Dryden District Approved at Last

By Steve Hon

After four years of city processing and three public hearings, the North Park Dryden Historic District was approved by the Historical Resources Board (HRB) on June 23, 2011. The six-block neighborhood on Pershing Avenue and 28th Street from Upas to Landis streets encompasses 136 homes, nearly 40 of which were built by Master Builders. The district was named for Master Builder David Owen Dryden, who was responsible for 20 homes and set a high standard for quality design.

Benefits to homeowners include home value enhancement, preservation of neighborhood character, and qualification of contributing homes for Mills Act contracts and potential reductions in property taxes. More than one hundred homes in the district were determined by the HRB to be contributing and eligible to apply for the Mills Act program. The district's period of significance extends from 1912 to 1941, so homes in the Craftsman style as well as Mission and Spanish Revival, and pre-World War II Minimal Traditional and early Ranch are contributors to the historic character of the district.

The HRB also approved adding Edward F. Bryans to the city's list of recognized Master Builders, an action that could have preservation benefits far beyond the district boundaries.