Proposed St. John's Cathedral
Historic District
Fresno, California
This district, located in the northeast
corner of downtown Fresno, was originally proposed as part of an undated
Historic Districts Plan prepared by Brenda M. Carter for the City of
Fresno. Carter suggested the name "Hospital Hill District" for this area. The
1994 Supplementary Historic Building Survey for
the Ratkovich Plan Area, by John Edward Powell and Michael J. McGuire,
proposed a slightly modified set of boundaries for this district, and suggested
that it be called the "St. John's Cathedral District."
As defined by Powell and McGuire, this
district is composed of approximately seven city blocks, bounded on the
northwest by Fresno Street, on the north by Divisadero Street, on the northeast
by U Street, on the southeast by Tulare Street and on the southwest by the
Santa Fe Railroad tracks (view map of district boundary and some contributing
buildings).
Powell and McGuire noted that a number of
fine homes have been lost to demolition or relocation. The major example of
this loss is the empty parcel located at 1119 S Street. Originally the site of
the F. C. Meehan Home, an enormous Gambrel Colonial Revival style structure,
this land was cleared in 1968 and remains empty to this day. The house was
moved to rural Madera County, where it survives in genuine magnificence at
34614 Avenue 9.
Employing the most liberal interpretation
possible, the properties contributing to historic district status represent
only 54% of the building stock in this area, according to Powell &
McGuire's calculations. Although the district falls far short of federal
standards for districting, it is recommended that an exception be made for
local level designation.
The name "Hospital Hill District" derives
from the fact that this area of downtown Fresno has been associated with health
care for well over a century. In 1876 the City of Fresno purchased property for
a hospital in this area; when the hospital moved to a different site, the
Burnett Sanitarium filled the void. The Sanitarium eventually became Fresno
Community Hospital. The affluent were drawn to the area, possibly because of
the elevated configuration of the land and the proximity to the hospital. Today
the area derives much of its historic identity–and name–from the St.
John's Cathedral at R and Mariposa Streets.
The following structures are among those
that contribute to this district:
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