{"nrhp_refnum":"87000669","name":"Gross, Courtlandt, House","other_names":["Old Stone House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"18600 Courtlandt Ct.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Tehachapi","county":"Kern County","state":"CA","lat":35.09013884500004,"lon":-118.52602477144877,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1987-03-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1-1/2 story rough-faced native stone farmhouse, known as Stone House or Old Stone House, at 18600 Courtlandt Court near Tehachapi, Kern County, California. It was built in 1942 and designed by architect Donald B. Parkinson for Courtlandt Gross.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is exceptional despite being under 50 years old. It is one of the few residences by the Los Angeles firm of Parkinson and Parkinson, and the last residential design by Donald Parkinson. It was built for Courtlandt Gross, later president and board chairman of Lockheed. Its stone construction, a modern take on Dutch Colonial and Cape Cod precedents, is unusual in a seismic state, and it survived the 1952 earthquake.","narrative":"Near Tehachapi in Kern County stands a 1-1/2 story farmhouse of rough-faced native stone, completed in 1942 and known locally as Stone House. Los Angeles architect Donald B. Parkinson designed it for Courtlandt Gross, then president of the Vega Airplane Company and later president and chairman of Lockheed. The steep gable roof and end chimney recall Dutch Colonial stone houses of New York and New Jersey, and the design also resembles early Cape Cod houses. The stone came from a local abandoned lime kiln. Stone building is rare in California because of earthquakes, but Parkinson's engineering background and work on Los Angeles earthquake codes shaped the design. The house survived the 1952 earthquake that nearly leveled Tehachapi, suffering cracks and settlement in the west wall and fireplace. It was then abandoned and vandalized until restoration after a 1977 purchase. It is also one of very few residences by Parkinson's firm and the last he designed.","period_of_significance":"1942","architect_builder":"Earle Huguens/Donald B. Parkinson","architectural_style":"Modern interpretation of Colonial design (Dutch Colonial / Cape Cod influences)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied as a private residence. Damaged by the 1952 earthquake, then abandoned and vandalized. The current owners bought it in 1977 and restored it to its original appearance; condition listed as excellent.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.874397-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/87000669.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87000669/a30d43a375-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/87000669/a30d43a375-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Bobak Ha'Eri","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0726-CA-Tehachapi-CourtlandtGross.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Bobak Ha'Eri</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0726-CA-Tehachapi-CourtlandtGross.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858857","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtlandt_Gross_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14681788"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/kern-county/gross-courtlandt-house-87000669/"}