Morse-Skinner Ranch House
Why it's listed
Less than a mile south of Lodi, a two-story wood frame ranch house sits on a one-acre remnant of a ranch that once exceeded 200 acres. Lorenzo Marion Morse, a Lodi pioneer who came to California by ox-drawn wagon in 1859, built it in 1869 in a vernacular Greek Revival manner, with two gabled rectangles, eave returns and simple moldings. His son E. E. Morse added a Colonial Revival porch with Tuscan columns and an ornamented pediment around 1912. A tank house of the same period also contributes to the property, while a 1940s garage does not. The Morse family is credited with helping name Lodi and with planting the area's first Tokay grapes in 1892. E. E. Morse helped found local banks and supported a new high school, and son-in-law John Carroll Skinner, an automobile dealer and racer, later helped set grape marketing standards. The house is one of very few ranch houses of its age left in the area.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for its association with three successive generations of a pioneer Lodi family (Morse and Skinner) who contributed to the town's agricultural, financial and educational growth and to its naming. It is also valued as a vernacular Greek Revival house with Colonial Revival modifications, and as one of very few ranch houses of its age remaining in the area.
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 86001878, listed August 21, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 13063 N. CA 99, Lodi |
|---|---|
| County | San Joaquin County |
| Listed | August 21, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86001878 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Unknown; built by Lorenzo Marion Morse (owner/builder per the narrative), remodeled c. 1912 by E. E. Morse |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Greek Revival with Colonial Revival modifications |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and vacant, with work in progress; condition is described as altered, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 38.09745, -121.26076 (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 86001878.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.