{"nrhp_refnum":"80000850","name":"Farmer's and Merchant's Bank","other_names":["The California Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"11 S. San Joaquin St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Stockton","county":"San Joaquin County","state":"CA","lat":37.953023364000046,"lon":-121.28785044899996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-10-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A nine-story brick commercial building at the corner of San Joaquin and Main Streets in central Stockton, California, built for the Farmer's and Merchant's Bank and dedicated in 1917. It is also known as the California Building.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant for its architectural merit and high integrity, as a Second Renaissance Revival design with strong Louis Sullivan influence by noted San Francisco architect George W. Kelham. It also contributed to Stockton's commercial development by housing a prominent, locally owned bank for nearly a quarter-century.","narrative":"Rising nine stories at San Joaquin and Main Streets in central Stockton, this brick commercial building was designed by San Francisco architect George W. Kelham for the Farmer's and Merchant's Bank, founded in the city in 1888. Opening ceremonies were held on September 1, 1917. The first story and mezzanine are faced in granite with a rusticated arcade of segmented arches, while the upper floors are simpler masonry with paired double-hung windows and a richly decorated frieze beneath bracketed eaves. Its design combines Second Renaissance Revival features with the influence of Louis Sullivan and the Chicago School. The original interior featured bronze doors, a hand-carved oak bank screen, Tennessee marble floors and Travertine walls. The bank was replaced by a women's apparel shop in 1941. The building is valued for its architectural quality, its connection to a noted California architect, and its role in Stockton's commercial growth during the period when the city was known as the brick city.","period_of_significance":"1900-","architect_builder":"George W. Kelham, San Francisco","architectural_style":"Second Renaissance Revival with Louis Sullivan / Chicago School influence","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition, unaltered apart from a fire escape added to the east facade; the ground floor is occupied by a women's apparel shop that replaced the bank in 1941.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.782912-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/80000850.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000850/1134359c25-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000850/1134359c25-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Michael Aivaliotis","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Farmer%27s_and_Merchant%27s_Bank_-_Stockton,_CA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Aivaliotis</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:Farmer%27s_and_Merchant%27s_Bank_-_Stockton,_CA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861379","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133505299"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-joaquin-county/farmers-and-merchants-bank-80000850/"}