1987 HERITAGE AWARD RECIPIENT
The Redlands Area Historical Society, Inc.
Heritage Award 1987
William & Ellnor Martsolf Home
1500 West Olive Avenue
Circa 1895
This 1 and 1/2 story residence (now an office building for the Redlands United Church of Christ) was constructed in about 1895 in the midst of a large orange grove. The house is located near the northwest corner of Olive and Bellevue Avenue. Bellevue was Railroad Avenue when the house was first built-and changed names a few years later. This house is done in the Classical Box style, modified somewhat by several elements – the first a wrap-around porch on the southwest corner of the house, and second, by a gently sloping, almost Oriental, roofline. The beautiful porch of the house consists of random coursed ashlar cut stonework, and the house exterior is clapboard siding. The exterior is painted beige, with rust-colored trim. The interior of the house is marked by dentils running the length of the top of each doorway in the house and along many of the upper walls.
The original owners are believed to be Mr. Francis J. and Mrs. Elizabeth J. Everitt, listed as “ranchers” in the early city directories. The family with the longest tenure at this location has been the William and Ellnor Martsolf family. The Martsolfs, citrus farmers, lived there for 33 years.
When the Redlands United Church of Christ built its new church building on the northwest corner of Bellevue and Olive in 1983, this home was carefully included in the plans to be restored to its original condition and is now used as offices by the church. This small home is an excellent example of adaptive re-use, retaining the charm of a residence, yet serving another purpose.
The Church is to be commended for including this historic building in its plans.
