- Originally a 1-square-mile town surrounded by farm lots, Orange dates to 1869, when Los Angeles lawyers Alfred Chapman and Andrew Glassell accepted 1,385 acres of land as payment for legal services. The city was incorporated in 1888.
- Today the original town survives as Old Towne, around the Glassell/Chapman traffic circle. Orange is home to the largest historic district – one square mile – in California, according to the National Register of Historic Places, with more than 1,300 homes and other buildings.
- Old Towne Orange abides by a code of historic preservation design standards, which includes information and criteria about site design, materials, colors, lighting, signage and landscaping. The historic district is occasionally used in Hollywood film shoots.
Claim to fame: Downtown Orange has kept its history intact even as newcomers take over some of its century-old storefronts, city of Orange spokesman Paul Sitkoff said. Sitkoff said the process of renovating and reassembling Old Towne for new tenants is painstakingly thorough, as the city aims to use materials matching its founding period as closely as possible.
Did you know? Due to Old Towne's tight preservation standards, Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen on Glassell Street still is not allowed to hang a sign over its door six years after opening.
, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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