{"nrhp_refnum":"78000693","name":"Johnston, Darius David, House","other_names":["Hargitt Ranch House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"12426 Mapledale St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Norwalk","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":33.89833002900008,"lon":-118.06815023099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-11-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Eastlake-style ranch house at 12426 Mapledale Street in Norwalk, Los Angeles County, California, built in 1890-91 by Darius David Johnston, with a semi-attached water tower dating to 1878.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of the few remaining two-story Eastlake houses in original condition in the Norwalk area, retaining most of its original embellishment. It is also significant as the home of Darius David Johnston, a leading Norwalk pioneer who helped organize the Norwalk School District in 1880. He also aided Japanese immigrants in the 1880s with employment, housing and schooling.","narrative":"Built in 1890-91, this two-story shiplap house on Mapledale Street in Norwalk is an example of rural Eastlake design. Cross gables and bays are shingled and decorated with scrollwork, while spindlework and brackets ornament the front bay windows and the two-story entrance porch. The exterior remains unaltered, and the front door keeps its etched and stained glass. A semi-attached water tower, built in 1878 for an earlier house, still has its original pipes. The house was once the center of Darius David Johnston's 120-acre ranch, first planted in wine grapes and later in prunes, avocados and citrus; housing now covers the surrounding land. Johnston was a leading Norwalk pioneer who helped organize the school district in 1880 and served on its board until his death in 1917. He also helped Japanese immigrants find work, housing and schooling. Schools in Norwalk carry the names of Johnston and his daughter Cora Hargitt. The city owns the property and was restoring it as a museum.","period_of_significance":"1890-91","architect_builder":"Darius David Johnston","architectural_style":"Eastlake","criteria":[],"status_note":"City-owned and being restored as a museum; the form lists its condition as good, on its original site, with an unaltered exterior.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.918686-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/78000693.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000693/5cc2c3c819-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000693/5cc2c3c819-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Einbierbitte","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Darius_Johnston_House_6.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Einbierbitte</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Darius_Johnston_House_6.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859234","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darius_David_Johnston_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q122223000"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/johnston-darius-david-house-78000693/"}