National Register of Historic Places

Porter Building

Woodland, Yolo County, California
Listed
November 30, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78000828

About this property

The Porter Building is a historic building listed on the National Register of Historic Places located in the Downtown Historic District of Woodland, California. The building was designed in 1913 by architect W.H. Weeks, architect of many other landmarks in Woodland such as the Woodland Opera House and the Yolo County Courthouse. Construction bids were accepted and Earle L. Younger of San Jose (later a Woodland resident) was the lowest bidder. The building's exterior includes buff-colored Roman brick with elaborately decorated cornice and an arched entrance way that leads into the building's lobby. The building had many modern amenities that were rare for its era, some of which were "firsts" for Woodland, including an electric elevator, steam heating system, and telephone service in each office. The successful completion of this major construction project was of great benefit to Younger, and helped him become one of the more popular commercial builders in Woodland until the 1940s. Today the building is a part of the Downtown Woodland Historic District. During much of the 2000s, the building was left vacant, but it was announced in December 2009 that a private community college will be moving into the building. A project to retrofit the building to bring it up to date with current safety standards is underway. Changes to the interior of the building will take place in preparation for the classrooms and offices it will house. The current plans are to keep as many preexisting walls as possible. The steam heating system that was originally a luxury for the building is still intact, but a new heating and air conditioning system will also be put in place. The exterior of the building will be restored to its original state in 1913. The architect for the remodeling of the building is Duane Thompson.

Location

501--511 Main St.
Woodland, Yolo County, California
38.67762, -121.77445

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
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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Nearby Historic Sites

Hotel Woodland
Pre Contact
0 mi
Downtown Woodland Historic District
Pre Contact
0.1 mi
Woodland Public Library
Pre Contact
0.1 mi
Woodland Opera House
Pre Contact
0.1 mi
I.O.O.F. Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Porter Building listed on the National Register?

Porter Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 30, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Porter Building?

Porter Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Porter Building?

The period of significance for Porter Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Porter Building?

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 Porter Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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