Kee, Sam, Laundry Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1875 at the corner of Main and Clinton Streets in Napa, this two-story cut stone commercial building measures roughly 30 by 50 feet and has a basement. Square windows carry stone lintels and sills, the date is carved in a nameplate over the door, and the roof is corrugated steel. An ornate Italianate cornice tops an otherwise plain design. A metal-covered frame addition sits at the rear, and painted-over areas on the walls, with some old advertising signs still visible on the north wall, hint at past commercial use. It is considered the oldest stone building in Napa and probably the city's oldest surviving commercial structure, illustrating the frontier character of early Napa. By 1880 it was part of Barth's Bavarian Brewery, and it later served as a boarding house and a saloon before housing the Sam Kee Laundry, described in 1901 as the oldest established laundry in the county. The architect and builder are unknown.
Significance in brief: It is described as the oldest stone building in the City of Napa and believed to be the oldest surviving commercial structure there. It is also considered a prime example of primitive design in early California, reflecting the frontier quality of early Napa. Local agencies, officials and preservation groups repeatedly identified it as a historic landmark.
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 74000540, listed October 1, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1245 Main St., Napa |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | October 1, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74000540 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (built 1875) |
| Architectural style | Simple frontier-style commercial design with an ornate Italianate cornice |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as the Sam Kee Laundry; condition listed as fair, with no known exterior alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 38.30103, -122.28734 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 74000540.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14683853
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.