CITINERARY: Old Downtown Santa Clara

This Old Downtown Santa Clara Marker consists of three panels of photographs with captions.

This Spanish-style building is the only survivor of Santa Clara’s historic downtown.

The work of art, carved in teak wood and weighing nearly 300 pounds, “is six feet at the base, by about five feet high” and “represents events in the history of Santa Clara from the period of around 1860,” reads an article from the Santa Clara News dated July 23, 1937. “The artist chose this period so that the carving would conform in idea with the style of the building, which is of the mission type, prevalent in early times.

Located in the Old Town Quad this sculpture is surrounded with a number of small fountains and creates a comfortable waiting place for passengers arriving and departing on city buses through Santa Clara.

This house is a good example of Queen Anne style architecture with the “witches tower” as a prominent architectural feature.

One of Santa Clara’s jewels, this lovely home was designed in a local interpretation of the Colonial Revival style by prominent Santa Clara County architect Louis T. Lenzen for Fred and Maude Franck. The elements of these homes: classic columns, prominent porticos and molded geometric patterns were easy to imitate with the materials and technology available, and the Colonial Revival revolution began.

The front portion of this Carpenter Gothic style house was constructed around 1860 and was a prefab brought around the horn. The framing construction is very unusual: no nails. The front yard has a 240 year old Bay tree, and the back has a 100+ year old Ginko tree.

Shortly after its construction an article in the May 15, 1892 San Jose Daily Mercury described it as “the largest and most striking example of modern architecture in Santa Clara. The grounds occupied by this handsome residence cover an entire block in the heart of the town.” The article further stated that “at the rear of the house are the extensive stables and carriage room, the most commodious and the handsomest in Santa Clara.” Although the carriage house was demolished in the last few years, this magnificent Queen Anne mansion still exists at the northeast corner of Fremont and Washington Streets. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was last used for law offices.

The 45,000 sq. ft. Santa Clara Senior Center is located in this seven acre park. A new children’s play area, rose garden, off-street parking, and exercise course are also located here. The park was designed to be compatible with the recreational needs of senior citizens, and as a neighborhood park for the Old Quad area of the City.