Pickwick Hotel
Why it's listed
Opened on December 6, 1926 as the El Torre, this Spanish Revival hotel at 225 S. Anaheim Boulevard combined a hotel, restaurant and bus terminal for the Pickwick Stage Company. Architect E. Durfee designed it and Wilson and Bever built it for about $110,000 on land leased from the Rimpau family. Stucco and frame walls, green window frames, a red tile roof, ornamental iron and a four-story tower with a cupola give it a strong Spanish character. Inside are a two-story lobby with a mezzanine, an ornate iron stairway, original light fixtures and a large waiting room with skylights. The name changed to Pickwick in the late 1920s, and Greyhound buses stopped there until about 1967. It was the last major building of Anaheim's 1920s downtown boom and is the city's only surviving bus terminal. Its largely unaltered condition and the loss of neighboring commercial buildings underlie its importance.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as the only Spanish Revival hotel built in Anaheim in the 1920s and the city's only remaining bus terminal. It was the last major structure of the downtown commercial building boom and a social center during the Depression. Its largely unaltered state is cited as a rare reminder of 1920s-1940s hotel life as older downtown buildings face demolition.
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 79000513, listed December 31, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 225 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | December 31, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000513 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Architect: E. Durfee; Builder: Wilson and Bever |
| Architectural style | Spanish Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as occupied, with upstairs rooms in use as hotel rooms; the old bus waiting room is used for storage. Very few alterations to exterior or interior. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 33.83409, -117.91383 (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 79000513.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.