Plaza, The
Why it's listed
Orange Plaza is a circular public square of roughly 1.5 acres at the crossing of Chapman Avenue and Glassell Street in Orange, California. Captain William T. Glassell surveyed the town in 1871 for Alfred B. Chapman, who deeded the central plaza to the community. For years it was an undeveloped dirt lot used for dumping, hitching and play. In 1886 citizens, led by three local women, cleaned it, surveyed the circle, planted grass, palms and pepper trees, and raised money for a fountain. The present electric fountain dates from 1937. The plaza is valued as a rare California example of a midwestern-style town square, created during the 1880s land boom when such an image appealed to prospective settlers from the Midwest. Its fountain also served as a measuring point for area land transactions. Surrounded by commercial buildings, it remains the heart of the city and keeps much of its original character.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a rare California example of a late 19th century midwestern town square, with strong design integrity and regional significance. It was used to promote the Orange County settlement boom of the late 1880s, resulted from a unified community effort in 1886, and its fountain served as a measuring point for area land transactions.
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 78000729, listed December 20, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Chapman Ave. and Glassell St., Orange |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | December 20, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000729 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Orange and used as a park; the plaza retains its 1937 appearance with minor changes such as replaced trees, new sidewalks in 1970 and a 1976 plaque. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Within district | Old Towne Orange Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.78790, -117.85312 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 78000729.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.