Old Towne Gets New Hope : Benefits will come to Orange’s treasure as a ‘historic place’

The city of Orange can justly be proud that its turn-of-the-century neighborhood known as Old Towne Orange has been selected for designation on the National Register of Historic Places. The selection was the culmination of a long campaign by interested residents.

Homeowners who preserve the facades of their properties now will be eligible for tax credits, which is a good bit of encouragement. Some in the community have expressed some anxiety about the cost and demands of meeting federal rules for historic place. However, it is important to recognize that the city’s design review guidelines are especially strict already. The community surely will benefit in the long term from the preservation of this asset, and from the draw of its designation.

The area long has been an attraction for visitors and Hollywood movie makers, who find in the site a quaint reminder of days gone by. As so much has changed in Southern California, with seemingly endless malls and housing tracts, the area serves as a reminder that attractive downtowns serve as a focal point for civic and economic life.

Recently, new businesses have opened, bringing an up-to-the-minute feel to the area. The city is graced by the Beaux Arts building, the First National Bank, with its vaulted ceilings and carved wooden inlays, built in 1928. The Orange Daily news building, built about 1920, today is home to a new coffee store.

There are hopes for further redevelopment in the two-block area between the plaza and the train depot. This, along with the proximity of Chapman University, can have the positive effect of extending the benefits to a wider area of the city.

The area already is getting notice in a state that is starved for well-preserved downtowns. The current issue of “Westways” magazine, the journal of the Automobile Club of Southern California, has the historic plaza and downtown area featured in an article on cities that have rediscovered their downtown districts.

Author Bill Stern notes that small cities like Orange, Torrance, Redlands and San Luis Obispo are notable for their success in overcoming the passage of time. Orange should be proud to be in this company, and for all its hard work. May its success be an inspiration to others.