Old Napa Register Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1905 at the corner of First and Coombs Streets in Napa, this two-story brick building was constructed as the home of the Napa Register newspaper. Publisher George Milton Francis bought the lot in 1904, though other businessmen thought it too far from the downtown core, and completed the building for $9,000. Architect Luther M. Turton, who practiced in Napa from 1887 to 1927, designed it with cement facing scored to resemble stone, arched windows with keystones, a scrolled entrance pediment and a dentiled cornice. The newspaper used the first floor while the second floor held a dance studio. Other businesses followed, and commercial development turned from Main Street toward First Street. The Register moved out in 1965, the building sat vacant until 1968, and a major rehabilitation in 1979 restored lost interior features and adapted the space for offices and retail use. It is valued as a rare surviving example of turn-of-the-century commercial architecture in downtown Napa.
Significance in brief: The building is one of the few remaining turn-of-the-century commercial buildings in downtown Napa and was designed by Luther M. Turton, the city's leading architect of the time. It was built for the Napa Register, the city's oldest continuously operating newspaper. Its construction also helped shift Napa's commercial growth from Main Street toward First Street.
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 82002213, listed February 19, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1202 1st St., Napa |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | February 19, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002213 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | L. M. Turton (Architect) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Communications |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Major renovation was completed in 1979 and the building was in excellent condition. The second floor was leased to a law firm, and the building was listed as occupied with commercial use. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 38.29869, -122.28713 (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 82002213.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85790506
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.