{"nrhp_refnum":"10001117","name":"Ben Gefvert Ranch Historic District","other_names":["Charles D. Smith","C.D. Smith &amp","Sons"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"4770 W Whites Bridge Rd","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fresno","county":"Fresno County","state":"CA","lat":36.73815963350003,"lon":-119.87827446407076,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2011-01-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Agriculture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 57.2-acre family farmstead on Whites Bridge Road, about five miles west of the Fresno County Courthouse in Fresno County, California. It has an 1891 farmhouse, a barn/tractor shed, raisin vineyards, an orange grove, a heritage garden and an irrigation system.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the ranch is significant under Criterion A for its association with agricultural development in Fresno County, particularly viticulture and the early raisin industry. It is described as a rare, intact family farm that has been operated continuously since 1891, with some of the oldest raisin vineyards in the county. It also represents a typical late 19th and early 20th century farmstead.","narrative":"This 57.2-acre farmstead on Whites Bridge Road, west of Fresno, preserves the layout of a late nineteenth century raisin ranch. Charles D. Smith planted the first vineyard and orange trees in 1891 and built the farmhouse and barn. Swedish immigrant Ben Gefvert bought the land in 1900 and added more vines. After his death in 1917 his daughter Anna managed the ranch, and the family has owned it since. The vernacular redwood farmhouse began as one story and gained a second in 1908-09. It has a wraparound porch and a brick foundation. Surrounding it are mature trees seen in 1897 and 1908 photographs and an heirloom rose garden. About 55 acres of raisin grapes remain, some among the oldest in Fresno County, along with an acre of orange trees and the 1880s Schatz Canal on the north edge. Listed under the agriculture theme, the ranch is described as a rare, intact remnant of the county's farming past, with a 1938 garage as the only noncontributing building.","period_of_significance":"1891-1968","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Vernacular","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"The farmhouse and barn, built in 1891, are described as still in use. The land is still farmed, by contracted work since the mid-1960s.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.424908-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/10001117.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858633","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/fresno-county/ben-gefvert-ranch-historic-district-10001117/"}