Cecil Ranch
Why it's listed
Cecil Ranch in Grimes, Colusa County, is a cluster of ranch buildings centered on a two-and-a-half-story house built in 1909 and designed by Sacramento architect Alden Campbell. The house mixes Craftsman features such as clinker brick bases and a decorative chimney, Colonial Revival details such as Tuscan columns and balustrades, and a different siding texture on each floor. Around it stand a water tower, wood shed, garage, bunkhouse and equipment shed, plus a smokehouse and butchery added during World War II. The Cecil family has held the property since the late 1880s and used it as the home base for its horse and mule business, which supplied overseas plantations. When wartime events closed those markets, the ranch switched to raising pigs for the war effort. The complex was listed for architecture because it remains largely intact and shows how a large local ranch worked and changed through about 1945. The main barn burned in 2002.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the ranch is a relatively intact and increasingly rare example of an early twentieth century ranch complex that shows how large Colusa County ranches operated from the early 1900s to about 1950. The residence is also cited as an excellent example of early twentieth century design blending Craftsman and Colonial Revival elements, with Queen Anne influence. The smokehouse and butchery reflect the shift from mule raising to pig raising during World War II.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000988, listed May 14, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1840 CA 45, Grimes |
|---|---|
| County | Colusa County |
| Listed | May 14, 2004 |
| Reference number | 03000988 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1909-1945 |
| Architect / builder | Campbell, Alden |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman and Colonial Revival; other: clinker brick |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The residence remains occupied. The water tower, wood shed, garage, equipment shed and bunkhouse are used for storage. The main barn burned in 2002, and the farmland is leased out. |
| Acreage | 1.7 |
| Coordinates | 39.09268, -121.90166 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000988.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85751077
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.