Tahoe Meadows
Why it's listed
Tahoe Meadows is a 106-acre summer cabin community on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, within South Lake Tahoe, California. Organized in 1925 as a non-profit association of property owners, it was laid out as an early planned-unit development, with private lots arranged around two permanently protected open spaces, the Meadow and the Desert. Of the 144 structures standing, 89 predate 1941. Most are one to one-and-a-half story cabins with gable roofs, built of wood in board-and-batten, weatherboard, shingle or log siding, often with separate sleeping cabins and winter shutters. Two cabins are attributed to architect Bernard Maybeck. Association covenants limit lot size, building types, appearance and vehicle speed, and keep roads unpaved and properties unfenced. The district was recognized for conveying a strong impression of a family summer camp from the 1925-41 period, with high integrity in both its buildings and its natural landscape. A later amendment revised the status of several individual properties.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the district as an intact planned summer home community with a strong sense of a 1925-41 camp devoted to single-family use. Both the architectural integrity of the period buildings and the natural landscape are described as high. Covenants kept the area non-commercial and preserved the Meadow and the Desert as open space.
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 90000555, listed March 29, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | US 50 between Ski Run Blvd. and Park Ave., South Lake Tahoe |
|---|---|
| County | El Dorado County |
| Listed | March 29, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000555 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1925-41 |
| Architect / builder | Bernard Maybeck (attributed for two cabins) |
| Architectural style | Early 20th Century Rustic |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a summer home community; boundaries remain as in 1925 and the Meadow and the Desert remain preserved as natural areas. |
| Acreage | 106 |
| Coordinates | 38.95554, -119.95123 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 90000555.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q91918574
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.