Parmelee, Lou Ellen, House
Why it's listed
Set back on a sloping hillside above Monterey Bay at 570 Archer Street, this two-story wood-frame house was built in 1896 for Horatio and Lou Ellen Parmelee. It has an irregular plan, intersecting hip and gable roofs, tall patterned chimneys, drop siding with bands of shingles, and spindlework and sawn trim typical of the Queen Anne style. A one-story rear addition from 1946 is largely hidden from the street. The house was listed for architecture. It is described as the best remaining high-style Queen Anne residence in Monterey, where few two-story examples were built in the 1890s. Its interior is equally notable. Ceilings carry cornices, medallions and rare rosettes, and the parlor's coffered fleur-de-lis ceiling is made entirely of precast plaster pieces, with each coffer using almost 30 elements. The plasterwork is attributed to local contractor George A. Ingram. Original stairs and woodwork also survive.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the best remaining example of high-style Late Victorian Queen Anne residential design in Monterey. It is also significant for the quantity and quality of its interior plaster decoration, including a precast fleur-de-lis coffered parlor ceiling. It retains a high degree of integrity from 1896 despite a 1946 rear addition.
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 97001633, listed January 7, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 570 Archer St., Monterey |
|---|---|
| County | Monterey County |
| Listed | January 7, 1998 |
| Reference number | 97001633 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1896 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | LATE VICTORIAN/Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as "Work in progress"; the form describes planned restoration of a 1946 door back to a window and of porch changes, and removal of a 1963 deck and fire escape. The property is owned by the City of Monterey. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.61098, -121.90514 (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 97001633.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14683207
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.