Call-Booth House
Also known as: Booth House
Why it's listed
This single-story Victorian cottage at 1315 Vine Street in Paso Robles was built in 1893 of native redwood for Dr. Samuel Johnson Call, a physician at the Paso Robles Hot Springs. Its pattern-book design features a hip roof with cross gables, Palladian windows, wave-patterned shingles and an Eastlake veranda frieze. Later owners altered the porch and bathrooms in the 1920s and 1940s, but a restoration returned the exterior details, recovered the original fireplace mantels and kept the fir floors and redwood trim. The house reflects the early development of a town built around a mineral spring that drew visitors by rail. Call sold it in 1904 to his sister, Susanna Call Booth, who became the town's first postmistress and lived there until her death in 1944. Because of her long residence, it is often called the Booth house. It is one of the few single-story houses of its style and period in Paso Robles.
Significance in brief: The house is a fine example of late-1800s pattern book architecture with Queen Anne, Victorian and Eastlake influences, built in native California materials. It contributes to the turn-of-the-century character of Vine Street and reflects the early, hot-springs-driven development of Paso Robles. It is also tied to Dr. Samuel Johnson Call and his sister Susanna Call Booth, the town's first postmistress.
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 88002031, listed November 3, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1315 Vine St., Robles |
|---|---|
| County | San Luis Obispo County |
| Listed | November 3, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002031 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1893 - 1938 |
| Architect / builder | Burkett for Dr. S.J. Call |
| Architectural style | Victorian-era Eastlake style "pattern book" house (with Queen Anne influences) |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as fully restored, occupied and in good condition; the form notes a certified rehabilitation in 1985, alterations from the 1940s were reversed, and the roof shingles were replaced with composition roofing. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 35.62765, -120.69418 (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 88002031.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q63887909
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.