Combellack-Blair House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1895 for William Hill Combellack at 3059 Cedar Ravine in Placerville, this two-story house combines Queen Anne, Italianate, Stick-Eastlake and Gothic details. Features include stained glass windows, bay windows with sawn brackets, spool-and-sunburst vergeboard, fish-scale shingles, and a rectilinear cupola reached by a free-hanging circular staircase. Materials came from the Pacific Planing Mill and Building Company in Placerville, and family accounts put the cost at $2,500. The Combellack family lived here for twenty-nine years before the Blair family bought it in 1924 and stayed for about fifty. Combellack's family ran a clothing store, and the Blairs worked in lumber. Most interior millwork, doors, hardware and flooring are original, and the fieldstone retaining walls and a hand-dug wine cellar remain. The house was listed for its architectural quality, its intact Victorian character, and the role of its two pioneer families in local commerce. It is described as the most elaborate Victorian home in Placerville.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the finest late-nineteenth century houses in California's Mother Lode region and the most elaborate Victorian in Placerville. It blends Queen Anne, Stick-Eastlake, Gothic and Italianate elements and has a free-hanging circular stair to a cupola. The Combellack (clothing) and Blair (lumber) families were also important in the county's economic and social development.
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 85000259, listed February 14, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3059 Cedar Ravine, Placerville |
|---|---|
| County | El Dorado County |
| Listed | February 14, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000259 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built for W.H. Combellack) |
| Architectural style | Mixture of Queen Anne, Italianate, Stick-Eastlake and Gothic elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated excellent condition and occupied; used as a private residence and commercial use. Recently converted to a Bed and Breakfast Inn, with a reproduced redwood picket fence and some missing fretwork the owners plan to replace. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 38.72793, -120.79477 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 85000259.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5150774
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.