After historic church burns down, O.C. historians worry other buildings may face similar fate

As the fire raged in the night, it became clear that the old church couldn’t be rescued.

Earlier this month, the building that once served as the United Presbyterian Church at 115 East Santa Ana Blvd. was reduced to rubble. The Orange County Fire Authority is investigating whether the fire was intentionally set.

Local historians have been mourning the death of the building and are concerned that other vacant historical structures may be under threat, since the more than 100-year-old church building burned down.

“With older buildings, arson is often a problem,” said Deborah Rosenthal, an attorney and board member of Preserve OC. “It can be deliberate; it can also be the result of vandalism or trespassers. It can be unintentional but it gets cold at night and people will sometimes start fires not realizing how flammable buildings can be.”

“People need to take notice because there are other buildings that could go up in smoke,” said Tim Rush, a member of the city’s Historic Resources Commission. “It ought to be a wake-up call.”

Rush is also a board member of Preserve Orange County, a historical conservation group that worked after the fire to get the city to draft an ordinance to protect its historic buildings. Staff will be drafting that ordinance within the next month.

“I am sensitive to the fact that we don’t want to make owning a landmark so onerous that nobody wants to own them,” Rush said. “But by the same token, people look at the Presbyterian church fire and say this shouldn’t have happened.”

The church building, built in 1911, is listed on the Santa Ana Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

“It was a beautiful building which could have been reused,” said Alan Hess, architectural historian and board member of Preserve OC. “It is a loss to the city as well as to the preservation community that an asset like that was allowed to burn down. Historic buildings, especially ones that are architecturally beautiful like the church ... they add to the character and the appeal of our city centers.”

Santa Ana is known for having two prominent historic Presbyterian churches. The First Presbyterian Church still houses a congregation at Sycamore Street and Santa Ana Boulevard.

Rush said he’s particularly worried about the future of the old YMCA building in downtown Santa Ana, the Dr. Julius Crane House on Broadway Street and the First American Title building at Fifth and Main Streets.

Councilman Phil Bacerra, a board member of Preserve OC, said he and Councilman David Penaloza proposed an item to direct city staff to draft an ordinance that provides new requirements to be incorporated into the Santa Ana municipal code. The requirements would enhance security, prevent trespassing and maintain a clean appearance for vacant properties, including historic properties that are vacant.

The rest of the council supported the proposal.

Rosenthal said she received dozens of emails the morning after the church fire from those mourning its loss.

“It is difficult to keep historic buildings secure, and we all need to work together,” Rosenthal said. “Everyone, from the police, to the building department, to the owners, to make sure there’s eyes on the building and some physical security ... Santa Ana has a treasure store of historic buildings in Orange County, and I think we don’t always appreciate them as much as we should.”

In November 1962, the Rev. Donn Moomaw, the controversial ex-UCLA football star who served as President Ronald Reagan’s pastor, delivered the last sermon ever spoken at the church.

Rush said the building then sat vacant until Pacific Symphony moved its offices to the historic building in 1985. At the time, artistic director Keith Clark told the Los Angeles Times that the orchestra “will attempt to make this a real hub for artistic activity by inviting other artistic groups to locate their offices and hold rehearsals here.”

The symphony eventually shared the building with the Orange County Crazies improvisation group. Rush said the symphony underutilized the facility and they moved out. The Orange County Archaeological Society also used the building at one point. Rush said the building sat vacant for the last several years.

While the church is lost, preservationists hope the potential city ordinance will keep Santa Ana’s remaining historical buildings safe.

“I am scared to death that the same fate will come to them,” Rush said.

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