Goodman, George E., Jr., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1891 at 492 Randolph Street in Napa, this two-and-a-half-story wood-frame house was designed in the Queen Anne style by J. Marquis of San Francisco. It has an asymmetrical plan, a hipped roof with cross gables, a conical-roofed corner tower reaching 56 feet, shingle and board siding, leaded glass windows, and a raised stone foundation. The most serious alteration is the enclosure of most of the original front porch around 1930, when the interior was also divided into apartments. The house is considered one of Napa's finest Queen Anne buildings, with a balanced composition and restrained decorative woodwork. It also reflects social change: banker George E. Goodman, Sr. gave it to his youngest son, George Jr., as a wedding present at age 23. The younger Goodman worked as a bank teller and died at 35. The house represents his father's success and the arrival of a second generation of wealthy Napans.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of Napa's most successfully executed examples of late nineteenth-century Queen Anne architecture, ranking among the ten or twelve most significant of hundreds of period residences. It also illustrates inherited wealth, since it was a wedding gift from banker George E. Goodman, Sr. to his son. Its integrity is described as high despite the enclosed front porch.
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 93000270, listed April 1, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 492 Randolph St., Napa |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | April 1, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000270 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1891 |
| Architect / builder | J. Marquis |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted to apartments around 1930 and still in multiple-dwelling use; described as in moderately good condition with high architectural integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Napa Abajo-Fuller Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.29363, -122.28569 (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 93000270.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85763110
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.