{"nrhp_refnum":"83001223","name":"Southern Counties Gas Co.","other_names":["Handlebars Saloon"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"207 W. 2nd St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Santa Ana","county":"Orange County","state":"CA","lat":33.74657133300008,"lon":-117.86934095699996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-07-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Colonial Revival brick commercial building at 207 West 2nd Street in Santa Ana, Orange County, California, built in 1923 as the Orange County District office of the Southern Counties Gas Co. It was designed by Walker & Eisen of Los Angeles and built by Clark Brothers.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant mainly for its Colonial Revival architecture, as the only pure Colonial Revival commercial building in Santa Ana and apparently the only significant one left in Orange County. It also reflects the local gas utility's history and commerce and industry, and was unusual for being designed by a Los Angeles firm rather than local architects.","narrative":"Built in 1923 at 207 West 2nd Street in Santa Ana, this brick building served as the Orange County District office of the Southern Counties Gas Co. It cost $50,000 and held executive offices, a clubroom and a garage with room for 36 service vehicles. It was one of twenty-six gas company offices in Southern California and stands on the site of the Santa Ana Gas and Electric Light Works, which operated there from 1891. Los Angeles firm Walker & Eisen designed it, and Clark Brothers built it, which was unusual in a city where local architects did most of the work. The two-story front wing has a gabled roof, dormers, plaster pilasters and Palladian-style windows and entry, while a one-story rear section housed the garage. It is described as the only pure Colonial Revival commercial building in Santa Ana. Later restaurant use added Victorian-style interior decoration, but the original beams, posts and shell remained, and the exterior was restored to its historic appearance.","period_of_significance":"1923","architect_builder":"Architect: Walker & Eisen (Los Angeles); Builder: Clark Brothers (Los Angeles)","architectural_style":"Colonial Revival with Palladian and Federal influences","criteria":[],"status_note":"Form lists the building as unoccupied and commercial, in excellent condition and altered. It was later used as a restaurant/saloon; the exterior was reportedly restored after the application was submitted.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.616524-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/83001223.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001223/e08ec4e2b2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001223/e08ec4e2b2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Cbl62","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southern_Counties_Gas_Co._Building,_Santa_Ana,_California.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Cbl62</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:Southern_Counties_Gas_Co._Building,_Santa_Ana,_California.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"84000438","name":"Downtown Santa Ana Historic Districts (North, Government/Institutional and South, Retail)","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/california/downtown-santa-ana-historic-districts-north-government-institutional-and-south-r-84000438/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860344","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133342599"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/orange-county/southern-counties-gas-co-83001223/"}