Yost Theater-Ritz Hotel
Also known as: Yost Theater--Santa Ana Bath House and Athletic Club
Why it's listed
Two buildings share one classical facade at the corner of Spurgeon and Third streets in Santa Ana. Completed in 1913 to designs by local architect Fred Eley, with T.H. Fowler as builder, the structure combined the Auditorium Theater with the Santa Ana Athletic Club and Bath House. Its pedimented fronts, four simple pilasters and triple sets of double-hung windows make it an unusually intact example of commercial Classical Revival design in the downtown area. The theater later became the Clunes and then the Yost, after Ed Yost bought it in 1919 and added a larger stage and flyloft. It drew first-run films, Broadway productions and vaudeville acts, and from 1952 it became the first Orange County theater to show Spanish-language movies. The athletic club closed in 1919 and its half became the Ritz Hotel. The exterior remains largely original, with a 1935 Moderne marquee and 1983 seismic reinforcement as the main changes.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for its Classical Revival commercial architecture, which it says is unrepresented by intact examples in downtown Santa Ana. It also contains Santa Ana's earliest extant theater building and the county's oldest continuous theater business. The design is by noted local architect Fred Eley, and the Yost was the first Orange County theater to show Spanish-language movies.
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 86000107, listed January 23, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 301--307 N. Spurgeon St., Santa Ana |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | January 23, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000107 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1912-1913) |
| Architect / builder | Fred Eley, Architect; T.H. Fowler, Builder |
| Architectural style | Commercial Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked both occupied and unoccupied; the theater has shown Spanish-language films for 33 years, while the Ritz interior is in decayed condition and the original basement pool is degraded and unused since the early 1920s. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 33.74732, -117.86535 (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 86000107.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8056388
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.