Huntington Boulevard homes given historic designation

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- More homes have been added to the list of historic places in Fresno. The city council added seven homes on Huntington Boulevard.

The majestic homes along Fresno's Huntington Boulevard were an early example of progressive urban planning, centered around public transportation.

Fresno's Historic Preservation Specialist Karana Hattersly Drayton explained, "Developed in 1907 as a streetcar line by Albert Wishon, who's house is next door, and in 1911 it was developed as a streetcar suburb, the Alta Vista Tract. It was a commuter's paradise, it's exactly it. Streetcar suburbs were all apart moving a little further away from downtown, maybe you didn't need your horse and buggy anymore, you jumped on a streetcar and went downtown."

The streetcar tracks that went down the center of the wide boulevard are gone, in their place, a wide, grassy corridor separates both sides of the street. There are more than 100 homes on the boulevard, most are historically significant. Only 10 have been given a historic designation. Seven were just put on the local register of historic resources by the Fresno City Council.

Melissa Black is excited to have her Italian Renaissance style home on the register. "I'm the fourth owner of this house which is pretty remarkable in that it was built in 1924. One of the things I'm excited about with the historical designation is that now I know this beautiful work of art will be preserved into the future. Whether it's me or the next person going forward we have established this is something really special."

So, what does being on the register mean?

Drayton explained, "What being a registered property does do is protect the exterior."

Any renovations to the outside have to be historically appropriate. Anything goes on the inside, but most homeowners love the charm and interior craftsmanship. And the for the city, the more homes that make the list, the longer the legacy of Huntington Boulevard will last.

Hattersly Drayton told the City Council, "It's considered one of the great boulevards in the world."