Fans of modern architecture have applauded the National Register's action. "The National Register recognition means there's an understanding that these places have some importance," said Andrew Wolfram, president of the Northern California chapter of DOCOMOMO (Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement).

Only a handful of modern subdivisions throughout the country have preceded the Eichlers onto the National Register. They include Arapahoe Acres in Colorado, 124 individually designed homes built from 1949 to 1957; Rush Creek Village in Ohio, 49 homes designed from the 1940s to '70s by Frank Lloyd Wright disciple Theodore Van Fossen; and three subdivisions in Maryland from 1951 to '61 designed by Charles Goodman. An application is in the works for another Goodman neighborhood, Hollin Hills in Virginia.

On the West Coast, only one modern neighborhood is on the Register, housing for nuclear plant workers in Richland, Washington.

No one is happier about the Green Gables and Greenmeadow success than members of the committee, who never dreamed the effort would take so long. Enthusiasm was high in 2001 when a group of nearly 20 Eichler owners and aficionados from Northern and Southern California -- spearheaded by Marty Arbunich, publisher of the Eichler Network, and Barry Brisco, a San Mateo Highlands Eichler owner -- formed the Historic Quest committee.

Eventually reduced to a core group of eight devotees, the committee set its sights high, seeking historic designation for four neighborhoods and two individual homes. Nominees also included Rancho San Miguel in Walnut Creek, part of Terra Linda in Marin County, Joe Eichler's own home in Atherton, and the all-steel X-100 house in San Mateo Highlands. "That shows how naïve we were," said Brisco, co-chairman of the Quest committee. "We had no appreciation of the magnitude of the task."

After several discussions with Howse, who reviews Register nominations at the California state level in preparation for the National Park Service, the committee narrowed its focus to what Quest member Merritt Colman calls "the cream of the crop."

Committee members toured every Eichler development in Northern California built before 1960, scoring each one based on criteria they had developed in conjunction with SHPO. Ultimately, Green Gables and Greenmeadow were selected, and the front elevations of all of their houses were appraised and scored as 'contributing' to the neighborhood's historic integrity, or 'non-contributing.' To contribute, a house had to be "true to the original," as viewed from the street, Colman said. Houses would lose points for roll-up garage doors, inappropriate windows or doors, and other features that did not reinforce the original aesthetic. "Anything with a second-story addition was out, no matter how well done," Colman said.

Once the two neighborhoods were chosen, Arbunich and Brisco, supported by author Paul Adamson's Eichler research, took on the exacting task of writing -- and rewriting -- the nomination text statements. That documentation needed to be well-argued, heavily documented, and precise. Photos had to be presented just so.

Then came public hearings to give residents time to comment or protest. Rankin, the only Historic Quest member who lived in one of the neighborhoods, wasn't expecting much opposition. Still, some neighbors worried that with national recognition would come national regulation. If 51 percent of the property owners protested, the application would die. "We thought there were going to be objections," Rankin said. There were questions, but no protests. "When we came out of the meeting, I think we were all feeling pretty good."

How to Landmark Your Neighborhood

Touring every Eichler neighborhood in Northern California convinced members of the Eichler 'Historic Quest' committee that others deserve a spot on the National Register as well. But don't wait for the committee to do it for you.

"If you want to make it happen," said Marty Arbunich, Quest member and publisher of the Eichler Network, "go make it happen yourself."

The work of the Historic Quest committee [see front page story] has made it easier for subsequent applicants, said Paul Lusignan, who review s applications for the National Park Service. The committee has done much of the documentation needed to prove Eichler's importance.

"We would welcome seeing additional neighborhoods and single homes," Lusignan said. He noted, however, that every neighborhood must focus on what makes it most significant. "There are a limited number of neighborhoods with good physical integrity that are really able to convey the essence of Eichler homes."

The state Office of Historic Preservation (SHPO) has a modern committee to encourage landmarking modern buildings and communities, said historian Cynthia Howse. Her office wants to help people landmark their neighborhoods, and will meet with applicants to walk the neighborhood and offer advice.

Most properties listed on the National Register are at least 50 years old, but that is not an inflexible rule.

"Nomination," Howse said, "can be technically demanding." Expect to spend two years on the process, she said. Many people hire professional consultants.

National Register nominations are submitted first to the State Office of Historic Preservation for technical review. They must be approved by the state Historical Resources Commission before being sent on the National Park Service for final approval at staff level.

"Be prepared to work your tail end off and be prepared for setbacks," Quest member Wally Fields said. "And be prepared to be very proud, whether you succeed or not."

Already several people are considering additional Eichler nominations. Quest member Adriene Biondo hopes to secure Nationa l Register status for her Granada Hills neighborhood in Southern California.

Merritt Colman would like to do the same at Rancho San Miguel. And DOCOMOMO (Documentation and Conservation of the Modern Movement) is looking at Eichlers in San Francisco's Diamond Heights development.

The Historic Quest committee's success has emboldened Stephanie Raffel, a Quest member who hopes to preserve the integrity of three Orange County subdivisions by establishing guidelines and landmarking.

"It suggests that when we do approach the Eichler owners down here [in Orange], it won't just be with a grandiose idea," she said. "That idea suddenly becomes a reality."

Resources to Get Started

• The California Office of Historic Preservation provides National Register registration forms and guidance for preparing applications at www.cr.nps.gov/nr/ research/sample.html

• Applications for successful National Register properties can be read at Northwest Information Center, Sonoma State University. 707-664-0880.

• Copies of successful nominations, including those for the Greenmeadow and Green Gables developments, are available at one of 12 regional information centers located throughout the state. Centers maintain registration materials for the counties in their jurisdiction. See the 'info centers' link at www.ohp.parks.ca.gov

The Committee that Endured the 'Quest'

Convincing state and federal preservation officials that Eichler neighborhoods deserved a spot on the National Register of Historic Places required both art and science. To determine historical integrity, the all-volunteer 'Historic Quest' committee had to develop its own objective criteria -- and then follow them. It had to prepare convincing arguments, and present them persuasively. And it had to wait, revise its work, wait some more, and then revise some more.

"This is a major process," says Barry Brisco, co-chair of the committee who lives in an Eichler in the San Mateo Highlands. "It's much more than just filling out a form."

Over the next four years, he and the committee put in hundreds of hours evaluating Eichler neighborhoods house by house, and helping write the successful nominations to the National Register based on the exhaustive research of Eichler book historian and fellow Quest member Paul Adamson.

Not only did the eight Historic Quest members work for free, they also footed the bill for photography, gas, printing, airfare, and other expenses.

Merritt Colman, whose Walnut Creek neighborhood was dropped from consideration in order to focus on two stronger candidates, made many trips to survey Palo Alto, a full day's work each time. "We were a very democratic committee," he said of the group, which was co-chaired by Marty Arbunich, Eichler Network publisher, with Brisco.

Wally Fields, perhaps the ultimate Eichler enthusiast and a columnist for the Eichler Network, doesn't even live in an Eichler -- although he lived in one as a child -- but got involved because he loves the homes. "It was sort of a way to reconnect to my origins."

Adriene Biondo, who lives in the Balboa Highlands tract near Los Angeles, put thousands of miles on the road during the Quest years. "I wanted to make the connection to Northern California, the hotbed of Eichlers," she said. Stephanie Raffel also made the commute from Southern California, knowing that success up north could prove inspirational down south.

Carroll Rankin, an architect who lives in Greenmeadow, spread the word in his neighborhood and found quiet support. "We didn't have to do any selling," he said.

The work was hard and at times discouraging, when the state Office of Historic Preservation required revision after revision. "Patience was really key," Arbunich said.

But the core eight members of the Historic Quest committee stuck it out. "It was interesting working with a group of people who have the same vision," Colman said. "The group that finished up, the group that's together now, I think is a great group. We all synched up together and worked well together, and got something done."

All photos by David Toerge

For those interested in pursuing National Register designation for their own neighborhoods, read
our vital commentary on "Exploding the Myths of Historic District Designation."

Discover these historic resources -- keys to more, valuable information.

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