VISALIA HERITAGE came about as a result of the widespread ravaging of historic properties all California cities were undergoing in the 1970s. In Visalia, particularly, many single-family homes were being moved or demolished to build multi-family rental units. These cookie-cutter apartment buildings can be found on almost every block of the central part of town. In 1978 a group of concerned citizens pushed the city to complete an inventory of historic houses, buildings and landmarks.
The Survey area was bounded by Houston Avenue, Santa Fe Avenue, Tulare Avenue and Giddings Avenue. This was divided into six sub-areas to help manage the work. A coordinator was assigned to each area. A Preservation Training Seminar was held on March 11, 1978 to train nearly 160 volunteers in differentiating various architectural styles and terminology.
These volunteers, in groups of two or three, did the field survey over a six-month period. They noted the condition of each property (regardless of the age of the building), speaking to residents and owners, taking photos and searching through the records available. This included business properties and vacant lots. This information was entered on a form provided by the city. Funding was provided by a 50/50 matching grant from the State Office of Historic Preservation. Technical assistance was provided by Charles Hall Page and associates in San Francisco, specifically to nominate exceptional properties to the state or national registers.
Upon completion of the survey, city staff prepared a report, The Historic Preservation Element. The report recommended establishing a “Local Register” which categorized properties into several categories and assigned each an architectural style. The HPAC was to be responsible for administering the Historic Preservation District Ordinance, which preserved and promoted the city’s cultural heritage. The Preservation Element also recommended that a private, non-profit organization was needed. Thus, the 15 members of HPAC formed the first board of Visalia Heritage.