The Eureka Theater marquee is highly visible from many vantage points around town.

 

Previously home to Arthur Johnson's Fine Clothing for Men, from the days when that meant something more than $100 designer jeans

HumCty Public Health building, recently restored and repainted

Eureka has only a few Spanish Revival types

During the depression the national average unemployment rate was over 25% while today that rate is about 9.4%. (HumCty 11.9%) FDR’s New Deal was much smaller than Obama’s ARRA, and the New Deal had many more programs for much smaller amounts.

In Humboldt County between 1920 and 1939, 16 of 20 lumber mills closed for good. Railroad traffic went way down, as automobiles and trucks became more popular. The Balloon Track housed a large hobo camp. But population increased 13-20% and four new elementary schools were built, along with the local Eureka HS. The area’s three local banks all stayed solvent, four local movie theaters and several local businesses managed to stay afloat. The California Conservation Corps began building the trail system now in use in our parks, and twelve camps were set up in the area with Eureka serving as the supply center. The WPA set up an iron works and shipyard on the bay. Several notable WPA buildings are on today’s tour, also some buildings showing the influence of the 1925 Paris “Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes.”

Ernest Pierson was a prominent builder in Eureka from the 1930s thru the 1950s … because of a Chicago Bridge and Iron Works (WPA and wartime) project at the bay, houses were being built for the workers. Houses were allotted to local builders like Pierson to save costs, and most were around 13^th and N streets.  A two bedroom house could only be 800 ft², and cost no more than $4,500, while a three bedroom could be 1,000 ft² and cost up to $5,200.

F between 6^th & 7^th, the Eureka Theater, 612 F street, an especially fine example of 1930’s style “Streamline Moderne” with curved marquee, horizontal lines, and round windows, common elements of this style.  One of the finest examples of the style in California. The theater and the entire block of shops were constructed in 1937- marquee erected in 1939. (GB p. 112)

F between 5^th & 6^th, location of the old Rialto Theater, marquee shingled over to match building.

F between 4^th & 5^th, Plaza Design, 423 F street, during the depression, this building was home to Arthur Johnson’s men’s clothing store which continued in business through 1995.

5^th between F and G, Cloney’s Pharmacy, 525 5^th street, founded 1902, survived the depression, now Eureka’s oldest continuously owned family business

G between 3^rd & 4^th, Loew’s State Theater, Sweasey Building (1920), Arkley Performing Arts Center, 412 G street, http://www.arkleycenter.com/center_history.php. Another Franklin Georgeson design in concrete, Spanish Colonial Revival, of monumental character at levels above, divided into three bays with vertically emphasized end pavilions with traceried balconies and curved parapet. Decorative “churrigueresque” (a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament) panels frame the central composition, ornamental panel of bull’s eye windows, shields, and elaborate foliate contained within a diamond patterned motif at the edges. (GB p. 88)

H between 5^th & 6^th, 514 H Street, Eureka Main Post Office & Federal Courthouse building, was built in 1909 but has WPA murals inside on top floor depicting men hard at work at traditional Humboldt County labor; mining, timber, agriculture. Difficult to view; blocked by offices. Three story brick Renaissance Revival. On the National Register.

6^th & I street, facing 6^th, Humboldt County Public Health building, 529 I street, or 805 6^th street, constructed by WPA in 1939 as a juvenile federal detention facility. Designed by Frank Georgeson, two story stucco Spanish Colonial Revival

Both the Vet’s Hall and the Muni a exemplars of a type of “moderne” called the “Zigzag Moderne” style, characterized by patterned wall surfaces and zigzag chevrons and other stylized geometric motifs.

F street, between 11^th and 12^th, Eureka Municipal Auditorium, 1120 F street. A 1935 WPA project, the massive Eureka Muni is an example of the Art Deco style. Fluted piers separate the extrance bays between the heavy fluted corners. The section is embellished with abstracted,  two-dimensional ornament typical of the style. At the cornice level, this ornament resemble organic motifs. The main body of the building is similarly detailed, and layered horizontal bands occur at the parapet level behind the entrance. On the side elevation, four recessed bays with upper floor windows are flanked by pavilions with thin windows and Art Deco styling. (GB p. 112)

H street, between 10^th & 11^th, Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 1020 H street. A 1930 WPA project, Beaux Arts design principles resulted in an imposing Art Deco Vet’s Memorial building. Rectangular and cubed masses intersect in a hierarchical fashion that make the building human in scale. Fluted columns support the recessed entrance porch, and the windows on either side are fixed pane with casement set in to recessed concrete frames with a recessed spandrel panel. Above most of the windows is a carved horizontal decorative panel. A similar band, but much wider, is found at the upper cornice level below the polygonal dome.

H street, corner 11^th & H, First Church of Christ, Scientist, 701 11^th street, 1914 Craftsman structure designed by Franklin Georgeson, this human-scaled building is a medium pitched gabled rectangle, access via pergola of heavy square beams that support an exposed-beam roof. Diagonal buttresses, board and batten siding, horizontal groupings of windows, large, multipaned arched windows. North end is a new wing added in the 1980s.

                                

 

 

 

Newer addition to the north                 Note pergola at entry to right in second picture

We did not walk up to it, but at J & Del Norte, the Eureka HS Industrial Arts building, 1915 J street, was built along with four elementary schools with a local bond issue of $305K and a matching WPA grant.