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Typical streetscape of downtown
San Jose, with the Pomerey Building in the center
Photograph by Judith Silva, courtesy of the City of Santa
Clara |
As Santa Clara Valley's mercantile and financial center for the
past 100 years, San Jose's downtown historic commercial district
is significant both from a historic and an architectural perspective.
The district includes buildings dating from the 1870s, reflecting
the emergence of the American city; buildings from the 1890s,
reflecting San Jose's boom years as an agricultural center; and
buildings from the 1920s, showcasing the South Bay Area's first
skyscraper. Thus, the district is unsurpassed in Santa Clara County
in its broad representation of historic California commercial
architecture. San Jose's history stretches back to the days of
the Spanish colonial empire in North America. El Pueblo de San
Jose de Guadalupe, chartered by the King of Spain, founded in
1777, was Alta California's first civil settlement. Following
the Mexican-American War, San Jose was ceded with the territory
of California to the United States. Immediately, the city was
surveyed first by Thomas Campbell in 1847 and later by Chester
Lyman, in 1848, following the standard grid street pattern utilizing
traditional Spanish pathways. This street pattern has remained
virtually unaltered to this day. The development of American commercial
areas in San Jose extended into this newly surveyed area, just
east of the Spanish Pueblo site of 1797 (relocated from the originial
site after major flooding).
Oddfellows Building
Photograph by Judith Silva, courtesy of the City of Santa
Clara
Bank of America Building
Photograph by Judith Silva, courtesy of the City of Santa
Clara |
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The best remaining example of downtown commercial architecture of
the 1870s and 1880s within the district is the three-story Italianate
Oddfellows Building at the corner of Santa Clara and Third streets
(1883). Another building from this time period is located at 58
South First Street, today known as La Rosa Pharmacy. The building
was built in 1870 and was known as the Pomeroy Building. Though
the façade has been altered with the addition of stucco siding,
an examination of the back of the building reveals the original
brick construction. In the 1870s and mid-1880s, the heart of downtown
commercial activity had moved northward along
Market Street (immediately west of First Street and part of the
Pueblo) to the Santa Clara Street intersection. However, by the
latter part of the 1880s, Santa Clara and First streets became the
new focus for downtown business activity. The early horse drawn
railway systems reinforced the importance of this intersection with
single and, later, double tracks located along both streets. During
the 1890s, important commercial buildings were constructed down
First Street reflecting the Romanesque Revival architecture of the
East Coast. This streetscape represents a group of buildings designed
by the finest local architects including Levi Goodrich and Jacob
Lenzen, and built by the leading citizens of the time: James Phelan,
F. Sourisseau, C. T. Ryland, Martin Murphy's descendants and the
Auzerais family. Buildings such as the Knox-Goodrich Building at
34 South First Street, with its extreme rustication, reflect the
qualities of the wealthy, orchard oriented, agricultural community
of the turn-of-the-century. Other significant buildings include
the Letitia Building (1890) and the Romanesque Revival Security
Building (1892). The dominating building of the intersection is
the Bank of America Building (1926), San Jose's first "skyscraper,"
built by H. A. Minton. The bank was featured in Architect and
Engineering Record of California as one of the first earthquake-proof
constructions in the area. The Bank of America has long been a "landmark"
building, at 13 stories plus tower it locates the heart of downtown
San Jose.
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de Saisset Building
Photograph by Judith Silva, courtesy of the City of Santa
Clara
El Paseo
Photograph by Judith Silva, courtesy of the City of Santa
Clara |
Following the great earthquake of 1906, Edwardian and Neo-Classical
commercial buildings replaced the damaged Victorian and Romanesque
businesses. Another significant building from this time period within
the historic district is the Landmark Square built in 1907 at 87
South Second Street. This building and the streetscape of Santa
Clara Boulevard between Third and Fourth streets represent excellent
examples of the cleaner lines of the post-earthquake period design.
The one building which defies the new 20th-century style of commercial
architecture is the de Saisset property located at Santa Clara and
South Second streets. This three-story Italianate building was built
in 1900 and although representative of styles common for the previous
two decades, was termed to be the "New Century Block." Mission Revival,
California's first indigenous architecture, dominated smaller commercial
architecture. Desimones Bike Shop (82 South Second Street) and the
Jose Theater (64 South Second Street) perfectly reflect the design
qualities of the city's new Hispanic influenced downtown architecture.
Spanish Colonial Revival also provided California with a new historic
architectural mode and the "El Paseo" shopping block on South First
Street reflects the most popular commercial architecture of the
1920s in California.
Moderne Drup Company
Photograph by Judith Silva, courtesy of the City of Santa
Clara |
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During the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, modernization and further consolidation
characterized the downtown core. The Moderne Drug Company at 50
Santa Clara Street reflects the "machine age" streamline design
of the 1930s, as does the Moyer Music Store at South Second and
San Fernando streets. New Growth patterns to the west and south
of the center of the city changed the commercial desirability of
the downtown core area of San Jose. New construction was virtually
nonexistent until the government sponsored redevelopment programs
of the 1960s began razing of the entire center city blocks for planned
new development. The historic downtown commercial district retains
the highest concentration of older buildings in the downtown, which
reflects the best examples of architecture from almost every period
in the growth of the "American City." There is currently a movement
on the part of many property owners to rehabilitate and reuse their
older buildings. Designation of this area as a National Register
of Historic Places district has promoted and encouraged renewed
pride.
The San Jose Downtown Commercial District is roughly bounded
by S. First St. to the west, E. San Fernando St. to the south,
S. Third St. to the west, and E. Santa Clara St. to the north,
but also includes the south side of E. Santa Clara St. between
Third and Fourth Sts. Visit www.sjdowntown.com to find information
on upcoming events and attractions in the downtown area.
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