Pacific Electric Sub-Station No. 14
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Why it's listed
Built in May 1907, this brick substation on East Fifth Street in Santa Ana once converted alternating current from the Watts steam generating station into direct current to run Pacific Electric cars. It served the Santa Ana-Watts line, the Santa Ana-Orange line and the Santa Ana-Huntington Beach freight line until service was abandoned in July 1950. It was one of four Pacific Electric power stations in Orange County and is the only one left. Its pedimented end gables rest on brick corbelling, with buttresses along the double-thick walls and arched door openings. Tile pipes in the gables once served as high tension insulators, and a wooden cooling tower still rises through the roof. Only the machinery has been removed, and plastic sheeting now covers some dormer louvers. The building was used for storage for about twenty years and was boarded up in 1980. It was listed for its role in regional transportation history and its well-preserved industrial design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the oldest standing structural feature of the Pacific Electric system in Orange County and the only one of four county power stations still remaining. It is also presented as an outstanding, unaltered example of early 20th century industrial design with classical detailing, and as a landmark of the region's transportation history.
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 83001219, listed September 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 475 North Lacy St., Santa Ana |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | September 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001219 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907 |
| Architect / builder | Pacific Electric Construction Dept. |
| Architectural style | Early 20th Century industrial design with simple classical detailing |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in fair condition due to deferred maintenance, used for industrial storage for twenty years, then abandoned and boarded up in 1980. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 33.74871, -117.86029 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83001219.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7122439
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.