Frances Packing House
Why it's listed
Built in spring 1916 beside a Santa Fe Railway spur, this wood frame packing house on a concrete basement processed the oranges of the maturing Irvine Ranch groves. It was named for Frances Anita Plum, first wife of James Irvine II. Its two attached parallel sections have a gabled roof, shed dormers, a monitor ventilator and a high glazed clerestory. Inside, an open wooden truss system with steel tension rods creates a large, light-filled floor. The Frances Citrus Association, formed in 1921, moved in during 1923 as a Sunkist cooperative and operated until 1971, marketing fruit under the Senator label. The building was the first on the ranch built to process oranges and the association was its first citrus cooperative. It is the last of the ranch's old citrus packing houses and one of few left in the county, a reminder of an agricultural economy increasingly replaced by urban development.
Significance in brief: It is described as the last of the old citrus packing houses on the Irvine Ranch and one of a dwindling number in Orange County, recalling an economy now giving way to urban uses. It was the first building on the ranch constructed to process oranges, and the Frances Citrus Association it housed was the ranch's first citrus cooperative. Its open truss interior is also cited as architecturally notable California agricultural vernacular.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 77000319, listed August 2, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Irvine, Irvine |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | August 2, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000319 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1916 |
| Architectural style | California agricultural vernacular (industrial vernacular) |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and largely unaltered apart from an added exterior loading structure and minor interior partitioning; the packing association closed in 1971. The form marks the property as occupied. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 33.71083, -117.76430 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 77000319.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5478882
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.