Octagon Building (Santa Cruz, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Octagon Building
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | Corner of Front and Cooper Sts., Santa Cruz, California |
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| Built | 1882 |
| Architect | J. W. Newcum |
| Architectural style | Octagon Mode |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000193 |
| Added to NRHP | March 24, 1971 |
The Octagon Building is a really old and special building in Santa Cruz, California. It's made of red bricks and has eight sides, which is why it's called the Octagon! You can find it at 118 Cooper Street, right on the corner of Front Street. This unique building was built way back in 1882 and has an amazing history of surviving big disasters.
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The Octagon Building: A Historic Survivor
The Octagon Building was built in 1882. Its main job was to be the County Hall of Records. This means it stored important papers and documents for Santa Cruz County. It was built right next to the first County Courthouse, which was built in 1866.
Standing Strong: Fires and Earthquakes
The Octagon Building has proven to be incredibly tough. In 1894, a huge fire swept through the area. It destroyed many buildings nearby, including the courthouse next door. But the strong brick Octagon Building survived the flames!
Many years later, in 1989, a very powerful earthquake hit. This was the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. It caused a lot of damage to many historic brick buildings in Santa Cruz. But once again, the sturdy Octagon Building stood strong and was not badly damaged. Its survival through these major events shows how well it was built.
What's Inside Now?
For a long time, the Octagon Building held important county records. But in 1968, these records were moved to a new County Government Center.
After that, the building found new uses. Since 1993, it has been used as the Museum Store for the nearby Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH). Later, it even became a coffeehouse where people could relax. As of October 2016, the building was empty, but it is still looked after by the MAH.
A Recognized Landmark
Because of its unique design and amazing history, the Octagon Building is considered very important. On March 24, 1971, it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a special landmark that should be protected for future generations.
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