This two- story Craftsman- style home is located at 4801 Park Ave on the corner of Park Ave and Lemon. It has been the discussion of many a Council meeting for the past 5-6 years, after the home was vacated and allowed to deteriorate. The home listed as a City Historic resource in 1981, is currently uninhabitable.

The home, built in 1918, was inhabited by some of our earliest settlers, the  Trueblood’s and the Janeway’s.

Mr. Trueblood had the distinction of being the first passenger to ride the Pacific Railroad from Pillsbury, a town now abandoned, to Yorba Linda. Mrs. Ada Trueblood enjoyed writing and chronicled events occurring in the area at that time. Mrs. Trueblood was active in the community and was one of the charter members of the Yorba Linda Women’s Club. Three members of this family were charter members of the Yorba Linda Friends Church.

The Mr. and Mrs. Luther Janeway operated a grocery store on Main Street. Their daughter, Clara Mae Janeway Stephans, was one of the early Librarians of the Yorba Linda District Library. This family was also active in the Yorba Linda Friends Church.

There is documentation that Richard Nixon spent time on the property when he was a young boy.

The current owners expressed an interest to demolish the home and to replace it with a larger home that was out of scale for the surrounding neighborhood. The Planning Commission reviewed the plans and reduced the scale of the planned residence. This plan was still out of proportion for the surrounding area.

The Historic Society and other members of the community had hoped the home could be salvaged. After much deliberation, in an effort to save one of the last, true historic sites in our community, the City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the property and to “mothball” the structure protecting it from further deterioration. I did have reservations about this decision. The cost to purchase the property and mothball it is about $475,000. But given the historic nature of the building, I felt it was wise to give the community one last opportunity to raise the funds needed to preserve the home and determine a functional use for the property.  I supported this action with the caveat that no further City funds would be used to rehabilitate the home. As a sign of “good faith” I have requested the community group/ entity be required to raise 30% of the funds needed to rehabilitate the home within a year they are awarded the contract following an RFP. If this does not occur, the home will be demolished and another use will be determined for the site. This will be discussed at a Council meeting at the end of January or beginning of February.