{"nrhp_refnum":"82002279","name":"Elster, C. A., Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"CA 190 and Tule River Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Springville","county":"Tulare County","state":"CA","lat":36.13044645600007,"lon":-118.81743857499998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-03-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick commercial block at the southeast corner of Highway 190 and Tule River Drive in Springville, Tulare County, California, built in 1912 for Charles Alonzo Elster. Builder and architect are unknown.","why_significant":"The nomination argues local and state significance in architecture, commerce and settlement. The block was the retail center of Springville and housed the Pioneer Bank, post office, Oddfellows hall, drug store and the town's first telephone. It is described as a remaining symbol of C.A. Elster's role in the town's development and of pioneer entrepreneurs in the Southern Sierras.","narrative":"At the southeast corner of Highway 190 and Tule River Drive in Springville stands a two-story brick commercial block built in 1912 for Charles Alonzo Elster, a major landowner, timber mill owner and businessman in Tulare County. It cost $12,000 and was one of three brick business blocks in town. Its front and east facades keep original details, including a brick string course, crenelated parapet with bracket cornice, and soldier-course brick over the windows. The block served as the town's retail center, holding the Pioneer Bank, post office, Oddfellows hall, a drug store and the first telephone in town, with an ice plant in the basement. Springville was a hub for logging on the Tule River watershed, and the building reflects the timber and water-power economy that shaped rural Sierra foothill towns. After being condemned by the county, the building was renovated in 1976, with changes to the ground-level storefronts and the rear second floor. The building was found locally significant for architecture, commerce and settlement.","period_of_significance":"1900-1980 (specific date 1912)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Classic 1912 commercial structure, a style found in many small California towns of the period","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Rated excellent condition, occupied, in commercial use. Altered in June 1976 after the county had condemned it: new foundation, exit stairwells, structural support, reconstructed second-floor offices and altered ground-level storefronts.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.242152-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/82002279.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002279/9d29934f69-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82002279/9d29934f69-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Marcie Jones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elster_Bldg._1912_Springville_CA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcie Jones</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:Elster_Bldg._1912_Springville_CA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123862217","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._A._Elster_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14681665"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/tulare-county/elster-c-a-building-82002279/"}