What's with the name on the stone?
Continue this walk from the southwest corner of W. Third and Hazel streets. Head west along Third until you get to Ivy Street.
This is another intersection that is three parts good and one part bad.
The house in front of you, on the southeast corner, dates from about 1871, making it one of the oldest in Chico. It has been remodeled several times. Its most famous owner was George Crosette, the Chico Record’s first editor. He and John Bidwell were often at odds politically.
At the curb in front of the house is a carriage mounting stone with “Crosette” carved into it, a fantastic remnant of the 19th century.
Directly across the street is a Dutch colonial house, another post-Victorian style. Dutch in this case actually means “Deutch” or German. It was built in 1902. The main feature that defines its architectural style is a gambrel roof. One of its owners was Richard White, who was Chico’s city attorney, city clerk and city recorder.
Kitty-corner across the street is the Walker house, one Chico’s few brick residences. It was built in 1881 by Jefferson Walker, who owned a brick yard. Bricks for this house were also used in what is now known as the Phoenix building, in downtown Chico.
On the fourth corner is a mid-20th century apartment building, although this one isn’t as big and ugly as other apartment buildings in the South Campus neighborhood.
Turn left and head south on Ivy. The building at the northeast corner of W. Fourth and Ivy is an Italianate-style Victorian built in about 1873. It’s a more grand version of the three Italianate cottages on the west side of Ivy Street.
It amazes me how many architectural gems there are in this neighborhood, especially when you consider that many of the properties haven’t been well-treated either by their owners or the tenants.
There’s no particular reason to finish this walk around the block. The E. Fourth and Hazel street legs of the block don’t have any noteworthy buildings.
Join me soon for another square-shaped walk.