{"nrhp_refnum":"81000162","name":"Bloss Mansion","other_names":["Bloss Home"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1020 Cedar Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Atwater","county":"Merced County","state":"CA","lat":37.34736036800007,"lon":-120.60632067799997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1981-09-03","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Landscape Architecture","Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story concrete residence at 1020 Cedar Avenue in Atwater, Merced County, California, built in 1914 for George S. Bloss and his wife. It was designed by Bedesen & Cowell of Merced and built by Wilcox & Groom.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is significant architecturally and for its association with the prominent, community-minded Bloss family. It calls the house the finest example of residential architecture in Atwater and the most important early 20th century design statement in the community. George Bloss served as Atwater's first Mayor.","narrative":"Bloss Mansion is a two-story concrete house at 1020 Cedar Avenue in Atwater, California, completed in 1914 for cattle rancher George Bloss and his wife Christine. Bedesen & Cowell of Merced designed it and Wilcox & Groom built it. The house combines several architectural trends: a hipped tile roof and stucco walls reflect Mission Revival influence, broad eaves and three-part windows show Prairie Style influence, and an entrance portico and large side porch with Tuscan columns and balustrades add a Classical look. The nomination considers it the finest residential design in Atwater. It is also tied to a family that shaped the area; George Bloss became the city's first Mayor after helping incorporate it in 1922, and the family gave the community a library, hospital, school and park. Left to the city, the house now holds local organizations' offices, offers public tours and sits beside the former grounds, now Bloss Park.","period_of_significance":"1914","architect_builder":"Bedesen & Cowell (architects); Wilcox & Groom (builders)","architectural_style":"Mission Revival with Prairie Style influences and Classical elements","criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the City of Atwater and open to the public; houses offices of the Atwater Chamber of Commerce and Atwater Historical Society, with tours and events held there. Condition rated good and unaltered apart from a later elevator tower.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:32.197599-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/81000162.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/81000162/ab9656601a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/81000162/ab9656601a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Nehrams2020","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BlossHouseAtwaterCAJan08.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nehrams2020</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:BlossHouseAtwaterCAJan08.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859837","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloss_Mansion","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14681618"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/merced-county/bloss-mansion-81000162/"}