Norris House
National Register of Historic Places

Norris House

Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California
Listed
July 23, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
80000859

About this property

The Norris House is a historic house located at 1247 Cowper St. in Palo Alto, California. The house was built in 1927 for Kathleen Norris, a novelist and columnist who was once the highest-paid female author in the United States, and her husband Charles Gilman Norris, also a noted novelist. Kathleen Norris' novels featured female characters who represented her ideals of motherhood and moral virtue; her columns appeared in major magazines and included both short stories and advice columns. Charles Gilman Norris wrote novels which touched on contemporary social issues and served as Kathleen's agent. In 1949, the Diocese of San Francisco purchased the house to serve as the Newman Center for Stanford University. Around 2000 the house was sold into private hands again. Architect Birge Clark designed the Spanish Colonial Revival house. At the time, the house was Clark's largest and most expensive design. The house's layout features several one- and two-story sections surrounding a patio. The house is built from white stucco with a tile roof; handcrafted ironwork and woodwork is used in the beams and decorations. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1980.

Location

1247 Cowper St.
Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California
37.44272, -122.14940

Categories

LITERATUREARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Allen, Theophilus, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Professorville Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Hewlett-Packard House and Garage
Industrial
0.3 mi
Palo Alto Medical Clinic
Industrial
0.4 mi
Woman's Club of Palo Alto
Civil War
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Norris House listed on the National Register?

Norris House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 23, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Norris House?

Norris House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Norris House?

The period of significance for Norris House is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Norris House?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Norris House will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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