Live Oak Creamery
Why it's listed
Built in 1908 at Martin and Railroad Streets in Gilroy, the Live Oak Creamery is a rectangular brick building with later stucco-covered and board-and-batten frame additions. Tracey Learnard and his father, Colonel O. E. Learnard, established it so local dairy farmers no longer had to ship cream elsewhere to be made into butter. It was the first butter factory in the Gilroy area and could produce 1,000 pounds a day. A Southern Pacific spur beside the site allowed products to be loaded directly onto rail cars. New owners installed a pasteurizer and homogenizer in 1919, and in the early 1920s the plant began making cheese, including Monterey Jack and cheddar. Walter Luchessa and his brothers bought it in 1925, and the Zottola Brothers later leased it. Stricter state moisture rules ended operations around 1940. Its insulated refrigerator room was unusual locally. The building is regarded as the last visible reminder of Gilroy's early dairy and cheese industry.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it was the first butter factory established in the Gilroy area and the only insulated structure of its kind locally. It later produced cheese in the 1920s and 1930s. It is described as the last visual reminder of the pioneer dairy and cheese industry of the lower Santa Clara Valley.
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 82002263, listed March 11, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 88 Martin St., Gilroy |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | March 11, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002263 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1908 |
| Architect / builder | Not known (built by the Learnard family) |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as presently used as a warehouse and workshop; the form also lists the property as unoccupied and commercial, and the creamery ceased operating about 1940. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.00825, -121.56823 (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 82002263.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q123205474
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.