{"nrhp_refnum":"82002244","name":"Wilcox, Benjamin, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"315 The Alameda","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Juan Bautista","county":"San Benito County","state":"CA","lat":36.84026759100004,"lon":-121.53357708499999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-02-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1 1/2-story Gothic Revival residence on an L-plan at 315 The Alameda, San Juan Bautista, San Benito County, California, built in 1858-9 for Benjamin Wilcox to plans by local builder George Chalmers.","why_significant":"It is the only Gothic Revival structure in San Juan Bautista, so it shows a distinct stage in the town's stylistic development. It also represents mid-19th-century balloon-frame construction on heavy timber joists and a stone foundation, and may be the work of a local master, George Chalmers. It has a peripheral link to the Gold Rush, which brought Wilcox to California.","narrative":"Built in 1858-9 at 315 The Alameda, along the old El Camino Real in San Juan Bautista, this 1 1/2-story Gothic Revival house was raised for Benjamin Wilcox, a New York-born man who came to California during the Gold Rush and bought about ten acres from General Jose Castro in 1855. Local builder George Chalmers drew the plans and built it with help from Wilcox's sons Edward and Sylvester and grandson Joseph. The L-plan house has clapboard siding, a full-width porch with Tudor arches and inverted fleur-de-lis ornaments, and a steep gable roof. Its balloon frame sits on adzed redwood joists and a cut stone foundation. Some changes have occurred, including a removed porch railing, lost brick chimneys, and a damaged interior after a 1960s fire. It is the only Gothic Revival building in a town with Mission, adobe, and later revival styles, and it may represent the work of a local master builder.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 (specific dates 1858-9)","architect_builder":"George Chalmers (plans and construction), aided by Wilcox's sons Edward and Sylvester and grandson Joseph","architectural_style":"Gothic Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Occupied private residence in good condition, with alterations; interior integrity is low after a fire in the 1960s.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.711933-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/82002244.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002244/0b64083cf1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002244/0b64083cf1-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"NoeHill","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_Wilcox_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">NoeHill</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:Benjamin_Wilcox_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860714","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Wilcox_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q85746600"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-benito-county/wilcox-benjamin-house-82002244/"}