{"nrhp_refnum":"73000425","name":"Martinez Historical District","other_names":["Martinez Indian Agency"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Off SR 86","address_restricted":false,"city":"Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation","county":"Riverside County","state":"CA","lat":33.56273677100006,"lon":-116.15405369899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1973-05-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Historic - Aboriginal","Agriculture","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A historic district on the Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation in Riverside County, California, containing the former Martinez Indian Agency. It includes three agency buildings built by 1907 (schoolhouse, agency office and agent's quarters), a palm grove, and a prehistoric archaeological site with Cahuilla wells.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the three 1907 agency buildings are the oldest standing Indian agency buildings in California and remain a focus of community life on the reservation. It also cites the archaeological site and wells as evidence of agriculture adopted after the Blake Sea dried up, and the buildings as good examples of early 20th-century governmental architecture.","narrative":"Located on the Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation in Riverside County, California, this district centers on the former Martinez Indian Agency. Three wood-clad buildings completed by 1907 survive: a schoolhouse with a bell tower, an agency office and an agent's residence, all with high-pitched shingled roofs. They are described as the oldest standing Indian agency buildings in California. The reservation itself was established in 1876 by order of President Grant. Nearby are a palm grove, a modern tribal meeting hall, a large archaeological site that has yielded late prehistoric potsherds and projectile points, and several walk-in Cahuilla water wells. Early records describe an Indian village here in 1853 and rancherias with agricultural fields in 1856, suggesting farming was adopted after the ancient lake receded. The buildings still serve the community, hosting church services and fiestas, though they need repair and face fire risk. The district was marked as a county historical landmark.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Early 20th-century governmental architecture; clapboard-clad buildings with high-pitched shingled roofs and Victorian-style porch posts","criteria":[],"status_note":"Buildings are in good but altered condition and continue to fall into disrepair despite recent cleanup and painting; church services are held in the schoolhouse and fiestas are held in the district.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.504-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/73000425.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73000425/c3249e2054-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/73000425/c3249e2054-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"JERRYE &amp; ROY KLOTZ, M.D.","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MARTINEZ_HISTORICAL_DISTRICT,_RIVERSIDE_COUNTY,_CA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">JERRYE &amp;amp; ROY KLOTZ, M.D.</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MARTINEZ_HISTORICAL_DISTRICT,_RIVERSIDE_COUNTY,_CA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860489","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q141641555"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/riverside-county/martinez-historical-district-73000425/"}