Irvine Bean and Growers Association Building
Why it's listed
Beside the Santa Fe Railway tracks in East Irvine stands a long, narrow industrial complex built to handle the Irvine Ranch's lima bean and grain crops. The oldest part dates to 1895 and is a wood-frame building clad in corrugated metal, with a central processing plant and a long warehouse. Towers, catwalks, and a sorting room were added in 1915. In 1947 a three-story concrete grain elevator of hexagonal silos replaced a matching earlier building on the north end. Farmers brought sacked beans by wagon, where they were sampled, screened, hand-sorted by women, fumigated, and stored for rail shipment. The complex served the tenant farm system begun by James Irvine, which kept much of the ranch intact until the 1960s. The nomination describes it as the last surviving building of its type in Orange County and a rare visible link to the area's agricultural past amid the modern city of Irvine. It is occupied and used for storing corn.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the last surviving example of its type in Orange County and the centerpiece of the county's most significant agricultural center. It processed and stored lima beans and grain for the tenant farm system of the Irvine Ranch. The 1947 granary is described as the largest and most efficient ever built in Orange County, and it is also argued to be a rare and exceptional granary design.
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 86000068, listed January 13, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 14972 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | January 13, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000068 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1947 to 1965 for the granary (addendum); specific dates listed as 1895 and 1947 |
| Architect / builder | The Irvine Company |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Agriculture, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, occupied, and presently used for storing corn; the bean and grain operation shut down in the late 1960s. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 33.67470, -117.75772 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 86000068.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q106638745
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.