Civic Art Gallery
Also known as: Old Post Office
Why it's listed
Built between 1892 and 1895 at 110 Market Street, this three-story Romanesque building served San Jose as its first Federal Building and post office. Its exterior is sandstone quarried locally in the Goodrich mines, the same source as the stone for the Stanford University Quadrangle, and the nomination calls the carving among the finest Italian stone work still standing in Northern California. The 1906 earthquake toppled the steeple of the clock tower, which was rebuilt in 1908-1909 under architect James Knox Taylor with a gravity-powered, three-faced clock by Nels Johnson. The federal government used the building until 1933, and in 1935 the city bought it for a library and remodeled it with an addition by Ralph Wycoff. It became an art gallery in the early 1970s. It was listed as the only surviving Treasury building on the West Coast in the Richardsonian Romanesque manner, set beside Market Plaza Park on historically layered ground.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the only surviving Treasury building on the West Coast designed in the Romanesque style associated with Henry Hobson Richardson. It also has fine Italian stone carving in locally quarried sandstone and a rare Nels Johnson clock. The site is tied to early San Jose history, including the Pico Adobe, the first state capitol area and Chinatown.
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 73000453, listed January 29, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 110 Market St., San Jose |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | January 29, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000453 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Willoughby J. Edbrooke, architect; built by J.J. and I.N. Day; clock tower rebuilt 1908-1909 under James Knox Taylor; 1935 remodel and addition by Ralph Wycoff |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered; the interior was being remodeled in 1972 to convert it to an art gallery, and it is now used as a gallery. |
| Acreage | 3.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.33367, -121.89032 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 73000453.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q121697258
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.