Andrews, William, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 at 741 Seminary Street in downtown Napa, this two-and-a-half story frame house was designed by local architect Luther M. Turton for William Andrews. Andrews, an English-born former miller, ran a downtown grocery until retiring in 1911. The house has an asymmetrical plan, a slate hipped roof with cross gables, a two-story bay window, and a wraparound porch. Its exterior carries abundant detail, including patterned shingles, spindlework, molded sunbursts, finials, and a paneled chimney, set above a raised stone foundation. Turton kept the design grounded by using heavy cut stone and a concrete front stairway. The house has changed little, with only a back porch enclosure around 1945 and rear stairs around 1960, and it remains in very good condition. It was listed for its architecture, as one of Napa's finest and least altered Queen Anne houses and a vivid example of Victorian-era middle-class success.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of Napa's most successful and nearly unaltered examples of late nineteenth-century Queen Anne residential architecture, ranking among the ten or twelve most significant of hundreds of houses from the period. It also illustrates the middle-class success of its first owner, grocer William Andrews. It retains a high degree of architectural integrity.
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 92000789, listed June 18, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 741 Seminary St., Napa |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | June 18, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000789 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892 |
| Architect / builder | Turton, Luther Mark (architect) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in very good condition with only minor changes since 1892; still used as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Napa Abajo-Fuller Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.29511, -122.29186 (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 92000789.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q65067048
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.