History: A Neighborhood with Enduring Charm

A Neighborhood with Enduring Charm

Story & Photos provided by Terry Ommen

The beautiful home of Wendy and Stan Simpson was built in 1931.

In 1983, travel writers for the Los Angeles Times called Visalia a “place of enduring charm.” They touted the town’s rich history and nice neighborhoods, encouraging readers to take a look.

And these journalists were right. Visalia is fortunate to have an abundance of interesting and beautiful neighborhoods. One of them lies between Mooney Blvd. and downtown with Wendy and Stan Simpson’s “Carmel Cottage” near the center. In all directions, there is an eclectic array of unique and historical treasures that, when linked together, make for an enjoyable stroll. Here are some of the highlights.

Using the cute cottage as the starting point, one discovers that Sierra Ave. is a short block—maybe the shortest in town. Next door to the west is the stately home built by Edna and Clem “Buck” Buckman, Stan’s grandparents. Built in 1931, the two-story Spanish Colonial Monterey-style beauty is the dominant structure on the street, and it transports imaginations to the days of the Californios. Today, this architectural beauty that has been in the family for over 90 years is home to Wendy and Stan.

To the east is a home at 1502 W. Sierra Ave that at one time was owned by Clyde and Lois Lary. Lynford “Lyn” Lary, their son, was a star athlete at Visalia High and went on to play professional baseball, both in the Pacific Coast and major leagues. Lynford began in the big leagues with the New York Yankees. In all, the powerful hitter and well-respected shortstop played with seven different major league teams. South and west of the cottage are two lovely homes on nearby streets that at one time were owned by two former Visalia mayors: George Tschumy and Jack Davis. Also nearby lived the Blessings, whose son Don attended Visalia Union High School. Don went on to compete in 1928 as coxswain for the U.S. rowing team in the Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam.

Directly north of the Simpson’s cottage is Mill Creek, one of the four main creeks that flows through Visalia. The city was built on this seasonal channel’s banks, making it an important part of Visalia’s beginning. Here, the creek is shaded by a stand of large trees, and when flowing, the water moves westward, meandering under streets and through other neighborhoods on its journey out of town.

On Mill Creek’s north bank is a small shaded grassy area known as Mayors Park. Acquired by the city in 1916, the park is home to trees planted in honor of several past mayors. The last one was an oak tree planted in 1994 to honor former Mayor Peter Carey. In 1934, the park was also chosen by the Visalia Civic Club to be home to a tiled birdbath. Reportedly, the water feature was designed by a “prominent” but unnamed Fresno architect for William R. Spalding and his wife Carolyne for their home on Encina Street, but it was never built. Instead, the widow of Spalding had it built in Mayors Park. Though the birdbath is now missing several of its original elements, including the figure of a small boy, a dolphin, and two frogs that spouted water, it is still worth seeing.

East of the park is a wonderful example of an old building transformed for contemporary use. Built by the county in 1921 as the Tulare County Health Center, the building is now home to an orthodontic office, and this century-old treasure adds historic beauty to the neighborhood.

Directly across Main Street from Mayors Park is Memorial Park. There, prominently placed on the corner of Main and Hall streets, is an obelisk, commissioned by the Visalia American Legion Auxiliary. Originally, in 1929, it was placed at the “Y” near the intersection of Mooney Blvd. and Main Street. When the streets were redesigned, the patriotic marker was moved to its current location and stands as a tribute to the veterans who served in several wars and conflicts.

Next to the obelisk is the beautiful Ralph S. Moore Rose Garden. Dedicated in 2004, the garden honors the Visalia man known as the “father of the modern miniature rose.” Moore received international recognition for his hybridization of hundreds of new varieties of roses, several of which he named after respected local people including Mary Hill, Doris Bennett, and Annie R. Mitchell. He died in 2009 at the age of 102.

Next to the garden to the west is a small and interesting rock and block building called a “trulli.” It was built in 1986 by the Visalia Sister City Committee as a representation of the architecture found around Putignano, Italy, a Visalia Sister City. The replica serves as a reminder of the Italian heritage of many Visalians and acknowledges the close relationship Visalia has with Putignano.

Crossing back over Main Street, Dollner Street marks the east edge of the neighborhood and is where the Visalia Elementary School was built in 1939, later renamed Sierra Vista. The art deco style structure was designed by well-known Fresno architect Ernest J. Kump and was financed in part by the federal Public Works Administration (PWA). Part of the building included a school theater and today, thanks to the generosity of Visalia Rotary, the town has a beautifully restored entertainment venue called the Rotary Theater.

To the west of the school is the historic Home Builders Tract No. 2, opened in 1936. In the early years of the 20th Century, Visalia and other communities in the country were experiencing a housing shortage caused in part by limited and restricted financing opportunities. In 1919, a group of civic-minded Visalia investors created a corporation called Visalia Home Builders. The company pooled investment funds and purchased large parcels for subdividing making it easier to buy homes. As part of the subdivision promotion in 1936 the company built a model home they called the “Monterey” on the northwest corner of Dollner and Burrel streets, and it still stands today.

The neighborhood around the “Carmel Cottage” is worth a visit. It’s a wonderful example of Visalia at its best. It’s easy to imagine that this area inspired travel writers when they called Visalia a place of enduring charm.

This trulli is a replica of an architectural feature in Putignano, Italy.

The Tulare County Health Center, as it appeared in about 1936.

The Tulare County Health Center, as it appears today.