of the mission modeled it in a baroque manner as they are accused. It was built with the plaza as the central focus, almost forming a triplex around the plaza. The style announces those seen in Mexico and Spain. The mission is basically an adobe building with deep layers of wall inside. This simplistic design was adopted due to the use of Indian laborers who lacked extensive construction skills. Decorative bell towers and deep pillars surround the structure to this day.
Some of the oldest structures to be erected in Santa Cruz were houses built in a non-decorative rectangular shape. Wooden boards were used to clad these basic dwellings in the area. They were very popular in the pioneer days dating back to 1850. Sylvar Street still has a house from this period that stands as an example of the architectural era.
From 1850 to 1890, residential and office buildings went through many transitions and the architectural styles of Santa Cruz evolved, celebrating different style periods such as: Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Palo, Eastlake, Romanesque, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and pebbles. A Greek Revival home reflected an American taste in building. Although the construction had large pillars like the Greek style and large porches, this style could be seen throughout the country during its time. The Gothic Revival featured churches and buildings with very sharp edges and interesting details much like Gothic structures in Europe. The Italianate period boasted buildings that were large and had large windows and a covered porch around the front. This style was indicative of the Renaissance Period in Italy. Both the Stick and Eastlake styles of houses had large windows and open-air porches or decks.
Romanesque structures were quite popular for business. Miniature columns that are grouped together with rock fronts are strong features of these buildings. The Queen Anne is a very pretty Victorian looking structure. Houses in this style were designed with towers on the sides of the houses with decorative chimneys and an ornate overall look. The Colonial Revival produced buildings and homes that have much in common with Revolutionary War-era American homes. There was a resurgence of American pride as they moved west gaining more territory, and a tendency developed to emulate past American style. The Shingle style, just like its name, boasted houses with wispy shingles to clad the exterior of the house instead of siding. These houses were still very large in appearance, but unobtrusive in exterior decoration, and all indicative of Santa Cruz architectural styles.
For a house or structure to have historical significance in the Santa Cruz area, it generally must be at least fifty years old. This is in line with the National Registry requirements, although it is not implied by the California state registry. However, there are exceptions and whether it is births of historical figures, important historical events, religious buildings or cemeteries, sometimes the building can be considered historical as it has not yet approached fifty years.