Historic Context Statement City of Benicia February 2011 Benicia, CA Prepared for City of Benicia Department of Public Works & Community Development Prepared by page & turnbull, inc. 1000 Sansome Street, Ste. 200, San Francisco CA 94111 415.362.5154 / www.page-turnbull.com Benicia Historic Context Statement FOREWORD “Benicia is a very pretty place; the situation is well chosen, the land gradually sloping back from the water, with ample space for the spread of the town. The anchorage is excellent, vessels of the largest size being able to tie so near shore as to land goods without lightering. The back country, including the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, is one of the finest agriculture districts in California. Notwithstanding these advantages, Benicia must always remain inferior in commercial advantages, both to San Francisco and Sacramento City.”1 So wrote Bayard Taylor in 1850, less than three years after Benicia’s founding, and another three years before the city would—at least briefly—serve as the capital of California. In the century that followed, Taylor’s assessment was echoed by many authors—that although Benicia had all the ingredients for a great metropolis, it was destined to remain in the shadow of others. Yet these assessments only tell a half truth. While Benicia never became the great commercial center envisioned by its founders, its role in Northern California history is nevertheless one that far outstrips the scale of its geography or the number of its citizens. Benicia gave rise to the first large industrial works in California, hosted the largest train ferries ever constructed, and housed the West Coast’s primary ordnance facility for over 100 years. It was one of the state’s great centers for cattle hide and fish processing, and played a vital role during the two World Wars. Throughout all of these developments, Benicia managed to preserve a great deal of its historic character, such that today it is recognized as a destination for heritage tourism. The residents of the city have likewise responded to the challenges of protecting their historic resources by undertaking historic surveys and enacting various historic preservation ordinances, including the Downtown and Benicia Arsenal Historic Conservation Plans. With the addition of this historic context statement, Benicia is well positioned to move forward into the 21st century with clear guidelines for identifying, maintaining and promoting its significant historic resources. 1 Bayard Taylor, El Dorado. (New York: Putnam, 1855). 216. February 2011 Page & Turnbull, Inc -i- Benicia Historic Context Statement ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The activity which is the subject of this historic context statement has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, through the California Office of Historic Preservation. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior or the California Office of Historic Preservation, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Department of the Interior or the California Office of Historic Preservation. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental federally-assisted programs on the basis of race, color, sex, age, disability, or national origin. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Director, Equal Opportunity Program U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service P.O. Box 37127 Washington, D.C. 20013-7127 February 2011 Page & Turnbull, Inc -ii- Benicia Historic Context Statement TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ....................................................................................... I ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........................................................................II INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 2 Project Background ....................................................................................2 Objectives & Scope ....................................................................................2 Study Area ..................................................................................................3 Methodology and Research ........................................................................4 Previous Studies..........................................................................................5 DOCUMENTING HISTORIC RESOURCES ............................................. 6 National Register ........................................................................................6 California Register ......................................................................................6 Integrity ......................................................................................................7 City of Benicia Preservation Ordinances ....................................................9 Previously Designated Historic Resources ...............................................11 PERIODS OF DEVELOPMENT & PROPERTY TYPES.............................. 12 Themes.....................................................................................................12 Relating Themes with Periods of Development .......................................13 Property Types & Integrity Thresholds ....................................................15 NATIVE AMERICAN & MISSION PERIODS (10,000 BCE TO 1820)...... 17 Native American Period ...........................................................................17 Spanish Mission Period .............................................................................19 Property Types & Registration Requirements ..........................................21 Native American Resources......................................................................................................21 Mission Era Resources .............................................................................................................22 MEXICAN PERIOD (1821 TO 1845) ................................................. 23 Mariano Vallejo & Rancho Suscol..............................................................23 Property Types & Registration Requirements ..........................................26 EARLY AMERICAN SETTLEMENT (1846 TO 1877) ............................. 27 Robert Semple and the Bear Flag Revolt ..................................................27 The Platting of Benicia ..............................................................................29 February 2011 Page & Turnbull, Inc -iii- Benicia Historic Context Statement The Gold Rush and Statehood..................................................................31 Pacific Mail Steamship Company ..............................................................33 Founding of the Benicia Arsenal................................................................34 The Benicia State Capitol .........................................................................35 Disputed Land Titles.................................................................................38 Development of Educational Facilities......................................................39 Religious Development.............................................................................40 Benicia Arsenal & the Civil War................................................................41 Immigrant Communities...........................................................................42 Transportation Improvements..................................................................43 The Seeds of Industrialization...................................................................44 Snapshot of the City: 1878 .......................................................................45 Summary of Significant Themes................................................................46 Property Types & Registration Requirements ..........................................48 Residential Buildings—Early American Period (1846 - 1878)....................................................48 Commercial Buildings—Early American Period (1846 - 1878) ..................................................56 Industrial Buildings—Early American Period (1846 - 1878) ......................................................62 Institutional Buildings—Early American Period (1846 - 1878)..................................................65 INDUSTRIAL EXPANSION (1879 TO 1913)........................................ 67 Arrival of the Central Pacific Railroad & Ferry..........................................67 Wheat Mart of the Pacific .........................................................................68 Fish Canning .............................................................................................70 Tanning Capital of the West .....................................................................71 Matthew Turner Shipyards.......................................................................72 Developing a Downtown..........................................................................73 1885: A Moment in Time..........................................................................74 New Housing Stock..................................................................................75 Turn of the Century Industry ...................................................................79