De Anza Hotel
Why it's listed
Rising ten stories above West Santa Clara Street, this concrete and steel reinforced hotel was the tallest in San Jose's central business district. Construction began in February 1930 and the doors opened a year later. Architect William H. Weeks called his design "modernistic"; it is mainly Art Deco, with a stepped, zig-zag parapet, vertical piers, low relief patterns and hints of Mayan influence, along with some Spanish Colonial Revival elements. Inside, a two-story lobby combines Art Deco details with a Spanish scheme, including stenciled wooden beams, wrought iron balconies, a large chandelier and a canopied fireplace. The hotel was financed by the San Jose Community Hotel Corporation, with stock bought by more than 200 local citizens, and built with local labor by contractor Carl N. Swenson. It offered nearly 150 rooms, a coffee shop and a ballroom. Its significance rests on its architecture and its link to the city's business community. Ground-floor changes from the 1950s were slated for restoration.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hotel is significant as one of San Jose's few Zig-Zag Moderne (Art Deco) buildings and for its elaborate Spanish Colonial Revival interior. It is also tied to the city's history because local business interests funded its construction through stock subscriptions from more than 200 citizens.
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 82002266, listed January 21, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 233 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | January 21, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002266 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1931 |
| Architect / builder | William H. Weeks (architect); Carl N. Swenson (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco (Zig-Zag Moderne) with Spanish Colonial Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in commercial use, in good condition with alterations; the owner intended to restore the ground floor to its original appearance. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 37.33426, -121.89494 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 82002266.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5244224
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.