Brewster House
Also known as: Cinquinis House
Why it's listed
Built around 1869-70 by the Sawyer Brothers, this two-story wood-frame house at Fifth and B Streets in Galt was home to John Brewster, the town's first Federal Postmaster. Brewster came to Placerville from Illinois in 1854, worked in partnership with his brother for eleven years, and then moved to Sacramento County. The house is an offset T-shaped Italianate design with a gabled roof, boxed cornice on simple brackets, segmental arched windows with projecting architraves, and a veranda with square pillars and keystone-centered elliptical arches around three sides. Inside, most original woodwork and ceilings survive. A second bathroom was added about 1920 and a back porch removed, and a later restoration updated the wiring, plumbing, heating and insulation. The house stood in the center of early Galt, beside the original courthouse and jail. Its formal style was unusual for the region, and its largely unaltered condition makes it an important part of local architectural history.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant architecturally and historically. It was built for John Brewster, Galt's first Federal Postmaster, and is a formal Italianate building of a style unusual for the region. It remains virtually unaltered and sits in the original town center near the old courthouse and jail.
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 78000740, listed June 23, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 206 5th St., Galt |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | June 23, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000740 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1869-1870 |
| Architect / builder | Sawyer Brothers |
| Architectural style | Italianate (described also as formal Italian Renaissance) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored by its owners, with interior replastering, rewiring, replumbing, new heating and cooling, and insulation; described as otherwise unaltered and occupied as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.25327, -121.30482 (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 78000740.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4962763
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.