Oakville Grocery
Also known as: Oakville Mercantile
Why it's listed
Oakville Grocery is a one-story, false-front commercial building on the St. Helena Highway in Oakville, in California's Napa Valley. Begun in the 1880s as a general store, it was remodeled in 1921 by contractor John E. McCarthy for owner Frederick Durant, who brought back modern ideas from San Francisco. The remodel gave it a stuccoed, stepped parapet reminiscent of Mission Revival and Craftsman styling, added side windows, and installed a modern refrigerator case. A stone cold-storage building from the 1880s remains attached at the rear, and a painted Coca-Cola advertisement marks the south wall. Between 1915 and 1940 it was the only mercantile in Oakville, supplying groceries, mail, telegraph and telephone service while the town's economy stagnated through Prohibition and the Depression. Locals also sold surplus eggs and chickens there. It was listed as the only surviving 1920s mercantile in the area, with an interior that retains its original floor plan and fixtures.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A in the area of commerce as the only surviving early twentieth-century (1920s) mercantile in the locality. It was the sole mercantile in Oakville between 1915 and 1940 and offered postal, telegraph and telephone services along with daily necessities. Its interior retains a high degree of integrity and still conveys a 1920s general store.
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 93000664, listed July 22, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7856 St. Helena Hwy., Oakville |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | July 22, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000664 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1921-1940 |
| Architect / builder | McCarthy, John E. |
| Architectural style | Other: false-front commercial (parapet reminiscent of Mission Revival and Craftsman details) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operating as a store with a post office, as it has since the mid-1880s; exterior integrity is moderate and interior integrity high. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.43740, -122.40264 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 93000664.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133308654
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.