Finch, James W., House
Also known as: The Finch-Fleischer House
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Why it's listed
Built in 1870 at 410 Monroe Street in Monterey, this two-story redwood frame house is sheathed in horizontal drop siding. Its boxed cornice, simple returns and capital corner boards suggest a Greek temple form, while Italianate and Gothic touches in the porch details and balustrade give it an eclectic character. A second-story porch with turned wooden urns overlooks Monterey Bay. The Finch brothers, James and Charles, built the house for their mother after arriving overland in 1854 and establishing a stock ranch in Carmel Valley. James Finch, also a stovemaker and ironworker, supplied horses to the Federal Army during the Civil War. After his mother died in 1881, he moved in and added a north wing and kitchen. Later kitchen and dormer changes followed between 1910 and 1920. The house is valued as one of the few intact early American-style buildings in a town known for adobes.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the few intact examples of early American building styles in a town known for Spanish/Mexican adobes. It shows a Classical Revival form with eclectic features typical of its period. The Finch family was also important in Carmel Valley ranching and Monterey commercial ventures.
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 82000974, listed October 19, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 410 Monroe St., Monterey |
|---|---|
| County | Monterey County |
| Listed | October 19, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82000974 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | James W. Finch & others |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival with eclectic Italianate and Gothic elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in good condition; altered by early rear additions and a dormer modification. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 36.60121, -121.90091 (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 82000974.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14682506
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.