Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs
Also known as: Ca-Scl-691h; Gilroy Hot Springs
Why it's listed
Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs is a hillside resort of about eight acres above Coyote Creek, northeast of Gilroy. Its core holds sixteen contributing buildings and six contributing structures, mostly small one-story board-and-batten guest cabins named for U.S. states, along with a domed wooden kiosk over the spring source, a 1917 concrete mineral pool, a Buddhist shrine, a tea house and a Japanese garden bridge. Cabins were present by 1866, and the resort grew through the 1870s and 1920s, later suffering from the Great Depression. In 1938 Kyuzaburo Sakata, a Watsonville lettuce grower, bought the property, added Japanese-style baths and opened it for church conferences. Guests soon were almost entirely Japanese-American. The resort is recognized for its role as a gathering place for Japanese-Americans, especially older Issei seeking rest, and for its long recreational history. Fires in 1980 and 1992 destroyed several earlier buildings, but the remaining resources retain a strong sense of time and place.
Significance in brief: The resort is significant under Criterion A for entertainment/recreation, Asian ethnic heritage and social history. After H.K. Sakata bought it in 1938, it became a center for Japanese-Americans, symbolizing their experience in the United States. The form rates the 1938-1942 and 1945 period as significant at the state level and the earlier 1870s-1920s period at the local level.
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 95000996, listed August 21, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 9 1/2 mi. NE of jct. of New Ave. and Roop Rd., Gilroy |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | August 21, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000996 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1938-1942 and 1945 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Asian, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All resources are in fair to poor condition but appear structurally sound; they have suffered from weathering, deferred maintenance and vandalism. Fires in 1980 and 1992 destroyed several buildings. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 37.10836, -121.47868 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 95000996.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5562589
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.