Saratoga Foothill Club

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Saratoga Foothill Club
Foothill Clubhouse
USA-Saratoga-Foothill Club.jpg
Saratoga Foothill Club
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Saratoga Foothill Club
Location in Santa Clara County
Location20399 Park Place, Saratoga, California, US
Coordinates 37°15′32.5″N122°1′47.9″W / 37.259028°N 122.029972°W / 37.259028; -122.029972
Built1915 (1915)
Architect Julia Morgan
Architectural style By region, American Craftsman
Website www.saratogafoothillclub.com
NRHP reference No. 05000069 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 27, 2005

Saratoga Foothill Club, also known as the Foothill Clubhouse, is a historic building located in Saratoga, California. This clubhouse was designed by California architect Julia Morgan in 1915 for the Women's Club of Saratoga. This building is historically significant due to the club's role in shaping Saratoga's civic and cultural life. Moreover, it is known for being designed by Julia Morgan, the first licensed female architect in the state. Established in 1907, the Saratoga Foothill Club stands as the oldest social organization in the city. The Saratoga Foothill Club was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 27, 2005. [2] [3]

Contents

History

Title sheet with site plan and roof plan for Saratoga Foothill Club, 20399 Park Place, Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California. Saratoga Foothill Club, 20399 Park Place, Saratoga, Santa Clara County, CA HABS CAL,43-SARA,2- (sheet 1 of 10).tif
Title sheet with site plan and roof plan for Saratoga Foothill Club, 20399 Park Place, Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California.

Established in 1907 under the name "Foothill Study Club," this organization comprised a small circle of local women who gathered in the homes of members to engage in self-improvement activities, including reading and public speaking. [4] [5] The Club sought contributions from the community to fund the construction of a clubhouse. The land for the building was donated by Mrs. Davis C. Bell and Mrs. George A. Wood, both active community members. They enlisted the services of San Francisco-based architect, Julia Morgan, to design the building, which was constructed in 1915. The building is located at 20399 Park Place within what was formerly known as Saratoga Village, situated in Santa Clara County, California. The organization's aim is to "further educational and social and civic work of the community." [2] [6] [5] [7]

The Saratoga Foothill Club has played a role in the community's social history. In 1927, club members raised $12,000 (equivalent to $202,161in 2022) to fund the construction of the Saratoga Village Library, the first library in Saratoga. [8] The club has been in continuous service as a women's club, while also serving the community gatherings, cultural events, meetings, and receptions. The club's building served as the village's first movie theater from 1917 to the early 1920s. [6] [4] [7]

Design

Front of the Saratoga Foothill Club, looking west-northwest. FRONT, LOOKING WEST-NORTHWEST - Saratoga Foothill Club, 20399 Park Place, Saratoga, Santa Clara County, CA HABS CAL,43-SARA,2-2.tif
Front of the Saratoga Foothill Club, looking west-northwest.
Saratoga Foothill Club National Register of Historic Places Plaque Saratoga Foothill Club National Register of Historic Places Plaque.jpg
Saratoga Foothill Club National Register of Historic Places Plaque

The Saratoga Foothill Club is a one-story redwood building with a By region, American Craftsman-style designed by architect Julia Morgan. The one-story redwood shingled structure, with its pebble paved courtyard and grounds, occupies the 7,409 square feet (688.3 m2) city lot. Blueprints and specifications for the club are available at Online Archive of California. [9]

The main entrance to the club opens onto Park Place. The entrance has two original high back redwood benches, and an original pergola surrounds the sides of the building that face the street. Inside, a large assembly room has large Arts and Crafts-style windows on two sides, providing natural light and opens onto an enclosed courtyard. The stage is situated at the rear, facing the fence side, while the kitchen and restroom addition runs along the alley. [2]

A redwood trellis stretches from a side door into the secluded courtyard, providing access to the street. Moreover, the side of the structure that faces the courtyard also serves as the frontage on Park Place. The landscaping of the grounds was initially done in April 1918, and a sidewalk was introduced in 1966. By 1975, the garden on the southeast side was transformed into a patio with an aggregate surface separated by bricks and enclosed by low-lying ground cover. The building retains its original layout, with the sole exception being a kitchen extension added in 1936 on the alley side. [2] Within the courtyard's surroundings there is a sculpture of Julia Morgan wearing a bowler hat created by Jerry Smith to commemorate the Saratoga Foothill Club's centennial (1907-2007). [10] There is also a sculpture featuring the poem titled The Gentle Gardener by Edgar A. Guest, accompanied by the inscription thanking Miles Rankin for funding the garden 2011 restoration project. [11]

The building's interior spaces encompass a vestibule, a hallway, a dining room, an assembly room with a stage, and two stage dressing rooms. Additionally, there is a kitchen and storage area, as well as separate men's and women's restrooms. The original interior finishes have been left unchanged, preserving the architect's initial design. In 1936, an expansion project altered the building's layout by adding a 6 ft (1.8 m) x 54 ft (16 m) rectangular extension to the alley side, primarily for the kitchen and an additional restroom. This renovation, based on plans by Julia Morgan from early 1936, was completed by November of the same year at a cost of $2,200 (equivalent to $42,177in 2022). Simultaneously, the interior stage area was enlarged, and the anteroom next to the stage was extended by 8 ft (2.4 m). An internal pergola, which once extended across the northwest side of the Assembly Room, was also removed. Furthermore, the dining room underwent remodeling, and various minor repairs were carried out. [2]

The exterior walls are adorned with natural redwood shingles, carefully arranged in alternating horizontal bands. The roof comprises two gables positioned at right angles to each other. The primary roofing material consists of three-foot shakes with a one-foot exposure. Flat roofs shield the front and side entry bays, embellished with decorative trelliswork along the eaves. The building boasts a pair of porches and two chimneys. The main entrance is graced by double redwood panel doors, featuring the club's name inscribed on a redwood panel overhead. A sizable circular rose window with multiple panes adorns the northwest gable of the Assembly Room. On the front facade, each of the three prominent Assembly Room openings is filled with three individual window panes. [2]

Historically significant

The Saratoga Foothill Club holds historical significance in the realm of social history due to its role in molding the civic and cultural life of Saratoga. Established in 1907, it stands as the city's longest-standing social organization. Furthermore, its architectural significance is notable, as it was designed by Julia Morgan, the first female architect to be granted a license in the state. In 1923, Morgan also designed the Saratoga Federated Church Chapel, which is conveniently situated directly across the street from the club. [2]

In 1988, the City of Saratoga affixed a memorial plaque inside the Foothill Clubhouse, officially recognizing it as the community's Heritage Resource No. 1. [12] [13] On February 27, 2005, the Saratoga Foothill Club was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. There is memorial plaque at the front entrance that identifies the building's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, designed by Julia Morgan. [2] [3]

See also

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References

  1. "National Register Information System  Saratoga Foothill Club (#05000069)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Saratoga Foothill Club National Register of Historic Places Registration Form". Department of Parks and Recreation. February 27, 2005. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Saratoga Foothill Club". Office of Historic Preservation. February 27, 2005. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Saratoga Foothill Club, 20399 Park Place". Library Of Congress. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "FootHill Club Plans New Home". Oakland Tribune. June 3, 1915. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Primary Record". Saratoga, California: Department of Parks and Recreation. 1980. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "FootHill Club 70 years old". Los Gatos Times-Saratoga Observer. October 6, 1977. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  8. "About Saratoga Library". Santa Clara County Library. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  9. "Saratoga Foothill Club Julia Morgan Blueprints (1915)". Online Archive of California. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  10. Randy Miceli (May 19, 2017). "Former Saratoga mayor and public artist Jerry Smith dies". The Mercury News. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  11. "Saratoga Foothill Club Historic Landmark Foundation Restoration Projects". Saratoga Foothill Club. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  12. "Saratoga Foothill Club Clubhouse". Saratoga Foothill Club. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  13. "Heritage Resource Inventory". City of Saratoga. Retrieved October 18, 2023.