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Architextures

Mediterranean Revival

The Mediterranean Revival Styles

Spanish Eclectic, Monterey, Classical Italianate

The third romantic style of architecture found in the Lower Greenville/Lakewood area is Mediterranean Style, which includes Spanish Eclectic, Monterey, and the Classical Italianate.

The Spanish Eclectic Style began with the San Diego Panama-California Exposition of 1915. The style was extremely popular in the 1920's, the Highland Park City Hall and Highland Park Village are evidence of this.

Country Club Estates in Lakewood is noted for its many Spanish Eclectic houses, many by architect Clyde Hutsell. Vickery Place has its own Hutsell at 5513 Bonita. It is typical of his style with blond matte brick used to suggest a stucco wall finish. The roof is low pitch and shingled with red clay tiles. The eaves are shallow or non-existent. Usually there is one dominant front window, with other windows being relatively inconspicuous.

A good example of the Italianate Style is the Bella Villa apartments at the corner of Miller and McMillan. It is a symmetric three story facade broken by belt courses. The exterior is stucco, and the roof appears to be a low-pitched hipped roof covered with red clay tile. The Italianate detail includes the heavy wooden brackets at the eaves that are arranged in a broken pattern. The doorway is the focal point with classically proportioned pilasters at each side, and a false iron balcony above.

The Spanish Eclectic, Colonial Revival and Tudor house disappeared due to the material shortages during World War II. After the war the belief that America had entered a new age lead to several new styles of architecture.

The Alamo Facade

Another variation on the Mediterranean style was the "Alamo facade". This rendering is from a book of house plans published in 1911.