Edison Historic District
Why it's listed
Along the 500 and 600 blocks of West Second Street in Pomona, a group of brick buildings records how the city moved from horse-drawn trade to the automobile. Built between 1885 and 1923, they include early hay, feed and blacksmith businesses, garages, an auto agency, a cooperative grocery with a dance hall above, a National Guard armory, an Auto Club office and a large Southern California Edison building. Pomona Garage opened in 1910 and began the town's auto-related industries, and its jitney service ran to Santa Ana and Anaheim. The Edison building began as a transformer station in 1906 and grew to fill its lot by 1928, tied to Pomona's part in proving long-distance power transmission. Because a 1960 downtown mall stopped at Park Street, this stretch escaped the stucco and metal facades applied farther east. The result is a cohesive streetscape from around 1900-1910 that has kept its character, with Mission Revival styling at the 1904 armory.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the block shows the growth of Pomona's auto-related businesses and the city's role in early electric power development. It also presents a cohesive streetscape of styles popular around 1900-1910 that kept its integrity. The district is judged significant at the local level.
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 86001477, listed August 13, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 611, 637, and 500 blk. of W. Second St., Pomona |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | August 13, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001477 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1904-1923 |
| Architectural style | Classical in style, with a Mission Revival armory (1904) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good, altered, on its original site. Present uses include commercial use, and the buildings are occupied. |
| Acreage | 3.4 |
| Coordinates | 34.05766, -117.75451 (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 86001477.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q49485821
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.