Historic North Park bungalow clay plaster – 2012

This beautiful bungalow was built in the 20’s in the Dryden Historic District of North Park, San Diego. We were hired to install American Clay plaster in the main hallway and on one wall of the office. Below is the description of the neighborhood from the proposal to make it an historic district. I like the part about “homes (that) reflect the… ideals of honesty and close connection between a structure and the earth.” Seems like a good place for clay plaster!

“North Park is known for the charming and varied architecture of its residences. Many homes reflect the Arts and Crafts Movement ideals of honesty and close connection between a structure and the earth. The neighborhood of Pershing Avenue and 28th Street, from Upas to Landis Streets encompasses 22 bungalows and gracious two-story houses built by David O. Dryden, a master of the Craftsman style. Another 16 homes in this neighborhood were built by Dryden’s contemporary, Edward F. Bryans, who specialized in the small cottage Craftsman style. These are among the earliest houses of North Park, built primarily between 1913 and 1918 during one of San Diego’s greatest local building booms. Fine examples of Dryden’s work include the exuberant oriental-style Craftsman residence at the corner of 28th and Capps Streets, and the stately redwood board and shingle home at the corner of Myrtle and 28th Streets. Many other homes in this area built by other designer/builders contribute to the historical significance of the neighborhood.”

“This historic district is a neighborhood of early twentieth century American Craftsman Bungalows as well as Spanish Colonial Revival homes and California Bungalows built in the 1920s and 1930s.”

Arts & Crafts – Nearly one-third of the homes in the proposed district are Craftsman style, built primarily before the 1920s. Low-sloping roofs with broad overhangs and exposed structure, wooden siding and large windows characterize the design of these homes. Well-known Craftsmen-builders David Owen Dryden and Edward F. Bryans built many homes in the District and lived there with their families.”
Mission Revival and Spanish Revival – One out of eight homes in the proposed District are Mediterranean style architecture, popularized by the Panama Exposition in Balboa Park and built primarily in the 1920s. These homes are usually stucco (although one Mission Revival home in the district is brick); with either moderately sloped Spanish tile roofs or flat roofs and parapets.”
California Bungalow – Similar in form with many of the craftsman homes, about half of the homes are identified as California Bungalows. Built between the Panama-American Exposition in 1915 and the mid-1920s, these homes had front porches, simple architectural details, open floor plans and large windows. Bungalows within the proposed District reflect Prairie, American Colonial and other period-revival details.” – The History Committee of the North Park Community Association