San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation Building
Also known as: San Joaquin Light & Power Co. Building; Int'l Trade Center; P.G. & E Co. Building; Local Register of Historic Places#120
Why it's listed
Rising ten stories at 1401 Fulton Street in downtown Fresno, this office building was constructed in 1923 and 1924 for the San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation. Designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, it follows a classical three-part scheme: a rusticated base of terra cotta made to resemble granite, a brick shaft, and a capital with a Corinthian colonnade beneath a hipped tile roof. A tall rooftop sign and radio towers crown the structure, which reaches 235 feet. Inside, a marble lobby, a first-floor display room and a tenth-floor ballroom retain much original finish. The Fresno firm R. F. Felchlin Co. served as architect, engineer and builder, with chief architect Shaw leading the design. The building was listed for its architectural merit as a distinctive tall office building in this style and for its role as a skyline landmark anchoring the north end of Fulton Mall. It has kept a high level of integrity in design, materials and workmanship.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent, well-preserved example of the Italian Renaissance Revival style applied to a tall office building, with a tripartite facade and extensive classical detail. It also represents the work of the Fresno firm R. F. Felchlin Co., credited as architect, engineer and builder, whose chief architect Shaw is described as having trained under George Kelham. The building anchors the north end of Fulton Mall and is a landmark of the Fresno skyline.
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 05001497, listed January 3, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1401 Fulton St., Fresno |
|---|---|
| County | Fresno County |
| Listed | January 3, 2006 |
| Reference number | 05001497 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | R. F. Felchlin Co. (architect, engineer and builder); Shaw, chief architect |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | PG&E vacated the building in 1987; it later housed offices, with the third and fourth floors unoccupied at the time of nomination, and it retains good to excellent integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 36.73698, -119.79557 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 05001497.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7414397
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.