Eye on SC
The World According to Ole

By Kaerie Ray
San Clemente Times

    As San Clemente copes with new developement, we revisit Ole Hanson’s vision.
    Ask a resident youth about San Clemente’s history and you may hear something about consistently good surf or perfect year-round weather, but question a more seasoned native and they’ll be the first to mention Ole Hanson, visionary founder of the Spanish Village by the Sea. Perhaps, when a dream as passionate and fervent as Ole Hanson’s comes to fruition, it can’t help but endure. And endure it has—not simply in the form of trademark red-tile roof and white-walled homes—but also in Hanson’s spirit of community living. “I envision a place where people can live together more pleasantly than any other place in America,” he explained. “I can see...a beach enlivened with people getting a healthy joy out of life.”
    Married with children, Hanson made his way out west from Wisconsin, initially settling in Seattle, Wash. His family would later grow to include a total of 10 children—six boys and four girls. It was during his time in Washington that Hanson delved into politics and became a prominent state legislator and, later, mayor of Seattle. He was a determined man, with big dreams and big potential. This led to his being twice offered the vice presidency, but Hanson had a dream of life outside of politics and set out for San Clemente, Calif.
    Without question he had a vision for the community he would create. Inspired by homes he saw along the Andalusian coastline, he insisted upon uniform Spanish Colonial architectural style including wrought iron, red-tile rooftops and white stucco walls on each of the homes he fashioned. So resolute was he in the style of the homes that there exists a rumor that he took down and rebuilt a previously flat-roofed home with no red tiles and paid to repaint a home with a brown exterior, all to protect the charm of the community. His persistence paid off, as interest poured in from the surrounding areas of Los Angeles, San Diego and beyond. For Hanson, the homes were just the beginning, and he next furnished the city with facilities for public education and recreation in the form of restaurants, parks, a school, pier, community center, clubhouse, golf course and tennis courts. There was even provision for a water reservoir.
    His success culminated in 1928 with the construction of his own hilltop home with a view on Avenida Granada, which would later become to be known as Casa Romantica. Designed by famed architect Carl Lindbom, the home is currently utilized as a cultural center, playing host to various concerts, poetry readings and artist workshops thanks to the help of concerned residents and the San Clemente Historical Society.
    “My grandmother lived there as a child,” shares Bill Simpson, resident of San Juan Capistrano and great-grandson of Ole Hanson. “She tells stories about how she spent her summers there and then attended school in Los Angeles. I remember visiting there myself and it is an interesting design because there are no common hallways. If you were in a bedroom and needed to meet for dinner, you’d have to take an outdoor path to get there. In that respect it seems a lot like a hotel, but it was his [Hanson’s] vision.” Simpson goes on to share about his grandmother, with whom he is very close. “She’s in her 80s now, but she was the youngest of the 10 children. I was very close with my great aunts and uncles; they were very down-to-earth and easy to talk to.”
    Hanson oversaw the construction of 500 homes and commercial buildings in San Clemente. Over time, some were demolished, refaced or neglected until the Mills Act ensured the protection of each building’s historical integrity. Just more than 200 historic homes and commercial buildings remain, all residing on the city’s designated historical structures list. It’s part of the city’s efforts to reclaim its original identity, its connection with Ole Hanson.
    “Over the past 10 years there’s been a real push to get back to the city’s roots,” comments Mike Cotter, president of the San Clemente Historical Society, originally founded in 1973. “Buildings that were changed in the 1950s and ’60s are beginning to be restored. The 31 Flavors ice cream [building] is a perfect example. It was originally an Ole Hanson administration building, got changed and refaced, and about two years ago, the facade was removed to reveal the original construction. As time goes by people look to the past for their sense of identity, and this city has really understood the value of a local identity based on history. Without it, San Clemente would be just like any other city.”
    Cotter shares details of a city task force to recommend certain buildings for landmark designation and preservation. “The city hasn’t lost a significant historical resource since 1973, and it’s because a dedicated group of residents is acutely aware of the importance of retaining the value of these homes,” he says. Residents and visitors can learn more about San Clemente’s ambitious beginnings—and restoration efforts—by visiting the Casa Romantica Cultural Center, Historic City Hall or taking the walking and driving tour of Ole Hanson architectural hotspots through town.

Kaerie Ray