St. Helena Historic Commercial District

St. Helena's downtown commercial district follows Main Street and nearby streets between Adams and Spring Streets. It includes 48 elements, nearly all buildings, and 35 of them contribute to its historic character. Fifteen buildings use cut native trachytic tuff, giving the district its most distinctive trait. Other walls are brick, stucco, terra cotta and metal. Most buildings have one story, none exceeds two, and storefronts typically have recessed entrances and display windows. Notable examples include the Galleron Building, the Hunt Building, the Richie Block, the Italianate Oddfellows' Hall designed by San Francisco architect A. Schopfer, and a small prefabricated Streamline Moderne gas station. The William Tell Hotel and Saloon was already listed individually. Between 1870 and 1947 flimsy early structures were replaced by larger, sturdier ones, and by 1947 about two-thirds of the 1870 buildings had been replaced. Later changes include modernized storefronts, awnings and tourist-oriented signs, yet the contiguous buildings and retail use preserve a traditional downtown feel.