Historic French Park Apartments for Rent

French Park was one of the first neighborhoods in Santa Ana to form an association. In 1979, the Historic French Park area formed their own association as residents saw a decline in care for the older homes in the area.

The history of the Historic French Park neighborhood stems back to as late as the 1890s. This is when homes were nearly all very large, and were owned by some of the most notable residents of Santa Ana. The three most notable were William Spurgeon, James McFaden, and J. H. Fruit. They formed Western Development Company and were influential in having the Southern Railroad extend its service into Santa Ana in 1878.

Another prominent businessman in the area, George Wright purchased a large lot of land and built his home there. Years later, his home was moved to Mintner and Vance Place. The vacated land was donated to the city with several stipulations including that it be opened up fully. Because of its unique shape, the park was labeled “Flatiron Park.” Today, it is simply known as French Park.

Many of the Historic French Park neighborhood homes were converted from single-family properties to apartments to help house military families during the 1940s. The large military family population was pronounced because of the four bases that were located in Orange County.

Few houses survived the economic downturn of the area, one exception being the Dr. Howe-Waffle House, which was moved to Civic Center Drive. Since the late 1970s, the French Historic neighborhood has been undergoing renewal and renovations to help restore the remaining historical properties. The society continues to move forward renovating those homes which are still in existence, and the French Historic district still remains a neighborhood known for its urban lifestyle.