Kee House
Why it's listed
This two-story wood-frame house at 2310 Yale Street in Palo Alto was completed in 1889 for Robert Norton Kee, who ran a transfer business in Mayfield and bought four lots in the new College Terrace tract. It is a simplified Italianate building with Eastlake details, including a truncated hip roof, turned porch posts, sawn brackets and a paneled frieze. A gazebo, tool shed and large garage or barn appear to be original. The house was converted to a boarding house and apartments in the late 1920s and 1930s, with porches partly enclosed and a small apartment wing added at the rear. It is considered one of the oldest surviving residences in Palo Alto and the oldest remaining dwelling from the village of Mayfield. Its history, first as a family home and later as rental housing for students and teachers, is described as typical of many such houses. A local rezoning measure was adopted to protect the surrounding neighborhood.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of the oldest surviving residences in Palo Alto and the oldest dwelling remaining from the village of Mayfield. It was among the first houses finished in College Terrace. It represents the housing of a typical middle-class owner and shows a common pattern of later conversion to rooming or apartment use. It is also called the anchor of its neighborhood.
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 85000715, listed April 11, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2310 Yale St., Palo Alto |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | April 11, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000715 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1889 |
| Architectural style | Simplified Italianate with some Eastlake elements |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and in excellent condition, used as a private residence. Apartment conversions from the 1930s remained, and the owners hoped to restore single-family use. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 37.42423, -122.14757 (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 85000715.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18152891
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.