Newport beach and eastbluff

History

City of Newport Beach:

The recorded history of the Newport Beach, California, region began when the area was first explored by Europeans in the 1500s. Prior to that time, Native Americans such as the Tongva and Juaneño/Luiseño people had been living in the area for thousands of years. Explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo mapped the coastline in 1542, but it was 200 years before Europeans settled the area. In 1769, Newport was a small portion of the land grant of Don José Antonio Yorba I, first under Spanish and then Mexican rule. After the Civil War, the land was developed by American settlers: for ranching by James Irvine and for shipping by James McFadden. A small settlement was built around McFaddens’ Wharf (at the location where the Newport Pier is today) and it became the largest business of Orange County, California. Following the opening of the San Pedro Harbor in Los Angeles in 1899, the commercial shipping industry in Newport declined. Newport Beach developed into a tourist and recreational boating community. in August 1906, Newport Beach became incorporated as a city.

EastBluff and North Bluff Parks

(Based on Los Angeles Times articles from 1964-65)

North Bluff Park Community Association was built on what was flat land next to the Newport Back Bay. The land was so flat that it previously served as a runway for aircraft. It was known as the Palisades Naval Landing Field, a satellite airfield for the Los Alamitos Navy Flight Training Station. It was built in 1942 during World War II and remained active until 1951.

North Bluff Park Community Association was built on that flat Eastbluff portion of the Irvine Ranch from early 1970’s. The developer of the 300-acre parcel was George Holstein & Sons. Richard Leitch was the architect and Jack Raub & Associates were the engineers. Holstein anticipated the eventual construction of 1,600 units which would have a European sea village atmosphere. The homes were priced from $28,000.

Since the land was flat and only offered views of the Upper Newport Bay on sites on the edge of the bluffs, the builder created the beautifully sculptured and contoured valleys and hills by scooping out more than 1½ million yards of earth. The cost of this contouring, which provided dramatic view sites for many of the homes, was more than $1 million.