Calpak Plant No. 11
Also known as: Del Monte Corporation,Plant No. 11
Why it's listed
Built in 1925 for the California Packing Corporation (Calpak), whose Del Monte brand was known worldwide, this brick cannery at 1721 C Street in Sacramento spans two blocks between 16th and 18th Streets. The building is 722 feet long and 218 feet wide, with a wood post-and-truss frame, a stepped parapet, and banks of metal-sash windows. Philip Bush, the company's engineering chief, designed it, and McDonald and Kahn built it for $325,000. At completion it was among the largest fruit canneries in the world, packing peaches, pears, tomatoes and other crops. Sacramento's farmland and transport links made it a natural site, and the city later became known as the canning center of the West. The plant was the last operating cannery in the Old City area. Additions came in 1937, 1943 and 1951. A rehabilitation completed by early 1984 added a public entrance, sales area and landscaped planters while the remainder kept its food processing role.
Significance in brief: The plant is tied to the California canning industry, which contributed to the state's economic and agricultural growth. When built it was one of the biggest fruit canneries in the world, and it was the last operating cannery in Sacramento's Old City area. The form also calls it a good representative of an attractive industrial building.
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 84000939, listed May 17, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1721 C St., Sacramento |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | May 17, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000939 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925 |
| Architect / builder | Philip Bush (designer, company Engineering Department Chief); built by contractors McDonald and Kahn |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated by January 1984 with a new public entry, sales area, lobby and auditorium; the rest of the plant continues food processing. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Coordinates | 38.58397, -121.48088 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 84000939.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5023901
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.