{"nrhp_refnum":"02000801","name":"Congdon, Joel R., House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"32701 Alipaz St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Juan Capistrano","county":"Orange County","state":"CA","lat":33.48876047950006,"lon":-117.67392106527225,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-07-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story late Victorian redwood farmhouse at 32701 Alipaz Street in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California, built in 1876 by Joel R. Congdon on the remaining 28.8 acres of his original 160-acre farm, with an associated water tower.","why_significant":"The nomination presents the house as the first and oldest farmhouse in San Juan Capistrano and the first wooden structure built there. It is tied to Joel R. Congdon, the first American-born settler of the town, who is credited with planting what may be the first commercial English walnut grove in Orange County. The surrounding land remains a working farm, preserving the area's agricultural heritage.","narrative":"Built in 1876, this two-story redwood farmhouse in San Juan Capistrano is the first wooden structure erected in the town. Joel R. Congdon, a Connecticut native who bought 160 acres in 1868, built it as ranch headquarters for his growing family, using sandstone rubble from the old mission church for its foundation. A water tower he built at the same time still stands beside it. Congdon planted about 35 acres of English walnuts while the house was going up, and the grove is believed to be the first commercial planting of its kind in Orange County. Families lived in the house until 1975, after which it sat empty for 25 years. The City of San Juan Capistrano then restored it, keeping more than 80 percent of the original fabric, including doors, cabinetry, oak floors and the free-standing fireplace. The remaining 28.8 acres are still farmed, giving a view of the valley's agricultural past.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Joel R. Congdon (builder)","architectural_style":"Late Victorian","criteria":[],"status_note":"Unoccupied from 1975 to 2000, then restored by the City of San Juan Capistrano; the surrounding 28.8 acres remain an actively farmed agricultural preserve. The water tower still awaits restoration.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:28.287776-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/02000801.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860189","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/orange-county/congdon-joel-r-house-02000801/"}