Permanente Creek Pedestrian Bridge Project

Historic Resources Evaluation Report

JRP prepared a Historic Resources Evaluation Report for the City of Mountain View’s proposed pedestrian bridge over US Highway 101 at Permanente Creek.  When finished the pedestrian bridge would connect a mostly residential neighborhood south of the freeway with a commercial area to the north. Among the resources JRP encountered during the study were eight mid twentieth century residences located within a larger subdivision.  These Contemporary Ranch dwellings were designed in 1955 by the firm Anshen and Allen for the developer John Mackay.  The original design for each house was essentially the same, with minor deviations and mirrored floor plans.  Developers frequently used similar or identical floor plans in subdivisions during the postwar period to reduce the costs.  In turn, the cost savings helped make these houses affordable to the working and middle classes.  Additionally, well-known architects, like Robert Anshen and William Allen, were hired to prepare plans with Modern characteristics, such as floor-to-ceiling windows, low-slung roofs and well-organized interior spaces, to appeal to home-buyers’ modern sensibilities.  The intended result was a highly efficient home that reduced the barriers between outdoor space and indoor space.  For the most part, subdivision dwellings like these were small, economical and modest compared to custom-designed Modern houses, but nonetheless helped characterize the suburban landscape during the postwar era.  Under subcontract with Pacific Legacy, Inc., JRP prepared the report in 2009.