{"nrhp_refnum":"80000821","name":"Tioga Hotel","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1715 N St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Merced","county":"Merced County","state":"CA","lat":37.30207247300007,"lon":-120.48671103799995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-10-03","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Other","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A six-story-and-basement commercial hotel at the northwest corner of 17th and N Streets in Merced, California, completed in 1928 by Ralph McLeran and Company.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an excellent example of 1920s transitional commercial hotel design, with a tripartite facade and restrained Renaissance Revival details. It is also significant socially, as a gathering place on the route to Yosemite where dignitaries, entertainers and military figures stayed. It was the largest building in Merced.","narrative":"Completed in 1928, the Tioga Hotel occupies the northwest corner of 17th and N Streets in Merced, one block from the railroad depot. Built by Ralph McLeran and Company, the steel-framed, six-story building was the largest in the city. Its facade follows a classical division into base, body and cap, with restrained cornice and entry details that reflect a 1920s Renaissance Revival influence. Its location between the Southern Pacific and Yosemite Valley railroads made it a regular overnight stop for travelers bound for Yosemite, including royalty, politicians and film stars. During World War II it housed Air Force offices, and its ballrooms hosted fund-raising events. After automobiles and freeways reduced rail travel, it declined into a transient hotel. A 1979 removal of an out-of-scale 1940s canopy began exterior restoration, and plans called for converting the interior rooms into apartments while keeping the historic exterior.","period_of_significance":"1900-1930","architect_builder":"Ralph McLeran and Company","architectural_style":"1920s commercial hotel design, transitional, with Renaissance Revival influences","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as being renovated into residential apartments for low and moderate income residents, with the exterior to be restored; the building was in good, altered condition and listed as occupied and as work in progress.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.238192-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/80000821.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000821/a9817f781b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000821/a9817f781b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Publichall","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tioga_Hotel_-_Merced_California.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Publichall</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tioga_Hotel_-_Merced_California.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859858","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tioga_Hotel","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14684146"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/merced-county/tioga-hotel-80000821/"}