Sutherland Fruit Company
Also known as: Mission Packing House; American Fruit Growers, Inc.
Why it's listed
Built in 1912 by the Salt Lake Railroad (later the Union Pacific) for the Sutherland Fruit Company, this packinghouse sits beside the railroad tracks just east of downtown Riverside. A stucco Mission Revival front with a curved roofline, arched windows and an arched doorway fronts a plain warehouse shed behind. A wood-frame addition at the rear was built in 1914 to handle growing production. Inside, a visitors' gallery let people watch citrus being packed, and the front room displayed oranges, lemons and other fruit products under the Banner Brand name. The building mattered as both a working facility and a promotional showplace, drawing train travelers who could then walk beneath pergolas along Seventh Street to the Mission Inn. It remains one of the city's outstanding examples of Mission Revival design and a contributing feature of the Seventh Street historic district. The remains of a concrete-covered pipe pergola still stand in front.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an excellent example of Mission Revival architecture and was directly tied to the citrus industry, a leading economic activity in Riverside around 1900. Its location beside the railroad station made it a showplace linking citrus promotion with tourism, in harmony with the Mission Inn and the pergola-lined Seventh 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 86000732, listed April 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3191 Seventh St., Riverside |
|---|---|
| County | Riverside County |
| Listed | April 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000732 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Fred Peter, Salt Lake Railroad |
| Architectural style | Mission Revival |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition apart from boarded-over windows; interior warehouse space needs extensive repairs, and stabilization work on roof trusses was under way in 1985 while adaptive uses were studied. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.98052, -117.36733 (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 86000732.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133440991
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.