Sacramento Hall of Justice
Why it's listed
Built in 1917 at 813 6th Street in Sacramento, this four-story building served as the city's Hall of Justice. It housed the Health Department on the first floor, the Police Court on the second, and jail cells on the third and fourth floors. Architects Shea and Lofquist designed it in a restrained Beaux Arts and Neo-classical manner, and their plans had to be compatible with the neighboring County Courthouse designed by Rudolph Herold. A steel frame is clad in a stone base, a rusticated terra cotta first floor, brick upper stories and a classical central section with engaged Corinthian columns, Greek key and wave moldings, and a pedimented entry. Inside, marble stairways, a marble-lined lobby and original coffered ceilings survive above later dropped ceilings. It was listed for architecture at the local level. The courthouse and jail that once stood beside it are gone, which adds to its value as a record of Sacramento's City Beautiful era civic design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an excellent local example of Beaux Arts Classicism/Neo-classicism, built when the City Beautiful Movement was at its height. It combines Greek and Roman detailing with restraint, a mix not found in another Sacramento building. It also keeps a high degree of integrity, and it survives while related civic buildings such as the County Courthouse and Jail have been lost.
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 99001179, listed September 24, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 813 6th St., Sacremento |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | September 24, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001179 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1917 |
| Architect / builder | Shea & Lofquist / Williams, H.S. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American: Beaux Arts Classicism / Neo-classical |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as Government: Vacant. Exterior alterations are limited to fire escapes, a disabled access ramp, a covered light well and perforated block screens over many windows. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.58345, -121.48605 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 99001179.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q126203916
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.