{"nrhp_refnum":"88000557","name":"Esslinger Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"31866 Camino Capistrano","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Juan Capistrano","county":"Orange County","state":"CA","lat":33.499918181000055,"lon":-117.66210797299999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1988-05-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story Streamline Moderne office building at 31866 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California, built in 1938-39 as a medical clinic for Dr. Paul H. Esslinger, with a rear garage and apartment building.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is a classic example of Streamline Moderne design, notable for its curved aerodynamic form and 70-foot glass block front. It is the only one of its kind in a town dominated by Spanish and Mission-style architecture. Its rarity and design quality justified listing despite being just under 50 years old.","narrative":"Built in 1938-39 at 31866 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano, this long, low, one-story building was designed by Dr. Paul H. Esslinger as a medical clinic. A 1937 trip to Buenos Aires inspired him to choose the Streamline Moderne style. Its smooth stucco-over-concrete walls, curved corners, four-band molded trim and a 70-foot glass block front give it an aerodynamic look. A detached garage with an upstairs apartment sits behind it, linked by a flat roof added in 1982. The clinic originally held 23 rooms, including surgery, X-ray and laboratory spaces, with acoustic ceilings and glass block insulation that were advanced for the time. It is the only Streamline Moderne building in a town of Spanish Colonial and Mission-style architecture, and a similar local high school building has been heavily altered. The 1982 restoration added a domed skylight, hardwood floors and converted the garage to offices, yet the building keeps much of its original 1930s appearance and now serves as offices.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific dates 1938-9)","architect_builder":"Dr. Paul H. Esslinger","architectural_style":"Streamline Moderne","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Occupied commercial use as offices; restored and rehabilitated in 1982, with condition listed as excellent.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.992253-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/88000557.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000557/9bcdf9d672-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/88000557/9bcdf9d672-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Beyond My Ken","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2019_Esslinger_Building_1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Beyond My Ken</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:2019_Esslinger_Building_1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860205","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esslinger_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q75157820"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/orange-county/esslinger-building-88000557/"}