City of San Luis Obispo Historic Resources facts for kids
The City of San Luis Obispo Historic Resources are special buildings and places in San Luis Obispo that the city has decided are important because of their history or unique design.
You can see where these historic places are on a map! Just click "OpenStreetMap" in the box to the right.
Contents
Why are these places special?
The city has a group called the Cultural Heritage Committee (CHC). This committee has seven members chosen by the City Council. Their main job is to find, study, and protect old buildings, ancient sites, and cultural spots.
To be called a "historic resource," a place must:
- Be at least 50 years old.
- Look mostly like it did when it was first built.
- Have a special connection to a famous architect, a unique building style, an important person, or a big event in history.
In 2013, the city also created a "Historic Context Statement." This helps people understand how these historic places fit into the city's past, its society, and its building styles. You can find this statement and other "Historic Preservation Program Guidelines" on the city's website.
Other Important Lists
Some of San Luis Obispo's historic places are so important that they are also on other special lists!
Three of them are also California Historic Landmarks:
- Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (Landmark 325)
- Dallidet Adobe (Landmark 720)
- Ah Louis Store (Landmark 802)
Eight places are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), which is a national list of important places:
- Myron Angel House (listed 1982)
- Pacific Coast Railway Company Grain Warehouse (listed 1988)
- Robert Jack House (listed 1992)
- Tribune-Republic Building (listed 1993)
- San Luis Obispo Carnegie Library (listed 1995)
- Ah Louis Store (listed 2008)
- William Shipsey House (listed 2010)
- Monday Club of San Luis Obispo (listed 2016)
There are also two other places in San Luis Obispo that are on the National Register of Historic Places but are not on the city's list. These are The Powerhouse on the CalPoly campus and the San Luis Obispo Octagon Barn.
Cool Historic Places in San Luis Obispo
Here are some of the interesting historic places in San Luis Obispo:
| # | Name | Image | Location | Historic District |
Built | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrews Adobe (aka El Rancho Alisal, Wolfe Residence, Wilkinson Adobe) | 1451 Andrews 35°17′09″N 120°38′48″W / 35.285955°N 120.646584°W |
1790s | This two-story house was originally a one-story adobe built before 1800. It's thought to be the second oldest building still standing in the county! | ||
| 16 | Myron Angel House |  |
714 Buchon 35°16′33″N 120°39′39″W / 35.275833°N 120.660833°W |
Old Town HD | c. 1880 | This two-story wooden house was the home of Myron Angel from 1889 to 1911. He was a very important person in starting California Polytechnic State University. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. |
| 18 | Bradbury Sanitarium (also known as Pacific Hospital) | 743 Buchon 35°16′34″N 120°39′41″W / 35.276188°N 120.661262°W |
Old Town HD | 1911-12 | Dr. Richard Bradbury built this as a sanitarium (a type of hospital). It was later used for military housing during World War II and then became an apartment building. | |
| 62 | Loomis Feed Co. Warehouse |  |
75 Higuera 35°16′22″N 120°39′54″W / 35.272778°N 120.665°W |
1885 | This wooden building is covered with corrugated iron. It's the only building left from the Pacific Coast Railway's main offices and the only old grain storage building in San Luis Obispo. It was added to the NRHP in 1988. | |
| 77 | Madonna Inn |  |
100 Madonna 35°16′03″N 120°40′29″W / 35.2675°N 120.67472°W |
1961-69 | This famous motel was built by Alex Madonna. It looks like a Swiss-Alps building on the outside and has very fancy rooms inside with pink roses, Western art, and copper decorations. It has 110 unique rooms! | |
| 88 | Robert Jack House |  |
536 Marsh 35°16′38″N 120°39′53″W / 35.277222°N 120.664722°W |
1880 | This two-story house is built in the Italianate style. The city now runs it as a museum and a place for events. It was added to the NRHP in 1992. | |
| 91 | First Presbyterian Church | 951 Marsh 35°16′48″N 120°39′38″W / 35.28007°N 120.660651°W |
1905 | This church is built in the English Arts and Crafts style. The granite stones used to build it came from nearby Bishop Peak. | ||
| 93 | William Shipsey House |  |
1266 Mill 35°17′09″N 120°39′32″W / 35.285853°N 120.658906°W |
Mill Street HD | 1890 | This house has Queen Anne and Stick/Eastlake design elements. It was added to the NRHP in 2010. |
| 99 | Mission San Luis |  |
782 Monterey 35°16′49″N 120°39′53″W / 35.28031°N 120.664666°W |
Downtown HD | 1812 | This Spanish mission was started in 1772 by Father Junípero Serra. It's a very important historical site. |
| 100 | Fremont Theater |  |
1035 Monterey 35°16′56″N 120°39′39″W / 35.282162°N 120.660767°W |
Downtown HD | 1941 | This theater is designed in the Streamline Moderne style by architect S. Charles Lee. |
| 102 | San Luis Obispo Carnegie Library | .jpg) |
696 Monterey 35°16′49″N 120°39′50″W / 35.280278°N 120.663889°W |
Downtown HD | 1905 | This library is built with red brick and yellow sandstone. It was added to the NRHP in 1995 and has been the county's historical museum since 1956. |
| 105 | Sinsheimer Building | 849 Monterey 35°16′50″N 120°39′47″W / 35.280684°N 120.663155°W |
Downtown HD | 1884 | The first floor of this building was a general store run by the Sinsheimer Brothers. The second floor had offices. It's special because it's the only building on the Central Coast known to have a cast iron front. | |
| 110 | Monday Club |  |
1815 Monterey 35°17′19″N 120°39′05″W / 35.288551°N 120.651366°W |
1933 | This building was designed by a famous architect named Julia Morgan. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. | |
| 111 | Milestone Motel Inn | .jpg) |
2223 Monterey 35°17′29″N 120°38′52″W / 35.291513°N 120.647748°W |
1924-25 | This place is famous for being the first motel in the world! It closed in 1991 and is now part of the Apple Farm hotel. | |
| 118 | St. Stephen's Episcopal Church | 1344 Nipomo 35°16′35″N 120°39′51″W / 35.276416°N 120.664043°W |
Old Town HD | 1873 | ||
| 125 | County Courthouse | 976 Osos 35°16′56″N 120°39′42″W / 35.282255°N 120.661729°W |
Downtown HD | 1941 | This Art Deco building was the county courthouse until the 1960s. Now, it holds the County Department of Planning and Building. | |
| 130 | Dallidet Adobe |  |
1185 Pacific 35°16′52″N 120°39′26″W / 35.281139°N 120.657145°W |
1856 | The county historical society has operated this adobe as a museum since 1953. It's also California Historical Landmark No. 720. | |
| 132 | Ah Louis Store | .jpg) |
800 Palm 35°16′58″N 120°39′49″W / 35.282778°N 120.663611°W |
Chinatown HD | 1884 | This commercial building was built by a Chinese businessman named Ah Louis. He even used bricks from his own brickyard! It was added to the NRHP in 2008. |
| 145 | Southern Pacific Depot |  |
1011 Railroad 35°16′36″N 120°39′17″W / 35.276657°N 120.654709°W |
Railroad HD | 1943 | This is the city's train station. It was listed on the NRHP in 1993. |
| 146 | Tribune-Republic Building |  |
1763 Santa Barbara 35°16′33″N 120°39′23″W / 35.275708°N 120.656477°W |
Railroad HD | 1873 | This building was home to four different San Luis Obispo newspapers from 1873 to 1901. It moved to its current spot in 1905 and is the oldest wooden commercial building in San Luis Obispo. |
| 155 | Southern Pacific Water Tower |  |
1100 Iris 35°16′34″N 120°39′12″W / 35.276215°N 120.653257°W |
1940 |
Historic Neighborhoods (Districts)
San Luis Obispo also has special historic districts. These are areas with many historic buildings that share a common history or architectural style.
| Name | Image | Boundaries | Description |
| Downtown Historic District | Generally bounded by Palm Street to the north, Marsh Street to the south, Osos Street to the east, and Nipomo Street to the west, plus Dana Street in the northwest | This area covers the oldest part of San Luis Obispo. It includes the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and many businesses from when the city grew quickly between the 1890s and 1910s. It's about 61.5 acres big. | |
| Old Town Historic District | Generally bounded by Pacific Street on the north, Islay Street on the south, Santa Rosa Street on the east, and Beach Street on the west | This district was created in 1987 and covers 86 acres. It includes San Luis Obispo's oldest neighborhoods with historic homes from the 1880s to the early 1900s. | |
| Chinatown Historic District | Both sides of Palm Street between Chorro and Morro Streets | This district was created in 1995 to honor the important contributions of San Luis Obispo's Chinese community. It is 4.4 acres. | |
| Mill Street Historic District | Peach Street on the north, Palm Street on the south, Pepper Street on the east and Toro Street on the west | This district was created in 1987 and is 20 acres. It's a tree-lined street with homes from the early 1900s in styles like Tudor Revival, Craftsman, and Mission Revival. It's sometimes called Fremont Heights. | |
| Railroad Historic District | Bounded by the railroad right-of-way on the east, Johnson Avenue on the north, Orcutt Road on the south, Leff Street on the northwest, and Broad Street on the west | This district was created in 1998. It follows the old boundaries of the Southern Pacific rail yard. It includes homes and businesses built after the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in 1894. It covers 80.7 acres. |
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City of San Luis Obispo Historic Resources Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.