Pomona City Stable
Also known as: Pomona City Yards Brick Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1909 to a design by Pomona architect Ferdinand Davis, this brick stable at 636 West Monterey Avenue once housed the city's horses and mules. The building measures 98 by 44 feet, with 18-inch walls of about 180,000 bricks on concrete footings. Its details include arched windows, stepped gable ends, iron accents, hay-loading doors with pulley braces, and two bell-shaped ventilating cupolas. Horses were soon replaced by motor trucks, and until 1937 it sheltered fire and police wagons and mail buggies before becoming storage for civil defense equipment. It was condemned in the early 1970s. The nomination presents it as a rare survivor of Pomona's pre-automobile transportation and of the city's industrial and warehouse architecture. It also represents the work of Davis, a leading local architect. Listed as a city landmark in 2003, it remained vacant, with a failing roof and storm and animal damage, in 2004.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criteria A and C as a rare survivor of Pomona's horse-powered transportation era and as a distinctive turn-of-the-century brick utilitarian building. It is the work of Ferdinand Davis, described as the city's most important architect of the late 19th and early 20th century. A 1976 eligibility report called it a rare example of its type in Pomona and comparable to few buildings statewide.
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 04001109, listed October 6, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 636 W. Monterey Ave., Pomona |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | October 6, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001109 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1909-1937 |
| Architect / builder | Davis, Ferdinand, architect |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian (described in the text as Italianate) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant and derelict in 2004, with a severely deteriorated roof, water-damaged interior and cracked walls; condemned in the early 1970s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.05922, -117.75949 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 04001109.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7227382
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.