Wulff, Capt. N. H., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1885 at 549 Brown Street in Napa, this narrow two-story Italianate house was designed by William H. Corlett and built by Thomas Derry for steamboat captain Niels Hanson Wulff. It has horizontal board siding, a low hipped roof, elaborate eave brackets, and tall narrow windows with bas-relief pediments. A two-story bay window and a columned entrance portico shape the front. Wulff, born in Denmark in 1830, sailed schooners and later steamboats on the Napa River, and in 1889 had the sternwheeler Zinfandel built for the run to San Francisco. He lived in the house, about 120 feet from his landing dock, until his death in 1911. No wharfs or warehouses from Napa's nineteenth-century river trade survive, so the house is one of few buildings directly tied to that history. The exterior has changed little, though most interior detail was lost when the house was divided into apartments around 1980.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to Captain Niels Hanson Wulff, one of Napa's most important steamboat owners and masters in the late nineteenth century. It is significant in maritime history, commerce and transportation. It is one of the few surviving buildings directly linked to the city's river trade, and it remains virtually unaltered on the exterior.
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 92000994, listed August 18, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 549 Brown St., Napa |
|---|---|
| County | Napa County |
| Listed | August 18, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92000994 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1885-1911 |
| Architect / builder | Corlett, William H. (architect); Derry, Thomas (builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition; converted to three rental units (apartments) around 1980, with the interior largely lost but the exterior virtually unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Napa Abajo-Fuller Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.29452, -122.28340 (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 92000994.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85750576
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.