Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site

Danville, Contra Costa County, California Listed Ref. 07001198 Building

Also known as: Tao House

Why it's listed

Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site is a park unit in Danville, Contra Costa County, California, associated with Tao House. The records available here are administrative rather than descriptive. They show that Tao House was listed in the National Register on 6 May 1971 and designated a National Historic Landmark on 17 July 1971, both covering 158.6 acres. The park unit, called Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, became part of the National Park Service on 12 October 1976 and covers 13.2 acres. A 2012 note from the Keeper's office explains that the 1971 reference number applies to both the register listing and the landmark designation because their boundaries match. The text documentation for the register listing is missing from both the federal office and the California state office, although the landmark documentation and a map survive. The separate reference number for the park unit has no documentation. No description of the buildings or statement of significance is included.

Significance in brief: The document gives no statement of significance. It is an administrative record explaining that the park unit is undocumented and that the separate Tao House listing (1971) shares a National Historic Landmark designation with the same name.

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 07001198, listed October 12, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence low).

Key facts

Address1.5 mi. W of Danville, Danville
CountyContra Costa County
ListedOctober 12, 1978
Reference number07001198
Resource typeBuilding
Areas of significanceLiterature
Level of significanceNational
Status (as stated in the nomination)Administrative note says the park unit was created in 1976 and is undocumented; text documentation for the earlier 1971 Tao House listing is missing.
Acreage13.2
Coordinates37.82604, -122.02716 (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

Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.