Historic Context Statement - Final Historic Context (1946 - 1966) Cio of Pacific Grove Pacijic Grove, California COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT As described above, residential development during the post-war era accommodated an increasing reliance on the automobile, and corresponding changes occurred to the design of commercial properties. In Pacific Grove, this car-focused lifestyle resulted in the construction of new commercial building types, such as large gas stations and shopping centers with expansive surface parking, especially along Forest Avenue. r, . M*444,41 ' Other than Phillip's Park Grocery, the closest shopping options for residents living in Del Monte Park area was the new commercial strip developing along Forest Avenue south of David Avenue. t Almost certainly, this area developed with an overtly commercial character because of its proximity r to the large volume of automobile traffic along Forest Avenue. Among the earliest business to locate there was the Forest Hill Court Store, opened in 1949 by Dode and M. A. Davis at 1188 Forest Avenue (extant). This location was then outside the city limits, and thus the store was able to offer a "complete line of liquors." The building was constructed at the rear of a commercial court that included three other establishments facing a large parking area.509 As opposed to the other buildings, {1 3*@ however, the Forest Hill Court Store was constructed in a decidedly Modern style, with a slanted shed roof that rose from back to front. /004 By 1951, the new Forest Hill Market was completed to the south, along with a new Chevron gas station at Forest Avenue and Prescott Lane in 1952.510 By the end of the 1950s several more commercial buildings were constructed on the east side of Forest Avenue, although pinpointing the exact extent of development is hampered by a lack of Sanborn maps for the area. New commercial buildings also appeared in downtown Pacific Grove during this period, including the Super Save Market at 242 Forest Avenue, today known as the Grove Market. Constructed circa 1955, the building is one of Pacific Grove's most distinctive Modern-style structures, featuring concrete arches supporting a barrel vaulted roof, and wide expanses of window glass. Commercial buildings such as this may be significant as examples of mid-century modern architectural styles. MIDCENTURY REDEVELOPMENT The two decades following World War II was a period of buoyant growth, both in Pacific Grove and across the country. While much of this growth occurred in suburban settings, downtown areas were also redeveloped. In large part this was deemed necessary in order to replace outmoded buildings with new facilities. However, a tremendous amount of pressure also came from the growing ubiquity of the private automobile, which forced downtown businesses to provide parking ill order to compete with suburban shopping centers. Pacific Grove was fortunate in this respect, as it had already developed several parking garages by the 1920s, and vacant lots remained available in the central business district into the 1950s. Nevertheless, some buildings were demolished for parking lots during this period, and more would follow in the coming decades. The popularity of the 31 October 2011 ' Page €>Tumbull, Inc. 22.3 245 , OCR Text: Historic Context Statement - Final Historic Context (1946 - 1966) Cio of Pacific Grove Pacijic Grove, California COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT As described above, residential development during the post-war era accommodated an increasing reliance on the automobile, and corresponding changes occurred to the design of commercial properties. In Pacific Grove, this car-focused lifestyle resulted in the construction of new commercial building types, such as large gas stations and shopping centers with expansive surface parking, especially along Forest Avenue. r, . M*444,41 ' Other than Phillip's Park Grocery, the closest shopping options for residents living in Del Monte Park area was the new commercial strip developing along Forest Avenue south of David Avenue. t Almost certainly, this area developed with an overtly commercial character because of its proximity r to the large volume of automobile traffic along Forest Avenue. Among the earliest business to locate there was the Forest Hill Court Store, opened in 1949 by Dode and M. A. Davis at 1188 Forest Avenue (extant). This location was then outside the city limits, and thus the store was able to offer a "complete line of liquors." The building was constructed at the rear of a commercial court that included three other establishments facing a large parking area.509 As opposed to the other buildings, {1 3*@ however, the Forest Hill Court Store was constructed in a decidedly Modern style, with a slanted shed roof that rose from back to front. /004 By 1951, the new Forest Hill Market was completed to the south, along with a new Chevron gas station at Forest Avenue and Prescott Lane in 1952.510 By the end of the 1950s several more commercial buildings were constructed on the east side of Forest Avenue, although pinpointing the exact extent of development is hampered by a lack of Sanborn maps for the area. New commercial buildings also appeared in downtown Pacific Grove during this period, including the Super Save Market at 242 Forest Avenue, today known as the Grove Market. Constructed circa 1955, the building is one of Pacific Grove's most distinctive Modern-style structures, featuring concrete arches supporting a barrel vaulted roof, and wide expanses of window glass. Commercial buildings such as this may be significant as examples of mid-century modern architectural styles. MIDCENTURY REDEVELOPMENT The two decades following World War II was a period of buoyant growth, both in Pacific Grove and across the country. While much of this growth occurred in suburban settings, downtown areas were also redeveloped. In large part this was deemed necessary in order to replace outmoded buildings with new facilities. However, a tremendous amount of pressure also came from the growing ubiquity of the private automobile, which forced downtown businesses to provide parking ill order to compete with suburban shopping centers. Pacific Grove was fortunate in this respect, as it had already developed several parking garages by the 1920s, and vacant lots remained available in the central business district into the 1950s. Nevertheless, some buildings were demolished for parking lots during this period, and more would follow in the coming decades. The popularity of the 31 October 2011 ' Page €>Tumbull, Inc. 22.3 245 , Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Historic Properties of Pacific Grove,Forest,1188 Forest,FOREST AVE_280.pdf,FOREST AVE_280.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: FOREST AVE_280.PDF, FOREST AVE_280.pdf 1 Page 1