{"nrhp_refnum":"80000871","name":"Sonoma Grammar School","other_names":["Sonoma Community Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"276 E. Napa St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Sonoma","county":"Sonoma County","state":"CA","lat":38.29164474300006,"lon":-122.45221155099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-11-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, U-shaped, brick Classical Revival school building at 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma, California, built in 1916 with rear wings enlarged in 1924 and designed by A. C. Lutgens. It now houses the Sonoma Community Center.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a well-preserved, large-scale example of a pre-World War I neoclassical revival school, the only building of its kind and the largest brick structure in Sonoma. It also reflects the importance the small rural community placed on education, as the grandest building in town when built. It continues as a cultural, educational and social center.","narrative":"Built in 1916 on East Napa Street in Sonoma, this two-story brick school was designed by A. C. Lutgens, a San Francisco builder and designer who grew up in the Sonoma Valley and attended the earlier grammar school it replaced. The U-shaped, symmetrical building has a 177-foot front with a pedimented portico, four terra cotta Ionic columns, red brick pilasters and a cream brick belt course. Inside, oak staircases, Douglas fir trim and a west-wing auditorium seating about 300 with a stucco water-lily arch are notable. In 1924 the rear wings were enlarged, duplicating the original details. For over 30 years local children attended school here until building code changes ended its use as a school. It was the grandest building in town when completed and is described as the largest brick structure in Sonoma. Today it serves as the Sonoma Community Center, hosting recreational, cultural and educational programs.","period_of_significance":"1900- (specific dates 1916, addition 1924)","architect_builder":"A. C. Lutgens","architectural_style":"Classical Revival (Neo-classical Revival)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in good condition; used as the Sonoma Community Center, no longer a school. Exterior retains its 1916 and 1924 appearance, with some interior remodeling.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:32.005768-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/80000871.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000871/0c5e3cb405-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000871/0c5e3cb405-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Greghenderson2006","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sonoma_Grammar_School_and_Community_Center.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Greghenderson2006</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:Sonoma_Grammar_School_and_Community_Center.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"75000489","name":"Sonoma Plaza","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/california/sonoma-plaza-75000489/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123862128","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoma_Grammar_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127482792"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/sonoma-county/sonoma-grammar-school-80000871/"}