Colusa Grammar School
Why it's listed
Colusa Grammar School is a two-story red brick building at 425 Webster Street, designed in the Tudor Gothic Revival style by San Francisco architect W. H. Weeks and built by J. S. Hannah. It opened on April 11, 1918, after local voters approved bond issues to fund what newspapers reported as a $100,000 building. Its textured brick walls rest on a cast stone base and are trimmed with terra cotta ornament, tracery and balconies. Inside, a 650-seat auditorium has ornate plasterwork. The design stressed safety and comfort, with ramps instead of stairs, concrete-encased corridors, outward-opening doors, forced-air heating and shaded hopper windows. It served as a school for 58 years, until 1976. The City of Colusa then acquired it for use as city hall, and it was designated a local landmark in 1977. A later classroom wing was considered an intrusion and was excluded from the nominated property.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of Central California's last intact examples of pre-World War I Gothic Revival school design. It is also one of the area's first significant poured-in-place reinforced concrete multi-level buildings. For its time it was innovative in fire safety, circulation, heating and ventilation, and it was hailed at its dedication as perhaps the finest school building in the state.
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 78000657, listed June 13, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 425 Webster St., Colusa |
|---|---|
| County | Colusa County |
| Listed | June 13, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000657 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1918 |
| Architect / builder | W. H. Weeks, architect; J. S. Hannah, builder |
| Architectural style | Tudor Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Served as an elementary school until 1976; the City of Colusa took possession in 1977 for use as city hall. Described as in excellent structural condition, with minor water damage from a poorly maintained roof. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.20871, -122.00919 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 78000657.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133260131
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.