Southern Pacific Railroad Section Superintendent House
Why it's listed
Built in 1915 by the Southern Pacific Railroad, this modest 1½-story wood-frame house at 815 Oakdale Street in Folsom was home to the section superintendent at Folsom Junction. The superintendent oversaw about 15 miles of track between Nimbus and Shingle Springs, supervising a crew housed in nearby bunkhouses. The house has shiplap siding, a saltbox-shaped gable roof, a central brick chimney and a hipped-roof front section whose porch was enclosed before 1943. A later wood deck and sliding glass door were added. Railroads commonly provided on-site housing for maintenance staff in the early twentieth century, but the practice faded in the 1950s. The house is the only surviving building of the Folsom Junction section yard, where the bunkhouse and other structures have been removed. It was rented to non-railroad tenants until 2002, and the city bought the parcel in 2003. The property was listed for its link to Folsom's railroad history.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion A for its association with railroad development in the Folsom area. It is an example of company housing provided for section superintendents, and it is one of the few remaining resources showing the railroad's direct presence in the lives of its employees. It is the only building left from the Folsom Junction section yard.
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 08000501, listed June 13, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 815 Oakdale St., Folsom |
|---|---|
| County | Sacramento County |
| Listed | June 13, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000501 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1915-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Southern Pacific Railroad Company |
| Architectural style | Bungalow / Craftsman (with the general shape of a saltbox) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant/not in use. The property was used as a residence until 2002, and the City of Folsom acquired the parcel in 2003. Windows are mostly covered with plywood. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.66990, -121.18148 (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 08000501.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q126009602
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.