{"nrhp_refnum":"89002117","name":"Steinbeck, John, House","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"16250 Greenwood Ln.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Monte Sereno","county":"Santa Clara County","state":"CA","lat":37.23234798100003,"lon":-121.99980611899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1989-12-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Literature","Social History"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A single-family ranch-style house with a guest house and landscape features on a 1.6-acre hillside parcel at Greenwood Lane in Monte Sereno, Santa Clara County, California. The main house was built in summer 1936 for John Steinbeck, and the guest house followed in fall 1936.","why_significant":"The property is significant under Criterion B for its association with author John Steinbeck, who lived and wrote here from 1936 to 1938. During that time he finished Of Mice and Men, published The Long Valley, and wrote The Grapes of Wrath. That novel drew national attention to California migrant farm workers and led to state and federal remedial action. The form argues the house retains better integrity than his other California residences.","narrative":"This ranch-style house sits on a steep, wooded 1.6-acre lot in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Built in 1936 for writer John Steinbeck and his wife Carol, it has board-and-batten walls, a shake roof, knotty pine interiors and a vaulted living room with a copper-hooded fireplace. A matching guest house was added that fall. Landscape features made by Steinbeck remain, including a grapestake fence, brick paths and the carved \"Arroyo del Ajo\" gate sign. Steinbeck lived here from 1936 to 1938. In this period he completed Of Mice and Men, published The Long Valley, and wrote The Grapes of Wrath in a small workroom, which remains unaltered. The novel drew attention to the plight of California migrant farm workers and was followed by state and federal action. Additions made in 1971 and 1980 copied the original materials and proportions. The site has never been subdivided and is still used as a private home.","period_of_significance":"1936-38","architect_builder":"Builder/contractor Lawrence Case; designed by Carol Steinbeck (Steinbeck, John Ernst and Steinbeck, Carol Henning listed under significant persons)","architectural_style":"Modern Movement: Ranch Style (described as Minimal Traditional with some Ranch Style elements)","criteria":["B"],"status_note":"In continuous use as a private single-family residence; 1971 and 1980 additions and alterations were made to match the original, and the workroom has been left untouched.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.660615-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/89002117.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861803","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck_House_(Monte_Sereno,_California)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14682528"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/santa-clara-county/steinbeck-john-house-89002117/"}