ORANGE PLAZA IS COUNTY’S ‘EASTERN ENCLAVE’

About a mile and a half west of the Costa Mesa Freeway on Chapman Avenue, in the city of Orange, is an area startlingly different from the Orange County stereotype of modern sterility. The unwary visitor from the East might be surprised by what seems like a little touch of home--the Orange Plaza Historic District.

In fact, with its central hub and radiating streets, the district resembles Philadelphia in its physical design. Perhaps the spirit of Philadelphia founder William Penn touched Alfred Beck Chapman and Andrew Glassell as they designed the square mile that would become the original Orange. Besides its ambiance, this downtown commercial district has a cachet not normally reserved for mercantile centers of any size: In 1982 it was listed in the National Register of Historic Buildings.

At the center of the district is Plaza Park, a circular park that forms the focal point of downtown historic Orange. Created in 1886, the park is a mid-morning to mid-afternoon meeting place for the “plaza statesmen” who congregate on the benches. This tradition goes back more than 75 years. A longtime resident remembers this park being full of elders daily, but their ranks are slowly diminishing.

Last April, to commemorate its 100th birthday, the city installed bronze plaques along the walkways throughout the plaza. For the price of $100, which included two lines of script, your name could become part of history. Some of the proceeds went to establish a historical artifacts room to preserve the history of the area.

Surrounding the Plaza Historic District are four residential “quadrants,” collectively known as Old Towne. This square mile is the original city of Orange. There are 1,400 homes--dating from the 1880s to World War II--in Old Towne. Several hundred have been restored to their original character. All new buildings must be compatible in style to the area’s historic design guidelines. If there were any vacancies now, prices for these homes would range from $180,000 to $350,000.

The 300-member Old Towne Preservation Assn. seeks to to enhance, protect and preserve Old Towne. Residents formed the organization because they felt threatened by developers and the thought of what could happen to their historic district. Thanks to the association, 25 homes sport historic bronze plaques stating for whom they were built and in what year.

The association is working with Chapman College on a campus growth plan. The campus is on the west side of Center Street and the school would like to buy the property on the east side, with an eye toward expanding in that direction. The association believes a better solution would be for the college to purchase the Orange Unified School District land on the west side of Glassell Avenue, thereby allowing the campus to expand in a westerly direction, rather than easterly. Most residents do not want the college to cross Center Street.

Shopping is a major attraction in the district, of course, and antiques enthusiasts, particularly, will find their own nirvana. Along South Glassell Street, across from the Plaza Park, are 115 antique shops in which to browse.

One spot that visitors might not want to pass up is Watson’s Drug Store. An attraction on the plaza since 1899, the old-fashioned ice cream parlor, with its long counter and stools, bears a resemblance to the demolished but still legendary Schwab’s Pharmacy in Hollywood--the place, it is said, where Lana Turner was “discovered.” Movie making, as it turns out, is old hat to Watson’s. An abundance of television specials and movies have been filmed at this spot and around the plaza area.

NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE: ORANGE PLAZA

Population

Population: (1988 est.) 10,321

1980-88 change: +12.9%

Median Age: 28

Racial/ethnic mix:

White: (non-Hispanic) 69%

Hispanic 25%

Black 2%

Other 4%

By sex and age: In Thousands

MALES

Median age: 27 years

FEMALES Median age: 29 years

Income

Per capita: $11,089

Median Household: $23,188

Average Household: $25,375

Household Distribution:

Less than $25,000: 55%

$25,000-49,999: 33%

$50,000-74,999: 10%

More than $75,000: 2%