Holloway, Edgar, House
Also known as: The Owl
Why it's listed
Built in 1903 at 7539 Eigleberry Street in Gilroy, this two-storey redwood house was designed by architect William H. Weeks. It has a raised basement, intersecting gambrel and hipped roofs, and an octagonal corner tower with a dome and witches cap. A curved verandah with Ionic posts wraps the southeast corner, and a pedimented entrance carries an owl that gave the house its common name. Inside, the woodwork is clear heart redwood, with burl-paneled doors and a tile and birdseye maple fireplace. The house is one of three known surviving Weeks residences in Gilroy and shows his "modified colonial" approach, which echoes his Sargent house in Salinas. It was built for Edgar and Dora Holloway, members of a pioneer family, and became a center for charitable work. In the 1950s it was converted to apartments, and in the late 1970s it served as a drug counseling center and shelter for battered women known as The Owl.
Significance in brief: It is one of three known remaining examples in Gilroy of Weeks' early residential work and a variation on his "modified colonial" style. It also served as a social center for charitable work in the community, later housing a drug counseling center and shelter known as "The Owl".
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 82002262, listed January 28, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7539 Eigleberry St., Gilroy |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | January 28, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002262 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | William H. Weeks |
| Architectural style | "Modified colonial" with Victorian villa character (Georgian motifs, gambrel roofs) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and altered; used as apartments from the 1950s, then as a counseling center and shelter in the 1970s, and reported in 1980 as earmarked for offices. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 37.00874, -121.57114 (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 82002262.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55757591
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.