2019 Orange Eichler Historic Home Tour to Showcase Distinctive Residences in Tracts Designated Local Historic Districts
ORANGE, Calif., May 1, 2019 (Newswire.com) - Preserve Orange County will open a selection of architecturally and historically significant Midcentury Modern Eichler homes in the city of Orange to the public the weekend of May 18-19, 2019.
The self-guided tour will be at seven homes in Orange’s three separate Eichler tracts on Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available before the event through the website and on the weekend of the event at tour headquarters: 850 E. Chapman Avenue, Orange.
Attendees will explore inside select homes from the early 1960s that were among the revolutionary postwar designs developed and built by Joseph Eichler to bring Modernism to the masses. Features distinct to homes in the Eichler tracts include atriums, floor-to-ceiling windows and blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors. The Orange tracts are:
● Fairhaven: Opened in 1960 and designed by noted architects Anshen and Allen and Jones & Emmons.
● Fairmeadow: Constructed in 1962, this tract was designed by architects Jones & Emmons and Claude Oakland.
● Fairhills: Built in 1964, these homes were designed by Jones & Emmons and Claude Oakland.
Docents will be available in each home to answer questions and provide directions to participating homes, tracts and events.
An evening cocktail party with food and music will be held at an Eichler home on Saturday, May 18. Dubbed “Eichler Romanza,” the evening includes a lively panel discussion that will examine Eichler homes and Orange County in the mid-20th century. Panelists include Tom Zoellner, author and Chapman University literature professor; Alan Hess, historian, author and architect; and Robert Imboden, historic resource consultant. Moderator will be Trudi Sandmeier, director of Graduate Heritage Conservation Programs at the University of Southern California School of Architecture. Guests are encouraged to dress in 1960s-inspired attire and be able to attend the event — a fundraiser to benefit Preserve Orange County — for an additional fee.
On Sunday, May 19, 2019, a family day will include free child-friendly activities along the tour route sponsored by the MaxLove Project.
The Eichler weekend will be Preserve Orange County’s first architectural tour since it was established in 2017.
In November 2018, the Orange City Council unanimously designated the Eichler neighborhoods local historic districts. The city also established Eichler Design Standards, to be used by city planners and homeowners to ensure changes to homes preserve the Eichler aesthetic. Owners of the historic properties are also eligible to apply for Mills Act contracts, which provide property tax reductions for rehabilitation and preserving their homes.
For more information about the 2019 Eichler Home Tour, including additional images, please call (949) 482-0125, visit PreserveOrangeCounty.org or follow us on Facebook or Instagram @preserveorangecounty.
Preserve Orange County is a 501 c(3) charity whose mission is to promote through education and advocacy the conservation of the county’s rich architectural and cultural heritage.
PRESS CONTACTS
Krista Nicholds
949-482-0125
preserveoc@gmail.com
Robert Imboden
714-299-0330
robert@janusconsultants.com
Source: Preserve Orange County