Pleasure Point roadhouse

The Pleasure Point Roadhouse was a historic building on the Monterey Bay, located at 2-3905 East Cliff Dr., 95062 in Santa Cruz County, California. It was torn down on September 27, 2008.[1]

Henchy

The house was built between 1902 and 1904 by former San Francisco saloon owner John J. Henchy.[2] He bought the land that now spans 38th Ave. to 41st Ave. on the coast of Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, California. Henchy built his home on the property he bought from N E Neary, thus acquiring a natural view of the cove and Monterey Bay.

He built his home in a trapezoidal form that aligned with East Cliff Dr. The second story living area and master bedroom have great ocean views. A long, enclosed light-filled gallery wrap around the east and south sides of the main floor and create a sun porch. The front deck affords an expansive ocean view. It has many elements derived from the Early Craftsman Style thinking.[3][4] His large shingle-sided house and drive-through carriage house were the first large impressive buildings in this area.

  • 1st floor Roadhouse.
  • 2nd floor Roadhouse
  • Attic, reading room

The dining room opens off the living room and is adjacent to the kitchen. The kitchen opens into the windowed breakfast area with views to the natural setting and mountain behind.

  • Kitchen
  • Breakfast room off kitchen
  • Bathtub in bathroom next to fireplace
  • bathroom sink

The wood-panelled attic room with its hardwood floors and windows taking advantage of the natural, wooded ocean setting was used as the reading room.

  • Attic stairs
  • upper Attic stairs
  • Attic room door
  • attic



  • Back deck entry
  • Front deck
  • Front deck view

The front door opened directly into the living room, which in turn connected to the dining room. Often, the two rooms were separated only by a half wall.


Architect

The Roadhouse pre-dated the American Craftsman style, yet contained many of the elements that are found in it. The Roadhouse may be the trend setter that led to the Craftsman shingle style Berkeley style made well known by Julia Morgan, Bernard Maybeck and Greene and Greene. It reflects many of the concepts found in The Simple Home, Charles Keeler, 1906,[5] a great influence on the Craftsman School.

This century-old home, with the visual clues and the proximity of this site to Esty/Houghton home, leads historians to believe that is an L D Esty home. (see Ross) HisPogonip Clubhouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]

History of ownership

It was owned and occupied by a number of locally successful families.[7]

  • 1908 N Neary
  • 1921 J Menzel
  • 1926 Anton V Peterson Built the gas station, store and Cosy Cottage Resort.[8]
  • 1971 Liela Naslund of Los Gatos bought the property. She removed the gas station and store. She rented the rooms and cottages and kept an apartment on the lower back floor.
  • Cottages and barn from East Cliff Dr
  • 1st cottage
  • 2nd cottage
  • 3rd cottage

Effort for historic listing

2007 The county in updating historic property inventory had the Roadhouse nominated by the Live Oak History group as one of its highest priorities for listing. Activist Charles Paulden worked with the group.[9] He also started up a group called People for the Preservation of Pleasure Point. The group wanted it preserved as a landmark and Paulden said that it should be restored and used as a museum or community center.[10]

Anthony Kirk was hired by the absentee homeowner to challenge the Historic designation.[11] The tenants were evicted and the property fenced with chain link. Also barbed wire erected around the property.[12] It is rumored that the owner's daughters gave the tenants 60 days to vacate.

The County of Santa Cruz is considering it as a park.

It was torn down on September 27, 2008.

Part of the heavy plastic outdoor furniture was bought by Judith & Buck Hoelscher and is now being used at their Vacation Rental, The Tudor Rose Manor's yard in the flats in Rio del Mar beach area.

  • Broken wood from the destruction of the Roadhouse
  • Despite the Public appeal to the Coastal Commission it was destroyed and not recycled or moved
  • The County said the structures could not be moved, even though the Cottages could have been. The next day the buildings were destroyed.

Sources
  • Ross Gibson HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PLEASURE POINT ROADHOUSE, 2007 2007 DPR for 2-3905 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, Ca 95062
  • Norm Poltevan 2007 research for History Journal
  • Carol Swift 2007 DPR for 2-3905 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, Ca 95062

References
  1. "Historic Pleasure Point Roadhouse torn down". September 27, 2008.
  6. Weintraub, David (January 8, 2001). "Monterey Bay Trails: Outdoor Adventures in Monterey, Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties". Wilderness Press – via Google Books.
  9. Smart Voter Santa Cruz County, CA, June 5, 2012, Election Full Biography for Charles Andrew Paulden
  10. The National Trust for Historic Preservation Feb. 14, 2007 Santa Cruz Considers Landmarking 1902 Saloon By Margaret Foster | From Preservation
  11. California Coastal Commission Appeal from Coastal Permit Decision of Local Government, Page 9, Appeal to Coastal Commission From Eric Ross Gibson Page 3
  12. County of Santa Cruz Page 48 NR-5

It has been nominated to be listed as a Cultural Resource.

In 2006, it became the focal point in a local debate over property rights, eminent domain and historic preservation.

In 2007, while being consider for listing, the long term renters were evicted by the absentee landlords and the property became off limits to the public.

References to County record at links found on ipetitions.com/petition/saveroadhouse/

Craftsman Perspective

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