Between lands owned by the Southern California Colony Association and the Riverside Land and Irrigating Company remained a much-reduced, mile-wide strip of land known as the Government Tract, where the Palm Heights historic neighborhood was later developed. Arlington Avenue marks the southern boundary of the tract, but the northern boundary was debated until 1878 when the southern Rancho Jurupa boundary line was legally defined as present-day Jurupa Avenue, just north of the survey area. Unlike those in the Mile Square and the Arlington community, streets in the Government Tract were laid out on a strict north-south grid and intersect at odd angels with Magnolia Avenue, the main arterial that strings the three developments together. [‡]
The Palm Heights Historic District represents an early wave of 20th century suburban development in a contiguous geographic area with a high concentration of single-family residences constructed between World War I and World War II. Accordingly, the district appears eligible for listing in the CRHR, as it is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of California's history. Though dominated by the period revival styles of the Eclectic Period, namely the Tudor Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles, contributors constructed from 1923 to 1941, inclusively, display good examples of an array of architectural styles and embody the distinctive characteristics of a period or region. The Palm Heights Historic District embodies distinctive characteristics of a style or period. Furthermore, the district reflects significant geographic patterns associated with early 20th century suburban settlement and growth and conveys a sense of historic and architectural cohesiveness through its design and setting.
‡ Jennifer Mermilliod, JM Research and Consulting for City of Riverside California Planning Department, Palm Heights Historic District Intensive Survey and Context Statement, 2004, www.riversideca.gov, accessed June, 2013.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Beatty Drive • Brockton Avenue • Central Avenue • Merrill Avenue • Palm Way • Sunnyside Drive