Hawkins, Joel and Rena, House
Also known as: Hawkins,Laurel,House
Why it's listed
Built in 1876 for Joel and Rena Hawkins, this two-story wood-frame house at 801 South Street in Hollister is considered the city's finest Italianate residence. It has horizontal board siding, quoins at the corners, a shallow hipped roof with paired ornamental brackets, and a banded, dentiled cornice. The front bay window rises to an octagonal roof with cresting, and the arched windows use segmental arches upstairs and semicircular arches below. The family said they hired an architect and builders from San Francisco to ensure quality work, though the designer is not identified. Joel Hawkins belonged to the San Justo Homestead Association, which bought W. W. Hollister's ranch lands in 1868, and he mostly managed wheat farms near town. The house lost its original chimneys after earthquakes and has a replaced foundation, but it keeps a high level of integrity. A garage completed in 1990 and an older shed stand behind it.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is Hollister's most successfully executed and most important remaining Italianate residence. It shows elaborate features of the style, including a shallow hipped roof, bracketed and dentiled cornice, arched windows with hoods, quoins and a crested octagonal bay roof. It also reflects the standing of its original owners and retains high integrity.
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 93000669, listed July 28, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 801 South St., Hollister |
|---|---|
| County | San Benito County |
| Listed | July 28, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000669 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1876 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition with only minor alterations, returned to excellent condition after 1989 earthquake damage. Still used as a single-dwelling residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.84823, -121.40994 (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 93000669.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133445207
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.