{"nrhp_refnum":"86000386","name":"Petaluma Silk Mill","other_names":["Carlson-Currier Silk Mfg. Co.","Belding-Heminway-Corticelli","Su"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"420 Jefferson St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Petaluma","county":"Sonoma County","state":"CA","lat":38.23637770400006,"lon":-122.63065442599998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-03-06","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"An industrial complex at 420 Jefferson Street in Petaluma, Sonoma County, California, next to the old waterfront. The two-story brick mill was designed in 1892 by San Francisco architect Charles I. Havens and enlarged after 1906 and again in 1922.","why_significant":"The mill has been a prominent architectural landmark of Petaluma's industrial waterfront since 1892 and symbolizes industry in the town. Its design recalls Victorian New England textile mills, with a symmetrical plan, brick construction and external towers. It also reflects late 19th century efforts to develop silk manufacturing in California, and local businessmen persuaded the Carlson-Currier company to relocate there.","narrative":"Petaluma's old silk mill is a red brick industrial complex at 420 Jefferson Street, close to the former waterfront. San Francisco architect Charles I. Havens designed the original two-story building in 1892 for the Carlson-Currier Silk Manufacturing Company, which had been lured from San Francisco by local businessmen. It has a low hipped metal roof, many arched windows, and towers that hold the staircases. The original central tower was damaged in the 1906 earthquake and rebuilt with a lower roof. A wing was added after 1906, and in 1922 Petaluma architect Brainerd Jones added a second tower and wing, matching the earlier work and bringing the length to 310 feet. Its external towers and brick construction recall Victorian mills of New England. Silk thread was made here until 1917, followed by other owners, and since 1940 Sunset Line & Twine Company has made fishing lines and specialty cords. The building remains in use and is well documented by original plans and photographs.","period_of_significance":"1892-1922 (specific dates 1892/1906/1922; 1900- period also checked)","architect_builder":"Charles I. Havens; alterations by Brainerd Jones; contractors Hedges and Paff (1892)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied and in use as the Sunset Line & Twine Co. factory, in excellent condition with minimal later alterations; the second floors of the outbuildings hold cafeteria and lounge space.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.36002-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/86000386.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86000386/b261dff715-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86000386/b261dff715-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Sanfranman59","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petaluma_Silk_Mill,_420_Jefferson_St.,_Petaluma,_CA_5-31-2010_7-21-41_PM.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Sanfranman59</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:Petaluma_Silk_Mill,_420_Jefferson_St.,_Petaluma,_CA_5-31-2010_7-21-41_PM.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123862112","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56618328"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/sonoma-county/petaluma-silk-mill-86000386/"}