{"nrhp_refnum":"78000768","name":"Watkins, Commodore James, House","other_names":["Watkins-Cartan House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"98 Alejandra Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Atherton","county":"San Mateo County","state":"CA","lat":37.45541416300006,"lon":-122.19815225499997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-07-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Gothic Revival house in Atherton, San Mateo County, California, built in 1866 for Commodore James T. Watkins and his wife on their Fair Oaks estate. It was moved in 1903 and again in 1998, and now stands at 98 Alejandra Avenue.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an outstanding example of Gothic Revival architecture as interpreted in California in the 1860s. It is described as the only remaining house of the San Francisco country squires who first settled the Peninsula as railroad commuters. It is also tied to Watkins, a leading Pacific Mail Steamship Company captain who commanded the first ship on the regular trans-Pacific mail service to China.","narrative":"Built in 1866 on a 19-acre estate called Fair Oaks, this Gothic Revival house in Atherton, California, was home to Commodore James T. Watkins and his wife. Watkins captained ships for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and commanded the Colorado, the first vessel on its regular mail service across the Pacific to China. He died in 1867 after a fall aboard ship near Nagasaki. Ship carpenters built the house, which has steeply pitched intersecting gables, eave brackets, Tudor-style flattened porch arches, and hood moldings over doors and windows. It was moved about six blocks in 1903 and survived the 1906 earthquake with damage only to its plaster ceilings. It was moved again in 1998 to Alejandra Avenue. The listing recognizes it as an outstanding California example of the style and as the only remaining home of the early country residents who settled the Peninsula after the railroad arrived.","period_of_significance":"1866","architect_builder":"Architect unknown; built by ship carpenters","architectural_style":"Gothic Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Described in 1977 as in excellent condition, slightly altered, moved, and used as a private residence. It was moved again on October 19, 1998, to 98 Alejandra Avenue.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:29.536517-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/78000768.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861575","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-mateo-county/watkins-commodore-james-house-78000768/"}