Black, Mary C. W., Studio House
Why it's listed
Built in 1930 at 556 Abrego Street in Monterey, this two-story reinforced-concrete house served as the painting studio of artist Mary C.W. Black. It follows the Monterey substyle of Spanish Colonial Revival, with two-foot-thick stucco walls, a low side-gabled wood shingle roof and a full-width cantilevered second-story balcony. Inside, a tall north-facing studio window lights a double-height room with a concrete fireplace and a gallery. Wrought iron work, much of it by Monterey blacksmith Robert Petersen, and high garden walls with arched gates add to the character. A former servants quarters was joined to the house in 1964, and a gardener's shed on the lot is counted as noncontributing. The house is significant as one of very few good residential examples of its substyle on the Monterey peninsula, and it keeps its original design, setting and materials. Black sited it carefully between two historic adobes and laid brick sidewalks that survive.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion C in architecture as one of the best remaining residential examples of the Monterey substyle of Spanish Colonial Revival on the Monterey peninsula. It shows a high level of craftsmanship by local artisans and retains remarkable integrity. It is also described as the work of a trained artist who fitted new construction into the historic setting of old Monterey.
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 94001007, listed August 24, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 556 Abrego St., Monterey |
|---|---|
| County | Monterey County |
| Listed | August 24, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001007 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1930 |
| Architect / builder | Black, Mary C.W./Ruthven, Sidney |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Revival/Spanish Colonial Revival (Monterey Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The main house and former servants quarters are in office use; the property was rehabilitated in 1989 and has been carefully maintained. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.59699, -121.89287 (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 94001007.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14683289
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.