List: 13+ Napa Buildings are "Threatened Treasures"

Unreinforced-masonry structures – including 11 in the city of Napa – top the 2011 list of “Threatened Treasures,” released Friday by

In a detailed press release, attached to this article, the preservation group said that

Landmarks is turning the spotlight on the many unreinforced masonry (URM) and inadequately reinforced masonry buildings right here in Napa County. As most residents are aware, Northern California will eventually experience another large earthquake. A significant earthquake could seriously damage these historic buildings or even render them unsalvageable. During such an event, the buildings pose a threat to adjacent historic buildings, and most importantly, to the safety of those within and on adjacent sidewalks and streets.

Eleven buildings fall into this category in the City of Napa, though five of the eleven are moving toward seismic retrofits. The owners of the Center Building (810-816 Brown Street), and the Merrills Building (1212 First Street) show no signs of initiating seismic retrofits to these notable historic buildings.

Constructed in 1904 of rough cut native stone and brick to complement the Courthouse across the street, the Center Building is one of only a few stone buildings remaining in the City of Napa. The Spanish Colonial Revival Merrills Building, built circa 1925 for Samuel P. Gordon, is a graceful reminder of the vibrant commercial Downtown Napa of yesterday.

Although the owner has initiated work on Main Street’s Fagiani building (813 Main Street), the landmark bar has yet to be retrofitted.

We applaud the City of Napa for implementing a seismic retrofit program with great success, but some building owners stand defiant and have failed to protect their buildings or the public.

The City of Napa is currently working on strategies to enforce the seismic retrofitting of all URM and inadequately reinforced masonry buildings. We encourage them to follow through on this effort.

Number two on the Landmarks list, following unreinforced structures, is the city’s oldest building:

The Cayetano Juarez Adobe (also known as the Old Adobe Restaurant and The Adobe House) is the only extant building from the 1840-50s in the City of Napa. Mexican Army soldier Don Cayetano Juarez, a native Californian, established Tulocay Rancho in 1841 on the eastern side of the Napa River after receiving a land grant from Mexican General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. Juarez built several adobe mud brick structures on his 8,800 acre rancho. As the oldest building in the City of Napa and the only monument to Napa’s Mexican era, the Juarez Adobe is an irreplaceable reminder of our cultural heritage.

Over the years, the building has suffered maintenance issues and insensitve alterations. Recent tenants have struggled to maintain a viable business in the location evidenced by changes in ownership and culinary themes.

The City of Napa has designated the building as a City Landmark. The structure is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Landmarks would like to see the Juarez Adobe placed on the National Register, made a centerpiece of the Soscol Corridor Redevelopment Area, and restored in a manner befitting its historic status and association.

The old gas station at 1501 Third St. is also on the Landmarks list, which is released each May:

This Streamline Moderne gas station is a reminder of Napa’s early automotive history, and Third Street’s historic importance as a highway. The second to last of twelve stations that once lined Third Street, and home to Heye’s, Frank’s, Cerletti’s and Roy’s, (all Union Stations), the station is slated for demolition unless a relocation site can be found. With many successful restorations/repurposing of historic gas stations occurring throughout the United States, we appeal to the property owner to reconsider and save this unusual little building. Landmarks would love to see a creative plan for redevelopment of the block that would retain the gas station as a focal point. The property owner is, however, willing to give the building to anyone who wants to move it – if you have a lot for a historic gas station call Landmarks!

Other entries on the annual “Threatened Treasures” list include wood windows:

Though original windows are among the most visible (and beautiful) features of older buildings, they are often unappreciated by property owners. The original windows of historic homes are being replaced at an alarming rate. Vinyl and metal windows are the replacement of choice, though original wood windows are character-defining architectural elements of our historic homes. They were custom designed to fit their openings, crafted by hand, and made from old-growth redwood. The old wood is denser, more durable, rot-resistant and dimensionally stable than modern wood and as the wood was harvested locally, better suited to local climate conditions. Replacing a reparable wood window with a vinyl sash is comparable to surfacing an antique oak table with Formica – it obscures the craftsman’s work and lowers the value of the item!

Original windows are clues to a house’s age and crafting techniques and when properly maintained and weather-stripped can be just as energy-efficient as a new window. Many people are unaware that a wood storm-window effectively creates a double-paned window without destroying integrity.

The Landmarks list, attached to this article, also includes the county's historic stone bridges and properties from American Canyon to Calistoga, as well a a “watch list," "lost treasures" and "success stories.”