Alkali Flat North Historic District
Why it's listed
This small cluster of 19th century houses sits at the corner of D and 11th Streets in Sacramento's Alkali Flat, a neighborhood once covered with powdery white alkali. Eighteen buildings fall within the district, mostly workingmen's cottages and modest homes built between 1860 and 1896, plus two Colonial Revival cottages from about 1910. The oldest is 1119 D Street, a two-story Italianate masonry house built in 1860 by Maria Hastings, who owned the Orleans Hotel in the 1850s. Carpenter Phil Douglas built a cottage in 1869, another house in 1872, and four identical Queen Anne row cottages in 1896-1897. Hugh McDonald built the Eastlake houses at 1123 and 1129 D Street. Both men worked for the railroad and speculated in building, a pattern common in the neighborhood. Modern industry and commercial strips have cut away the surrounding blocks, but this remnant keeps the scale, materials and setbacks of a late 19th century working-class neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The district is one of three areas in Alkali Flat that still keep their 19th century sense of time and place. It holds distinguished examples of 19th century design, including a rare 1860 Italianate masonry house, and it reflects Sacramento's early development and settlement patterns. It also shows the building speculation by railroad employees that was common in the neighborhood.
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 84000933, listed April 19, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | D and 11th Sts., Sacramento |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | April 19, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000933 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1860 to 1910 |
| Architect / builder | See text: Maria Hastings (1119 D Street, 1860); Phil Douglas (1107 D, 1103 D and the 11th Street row cottages); Hugh McDonald (1123 and 1129 D Street) |
| Architectural style | 19th century residential styles including Italianate, Queen Anne, Eastlake, Stick/Eastlake, Greek Revival-based vernacular and Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Of 18 buildings, 14 contribute and four do not; one lot is vacant. The form describes the condition as deteriorated and altered, with the original site retained. One house at 1120 D Street is boarded and fenced. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 38.58651, -121.48897 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 84000933.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q49472196
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.