{"nrhp_refnum":"86002405","name":"Forster, Frank A., House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"27182 Ortega Hwy.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Juan Capistrano","county":"Orange County","state":"CA","lat":33.50265530300004,"lon":-117.65620736899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-09-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Mission Revival house with a full basement at 27182 Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California, designed by Train & Williams for Frank A. Forster and completed in 1910.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is the last major residence in Mission Revival style remaining in San Juan Capistrano and an exceptionally fine, relatively unaltered example of the style. It also notes the architects' use of reinforced concrete, then a relatively new material, and its link to the prominent Forster ranching family.","narrative":"Completed in 1910 on a tree-shaded knoll along Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano, this two-story house with a full basement was designed by architects Robert F. Train and Robert E. Williams for rancher Frank A. Forster. Its Mission Revival design drew inspiration from the nearby historic Mission. Features include an Espadana roof shape with original mission tile, a six-arch porch, a pergola with Tuscan columns and heavy textured stucco. The basement and first floor are reinforced concrete, a relatively new material at the time, while the second floor is wood frame with plaster. Inside are beam ceilings, a fireplace of rounded beach rocks, fir woodwork and original hardware. The house is described as the last major residence of its style in the city. It also represents the Forster family, prominent ranchers and landowners in Orange County. After decades of neglect following 1950, it was restored closely to its original design and now serves as an interior design showroom.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"Train & Williams (Robert Farquar Train and Robert Edmund Williams)","architectural_style":"Mission Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and recently restored; used as an interior designer's showroom/studio after years of neglect following 1950.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:28.167912-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/86002405.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002405/6d5919b370-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86002405/6d5919b370-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Bluesnote","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frank_A._Forster_House.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Bluesnote</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:Frank_A._Forster_House.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860212","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_A._Forster_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43401331"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/orange-county/forster-frank-a-house-86002405/"}