{"nrhp_refnum":"78000785","name":"Welch-Hurst","other_names":["Welch,Judge J.R.,Ranch"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"15800 Sanborn Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Saratoga","county":"Santa Clara County","state":"CA","lat":37.23906817100004,"lon":-122.07232239199999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-09-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Agriculture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large redwood log house with rustic details, set in landscaped grounds at 15800 Sanborn Road within Sanborn Skyline County Park, Saratoga, California. It was built around 1902-1914 as the Judge J.R. Welch Ranch, with an earlier cabin possibly dating to 1890.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house was a gentleman's working ranch and family retreat established by Judge James R. Welch, a popular Santa Clara County Superior Court judge. It is described as unique in the county for its use of indigenous materials and for integrating the house with its hillside forest site through extensive landscaping. Its interior paneling reflects the California Arts and Crafts tradition, and it is typical of the large estates along the western foothills of the San Francisco peninsula.","narrative":"Welch-hurst is a large redwood log house in the Santa Cruz Mountains above Saratoga, now within Sanborn Skyline County Park. Built in the early 1900s as a gentleman's working ranch and family retreat, it measures about 82 by 128 feet and has an irregular plan. Exterior walls use halved redwood logs, horizontal on the ground floor and vertical above, with gazebos, a log-supported entrance porch and a hexagonal dining room at the center of the plan. Inside, redwood paneling reflects the California Arts and Crafts tradition. The estate was created by James R. Welch, who sat on the Santa Clara County Superior Court from 1904 to 1931 and was respected for his civic work. The grounds included terraced landscaping, a pond with an island, and orchards of plums, walnuts and pears. The property is considered unusual in the county for its use of local materials and its close fit with a forested hillside setting. It is typical of large estates built in the Bay Area foothills.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1902-1914","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Rustic log construction with California Arts and Crafts influence","criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by Santa Clara County and located in a county park. A 1978 county letter reports extensive termite damage and doubts that the structures could be restored to a usable purpose. The form checks both unoccupied and private residence as use.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:32.189519-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/78000785.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000785/6b7c363c99-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000785/6b7c363c99-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":null,"credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EAST_FRONT,_LOOKING_WEST-NORTHWEST_-_Welch-Hurst,_15800_Sanborn_Road,_Sanborn_Skyline_County_Park,_Saratoga,_Santa_Clara_County,_CA_HABS_CAL,43-SARA,5-7_(CT).tif\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EAST_FRONT,_LOOKING_WEST-NORTHWEST_-_Welch-Hurst,_15800_Sanborn_Road,_Sanborn_Skyline_County_Park,_Saratoga,_Santa_Clara_County,_CA_HABS_CAL,43-SARA,5-7_(CT).tif"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861820","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welch-Hurst","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123371077"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/santa-clara-county/welch-hurst-78000785/"}