{"nrhp_refnum":"83001215","name":"Irvine Park","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"21401 Chapman Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Orange","county":"Orange County","state":"CA","lat":33.79525577000004,"lon":-117.74844648738501,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-04-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Irvine Park (Irvine Regional Park) is a 160-acre nominated park site in the Santiago Canyon foothills near Orange, California, given to Orange County in 1897 and developed mainly between 1919 and 1936.","why_significant":"It is Orange County's first regional park, on land donated by the Irvine family, and a long-popular picnic ground since the late 1850s. It keeps 1930s Craftsman-style park buildings designed by Frederick Eley, Santa Ana's first registered architect, plus Works Progress Administration stonework from 1935-1936. Ancient live oaks and the creek setting retain the park's historic feeling.","narrative":"Irvine Park, in Santiago Canyon east of Orange, California, is a county park that grew out of a favorite pioneer picnic grove. James Irvine Jr. gave the 160-acre site to Orange County in 1897 on the condition that it stay natural-looking and that its oaks receive full care, making it the county's first regional park. Some live oaks are estimated at 700 years old. Most of the park's present character dates from 1919 to 1936. A lake and boat house were added in 1913-14, and architect Frederick Eley designed Craftsman-style buildings with shingle siding, tile roofs and river-rock piers, including an exhibit hall, a restaurant and a drinking fountain. Works Progress Administration crews built rock fireplaces, sinks and retaining walls in 1935-1936. A cannon, a Spanish-American War memorial and an Indian mortar rock add to the grounds. During World War II the park served briefly as a military training camp. Restoration was under way when the park was listed.","period_of_significance":"1919-1936","architect_builder":"Frederick Eley","architectural_style":"Craftsman (with a Mission Revival restroom)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Under rehabilitation at the time of nomination; the lake was temporarily dry and buildings were being restored, with about 400,000 visitors a year. The park is publicly owned.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.734768-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/83001215.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001215/d946205bcb-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001215/d946205bcb-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Cbeekman","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Irvine_Regional_Park_in_December.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Cbeekman</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Irvine_Regional_Park_in_December.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860256","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irvine_Park_(Orange,_California)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6074361"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/orange-county/irvine-park-83001215/"}