# 1. -- The Historic Civic Center on West Sixth Street, between Vicentia
Street and Buena Vista Street, served as Corona’s second high school
from September 1923 to 1961 and as Corona’s City Hall from 1962 to
Spring 2005. The main building is set behind a beautifully landscaped
lawn with a central fountain and mature evergreen trees to shade the
site. The main building and east wing are built on raised basements.
This two-story structure is built in Mediterranean – Spanish Revival
style architecture, with various rectangular sections. There is a large
sunburst window above the front doors. The auditorium at the center-
rear of the building is characterized by the use of massive wood
trusses to support the roof resting on reinforced pilasts. Classroom
wings with covered breezeways extend to the east and west of the
auditorium. The structure immediately to the east and south of the east
wing of the main structure, was constructed in 1931 of reinforced
concrete and was used for classrooms/library. A half-round second
floor balcony on the south end above the library’s ever present round
“study hall” table and reading area. The balcony was accessed by a
flattened arch doorway. Above the doorway is found a marvelous coat
of arms characterized by an oval shield on the scroll edged escutcheon
with the lamp of learning and an open book depicted. To each side of
the escutcheon is found a student, a girl on the left, a boy on the right,
each with an open book in his/her hands. This structure served as the
City Manager’s office for many years. The structure farther east was
used for the school cafeteria, food preparation areas and the Domestic
Science (home economics) Department. North of the home economics
structure is the school gymnasium which has complementary architect-
tural elements and remains in use at the present time with City Parks
and Recreation athletic activities.
The main building was originally built in 1922 and opened for use in
1923. It was designed by noted Riverside architect G. Stanley Wilson. It
was built by Cresmer Manufacturing Co. The three arches over the recessed entry are embellished with columns, cornices and various moldings. Fourteen (14) ornate low relief carvings/castings appear below the second floor balconet railings above the entrance, and also on the side windows. Three themes (learning, natural sciences and fine arts) are repeated in these scroll edged escutcheon castings. A symmetrical shield with point at the bottom, a flaming torch at the top and a scroll and open book represent learning. The natural sciences are depicted on an irregular shaped shield and represented by a globe, various engineering or astronomical measuring instruments and the sun, moon and stars. Fine Arts are represented on an oval shield by an artist’s palette and brushes, the capital (top) of an ionic column representing architecture and a partially rolled fabric or paper on which drawings or paintings may be made. Six of these castings symmetri-cally highlight double arched second story windows corresponding to the open arches at the recessed front entry. Two escutcheons are located on the second story single window balconets to the left and right of the entry. Three escutcheons are located on the balconets of the triple windows located on the sides of the main entry façade. Under the eaves, characterized by sculpted rafter tails, are large oval vents with decorative vertical spindles. The central hip roof is covered with clay tile, the east and west end sections of the roof are gabled and are also covered with clay tile.
Marker Plaque placed July 2, 1996 as a part of Corona’s centennial celebration.
# 2. -- The “First Church” in South Riverside was a small wooden structure
built, where the congregational doctrine was used but all faiths were
welcome. It was built in 1888, on land donated by the South Riverside
Land and Water Company, on the corner of Eighth and Ramona Streets.
The current, commanding, Tudor Revival structure replaced it in 1911.
The building features beautiful Tiffany stained glass windows on three
sides, fine brick and granite masonry, two towers, and in traditional
Tudor fashion, steep gables and half timbering. The sanctuary
Includes a cantilevered balcony, a large circular stained glass window,
and Corona’s first pipe organ (a Robert Morgan pipe organ installed in
1928) that is still in use. The First Congregational Church, at the south-
east corner of Eighth and Ramona Streets at 809 S. Ramona remains a
fixture in Corona’s downtown. It was designed by noted California
architect, Norman Foote Marsch. Marker Plaque placed July 1996 as a part
of Corona’s centennial celebration.
# 3. -- The location near East Sixth Street and Howard Street where, in 1913,
Marshal G. C. Alexander, the only Corona peace officer to be killed in
the line of duty, was shot and killed. (monument was designed and built by
Life Scout Blaine Winn, Troop 533, as his Eagle Project). Monument and Marker
placed July 10, 1996, as a part of Corona’s centennial celebration.
# 4. -- Thomas Jefferson Elementary School was built in 1927 at Tenth and
Vicentia Streets and was recognized in 1998 for continuously educating
the children of Corona for over 70 years. The earliest permanent
structures are built in Mediterranean – Spanish Revival style architect-
ture. The administration building, built in 1927, and the Library wing,
built in 1931, were designed by noted Riverside architect G. Stanley
Wilson. (monument was designed and built by Life Scout Kirt Smith, Team 533,
as his Eagle Project). Monument and Marker placed March 13, 1998.
# 5. -- The site of the first Corona Fire Station, built in 1898, is at the northeast
corner of South Main Street and Eighth Street. A brass fire hydrant and
marble faced monument marks the site. (monument was designed and built
by Life Scout Christopher Jensen, Troop 251, as his Eagle Project). Monument with
bronze fire hydrant and granite marker plaques placed October 2, 1998.
# 6. – Site of the first and second Lincoln School campuses occupied the
current Victoria Park site from 1889 to 1950; The first structure was a
two-story Victorian masonry structure with a large bell tower near Tenth
Street. A portion of the second Lincoln School building, facing Howard
Street, near Ninth Street still remains at the park. (projects to raise funds
for the marker and placement of the marker were coordinated by Life Scout Vess
Pearson, Troop 233, as his Eagle Project). Monument and Marker on the south end
of the remaining building were placed November 7, 1998.
# 7. – The Hotel Del Rey opened on the southwest corner of Sixth Street and
Victoria Avenue on March 15, 1904. It was built as a two-story structure
by Corona pioneer woman Ida B. Frazier and received Corona’s first
telephone line. In 1907 it was made into a three-story structure by
raising the original two stories and constructing a first story beneath.
Over the years the hotel had many names, including the President, Hart,
Californian, Centennial, Colonial and ultimately, the Victoria Hotel. The
hotel structure was saved from demolition by the Society in 1998 with
the assistance of Bank of America and was dissembled for relocation
and restoration at Corona Heritage Park. (monument was provided by Bank
of America). Monument and Bronze Marker placed May 7, 1999. Granite marker
replaced stolen bronze marker in 2009.)
# 8. – Corona’s first General Hospital was a two-story flat roofed, plastered
structure located in the 800 block of South Main Street from 1933 to
1963. The parking lot for Corona Regional Medical Center currently
occupies the site. (monument was designed and built by Life Scout Scott Milligan, Troop 533, as his Eagle Project). Monument and Marker placed November 6, 1999.
# 9. – Corona’s first High School, a two-story plus basement architectural
gem built in the Greek Revival style in 1907, once stood on South Main
Street, between Grand Boulevard and Olive Street. In 1923 the site
became Corona’s first Junior High School. In 1941 the original building
was demolished. The site is currently the campus of the Corona
Fundamental Intermediate School. (projects to raise funds for the marble
Marker, and placement of the marker were coordinated by Life Scout Robert
Skaggs, Troop 233 as his Eagle Project). Granite Marker Plaque placed May 12,
2000.
# 10. – The single-most significant events occurring in Corona in the 20th
century were the world-class Road Races of 1913, 1914, and 1916 that
were run on the circular Grand Boulevard roadway. A circular raised
monument, on the south side of Grand Boulevard marks the location of
the Start/Finish line, just west of Main Street, near the intersection with
Washburn Street. (monument was designed and built by Life Scout Scott
Brown, Team 533, as his Eagle Project). Bronze marker placed in the ground
October 18, 1986 as part of centennial celebration of the founding of South
Riverside (Corona’s first name) and elevated to circular above ground monument
March 23, 2002.
# 11. – The First Baptist Church, at the northwest corner of South Main and
Eighth Streets was organized in 1891. The first structure, was built in
1895 and served until January 24, 1937, when a fire destroyed the main
building. The existing chapel structure, built in 1938, remains in use.
(monument was designed and built by Life Scout Josh Lang, Troop 54, as his Eagle
Project). Monument and Marker placed January 27, 2005.
# 12. -- The Corona Foothill Lemon Company home ranch headquarters
located at 510 West Foothill Parkway (formerly near the corner of old
Chase Drive and Taylor Streets) celebrates Corona’s rich citrus
heritage. The Hampton house and the company store structure remain
in use as a part of the Corona Heritage Park and Museum. (monument
was designed and built by Life Scout Barret Roloson, Troop 107, as his Eagle
Project). Masonry monument with irrigation water valve and bronze marker placed
October 15, 2005.
# 13 – The Santa Fe Railroad Depot in Corona, built in the Spanish Revival
style is located at 150 Depot Drive (formerly Railroad Street), south of
the Santa Fe railroad tracks and just west of the Main Street over-
crossing of the tracks, celebrates both the first (1897 – 1937) Victorian
style and second (1937 to present) depot structures marking the arrival
point for passengers and settlers and the departure point for Corona’s
citrus harvest. (building exterior was refurbished and granite marker
plaque was provided and installed by Life Scout Cameron Blair, Troop 399 as his
Eagle Project) Granite Marker Plaque was placed March 5, 2007.
# 14 – The Corona Woman’s Improvement Clubhouse, located at 1101 Main
Street (the southeast corner of South Main and Eleventh Streets) was
built in Craftsman style after the fashion of a Welsh Church, in 1913 and
is the oldest secular assembly building in Corona.
Marker was placed April 28, 2009.
