{"nrhp_refnum":"03000473","name":"Atchison Village Defense Housing Project, Cal. 4171-x","other_names":["Atchison Village Mutual Homes Corporation^"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Roughly bounded by MacDonald Ave., Ohio St., First St., and Garrard Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Richmond","county":"Contra Costa County","state":"CA","lat":37.93326106150005,"lon":-122.37107444854472,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2003-05-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Atchison Village is a World War II defense housing project on about 30 acres in central Richmond, Contra Costa County, California, begun in 1941 under Federal Works Agency order. It has 162 residential buildings with 450 dwelling units, a Community Building and a four-acre playing field park.","why_significant":"The nomination argues Atchison Village is a cohesive, largely intact example of a World War II Home Front defense housing project and a model of federal and local government intervention in the defense effort. Most similar housing nationally was temporary and was altered or demolished. Its resident-owned corporation's strict covenants have protected its integrity.","narrative":"Atchison Village is a World War II defense housing project covering about 30 flat acres in central Richmond, California, between an industrial area, a railroad yard and low income housing. Work began under a federal order in October 1941, close to the Kaiser shipyards. The community holds 162 buildings of five designs with 450 dwelling units, plus a one-and-one-half-story Community Building and a triangular four-acre park once called the playing field. Designed to federal housing guidelines, the vernacular buildings have concrete foundations, light wood frames and, originally, redwood siding, now largely covered in vinyl. Structures cover only 15.4 percent of the land, leaving ample green space. It was listed as a cohesive and intact example of a Home Front defense housing project. Many similar projects were demolished or altered after the war. Residents formed a Mutual Homes Corporation that bought the village from the government, and its strict covenants have preserved the site's historic appearance.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Warnecke (Carl I. Warnecke, named as designer of the housing plans)","architectural_style":"Mid-Twentieth Century Vernacular","criteria":[],"status_note":"Residential community still in use as housing, with the Community Building and park still in use; owned by a non-profit mutual homes corporation since 1957.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.973674-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/03000473.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03000473/db88ff3c12-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03000473/db88ff3c12-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Jet Lowe, HAER photographer","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atchison_Village_(Richmond,_CA).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jet Lowe, HAER photographer</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atchison_Village_(Richmond,_CA).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858503","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atchison_Village,_Richmond,_California","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4812962"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/contra-costa-county/atchison-village-defense-housing-project-cal-4171-x-03000473/"}