The city of Stockton, California has historical buildings and sites, including some which appear on the National Register of Historic Places and California Historical Landmark lists.
Historic sites
Site of first building in present city of Stockton (1844), Civic Court between Center and El Dorado streets. Thomas Lindsay built a tule hut on this site in 1844, shortly after the first settlers arrived at Rancho Campo de los Franceses. Lindsay was later murdered by Indians and buried here by travelers. The site is home to City Hall, and is #178, Lindsay Poin, on the Office of Historic Preservation's California Historical Landmark list. Burial place of John Brown (1859), 1100 East Weber Street at North Union Street. John Brown, Stockton resident from 1851 to 1859, is notable for his four-day ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco to warn Commodore Stockton of the attack on Los Angeles. As a result of his actions, troops were sent to secure the city, and Brown - nicknamed Juan Flaco - became known as the 'Paul Revere of California.' He is buried in the former Citizen's Cemetery near this site, which is #513 on the Office of Historic Preservation's California Historical Landmark list. Weber Point (1850), 221 North Center Street. The point is the site of a two-story adobe-and-redwood house, Weber Point Home, built in 1850 by Captain Charles Maria Weber, founder and pioneer developer of Stockton. One of the first elaborate residences and landscaped gardens in the San Joaquin Valley, it was Captain Weber's home until his death in 1881. Today the site is home to the Weber Point Event Center, which includes the Great Circle, Plaza, step Amphitheater, children's play area, an interactive water feature, Point Amphitheater, main stage, and waterfront promenade. The site was added to the city register by resolution number 30,304 on March 12, 1973, and is #165 on the Office of Historic Preservation's California Historical Landmark list. Temple Israel Cemetery (1851), East Acacia Street between North Pilgrim and North Union streets. In 1851, the cemetery site was donated to the Jewish community by Captain Charles Maria Weber. The site is the oldest Jewish cemetery in continuous use in California and west of the Rocky Mountains, and is #765 on the Office of Historic Preservation's California Historical Landmark list. County Courthouse Site (1853), 222 E Weber Avenue. Charles Weber donated the site to the city, despite his preference for the site of the old Franklin school, located at the confluence of Washington, Center, Lafayette, and Commerce streets. As the Hunter Square site was more centrally located, and was also the largest unbuilt area in the city, Weber agreed to donate the land, on condition that a central plaza be included in the plans. Hunter Square was created by filling in the slough on the west side of the block, and the first courthouse was constructed in 1853 (dedicated 1854). The current county courthouse sits on the site today. It was added to the city register by resolution number 30,102 on November 20, 1972.City of Stockton - San Joaquin County Courthouse County Jail Site (1893), northeast corner of San Joaquin and Channel streets. Nicknamed "Cunningham's Castle," the fortress-like structure featured round masonry towers, turrets with conical roofs, short robust columns, contrasting stone colors, and rough-faced stonework. The Richardsonian Romanesque design was popular during the 1890s, and got its nickname from its medieval appearance as well as its construction during the term of Sheriff Thomas Cunningham. Construction began in 1891, but financial problems delayed completion until 1893. When it was finished, the three-story brick building was designed to hold 75 prisoners - eight cells in a semicircle on the first two floors and six in the basement. Additional cells housed women and witnesses. With a continually growing population, however, the jail was soon operating beyond capacity; the jail averaged a population of over 400 inmates by the late 1940s. Deteriorating lime mortar and complaints of inhumane conditions led to the jail being abandoned in 1958 and torn down in 1961. In 1972, the City Council added the site to the city register by resolution number 30,101 on November 20, 1972. Miner Levee Site (1927), north side of Stockton Channel between Harrison and Lincoln streets. The site was added to the city register by resolution number 33,837 on January 31, 1977. Temporary Detention Camps at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds (1942), Airport Way. With the outbreak of World War II and the tendency to detain Japanese-Americans "for their own safety," the Stockton Assembly Center housed 4,217 San Joaquin County residents from May 10 to October 17, 1942, under Executive Order 9066. The site is the Administration Building at the fairgrounds, and is #934 on the Office of Historic Preservation's California Historical Landmark list. Reuel Colt Gridley Monument, Stockton Rural Cemetery near Memory Chapel, Cemetery Lane and East Pine Street. The memorial was erected by Rawlins Post of the Grand Army of the Republic and the citizens of Stockton in honor of Reuel Colt Gridley, who rendered services to Union soldiers during the War of the Rebellion when he collected $275,000 for the Sanitary Commission by selling and reselling a sack of flour. The memorial is #801 on the Office of Historic Preservation's California Historical Landmark list.
Homes
Benjamin Holt Home (1869). 548 E Park St. Benjamin Holt's home was constructed in 1869 by his father-in-law Benjamin Brown in the Greek Revival style. Square blocks, tall windows, high peaks, and a solid, square frame are hallmarks of the house. These were unusual in a time when most homes were built in Gothic style. The lower floor contained many small rooms that would have been useful for entertaining or receiving guests; the main floor contained the kitchen, and the second floor housed a smaller kitchen and several small rooms connected to a long hallway. At the time of Holt's best-known invention, his home was fairly secluded and took up an entire city, his closest neighbors being a brewery and the asylum on North American Street. A New Hampshire native, Holt and his brothers had started a wagon spoke and wheel business, which they expanded to the west coast when they moved to Stockton in 1883. Their Stockton Wheel Company manufactured wooden and metal wheels, which mostly went into the construction of streetcars. In 1892, the company was renamed the Holt Manufacturing Company, moved to Aurora Street, and became one of the city's first large businesses to bring recognition to the city. The company produced the Combined Harvester, a piece of farming equipment similar to a tractor that was pulled by 26 mules and horses, and eventually sold it throughout the United States and the rest of the world. After November 1909, the company produced and sold a Caterpillar track-type tractor, the design later influencing the construction of armored tanks. The home was added to the city register by resolution number 29,100 on June 7, 1971. The site is #82002254 on the National Register of Historic Places, and was added on March 2, 1982, and is home to the Martin Gipson Center of the San Joaquin County Health Care Services Agency's Mental Health Division.Stockton: A Glance Into The Past On March 20, 2015, the house was bought by Hendrik and Robin Valk and is currently being restored to its original state. Swett-Moreing Home (1883). 143 W Acacia St. The California Eastlake style (combination of Queen Anne and Eastlake) home was constructed for William Swett in 1883 by San Francisco architects Samuel and Joseph Newsom. Swett was a staff member at the Stockton Mail newspaper, and his family lived in the home until it was sold in 1891. Cyrus Moering Sr., a rancher and contractor, purchased the home 1898 and lived there until his death in 1911. Moering headed the firm of Cyrus Moreing & Sons, which held many of the largest construction contracts for the bond highways in San Joaquin County. Moering was also an elected councilman for the Second Ward, and owned a baseball team. The home was damaged by fire sometime between 2015 and 2016 and has since been demolished. The home was added to the city register by resolution number 39,263 on July 26, 1982.The Glory of the Past: Historic Homes in Stockton Newell Home (1888) 1107 N San Joaquin St, in the Magnolia Historic Preservation District. This Queen Anne–style home was built for Sidney Newell, a banker for Stockton Savings Bank as well as a steamboat company executive, and his wife Anna Elizabeth (Upslone). The Samuel and Joseph Newsom design features a hipped gable roof with a corbelled chimney on the south side (with a bargeboard, pendant, and vents), turned posts, delicate woodwork, and a stained glass window in the entry. The home was added to the city register by resolution number 29,170 on July 6, 1971. Charles E. Owen Home (1890). 1119 N San Joaquin St, in the Magnolia Historic Preservation District. The -story Queen Anne–style home was constructed for Charles Owen next to the home of the man who conveyed him the deed. Built at a cost of $10,000, it was completed in February 1890. It was sold in 1909 to William Brennan, owner of a leading livery stable. The home features a gabled roof with boxed eaves, lights, and shingles in the gables, bay windows with double-hung sashes, and wooden steps to the porch. It also has a hitching post in the front yard, one of the few left in Stockton. Owen was an accomplished musician, and had composed pieces that were published in San Francisco and Boston. The home is remarkable for its craftsmanship, as well as the quick construction timeline, remarkable for the 1890s. It was added to the city register by resolution number 34,629 on November 7, 1977. Dr. Cross House (1890). 207 W Acacia St. The home was added to the city register by resolution number 85–0597 on September 23, 1985, and today is a bed-and-breakfast known as the Old Victorian Inn. Moses Rodgers House (1898). 921 S San Joaquin St. The San Francisco-style home, with its bay window, tongue and groove siding, and wrap-around porch, was constructed for Missouri native - and African-American - Moses Rogers. Rogers was born a slave, but became a mining engineer and came to California for the Gold Rush in 1848. He quickly became known as an expert in the state, and investors went to him for advice regarding mining claims. Rogers moved his family to Stockton so that his five daughters would receive a good education, something that the schools were able to provide. The home is notable because of its architectural style, as well as the fact that it was owned by an African-American family. It is #78000763 on the National Register of Historic Places and was listed in 1978. It was added to the city register by resolution number 35,546 August 28, 1978. Edward B. Condy Home (1893). 820 N Madison St. The home was added to the city register by resolution number 34,112 on May 9, 1977. Dunne Home (1895). 1335 N Hunter St. Built for Edward Dunne, a local shoe store owner, in 1895, this home's design combines elements of Eastlake, Stick, and Queen Anne styles. It features a collection of original stained glass windows. This home appears to have been enlarged, as the Dunne family grew, by attaching wings salvaged from other structures, which probably accounts for the home's extreme diversity of Victorian styles. This home is often referred to as Stockton's "Mystery House" and was added to the city register by resolution number 38,208 on May 11, 1981. Superintendent's Home (1900). Stockton State Hospital, 521 E. Acacia Street, in the Magnolia Historic Preservation District. National Register of Historic Places The home was added to the city register by resolution number 29,086 on June 1, 1971.