Wheeler Hospital
Why it's listed
Wheeler Hospital, at 650 Fifth Street in Gilroy, California, is an H-shaped reinforced concrete building completed in 1929 to designs by architect William H. Weeks. Its stucco walls, low hipped roofs of terra cotta barrel tile, ceramic tile bands, wrought iron grilles and balconies, and arched tiled entry reflect the Mediterranean Revival, or Spanish Eclectic, style. The two-story center section once held nurses' quarters, while single-story wings housed surgery, an emergency room, a kitchen, maternity rooms and patient rooms. Its 22 patient rooms each had a built-in radio and nurse call button, reportedly unique among hospitals in the state. It was listed for its architecture. Weeks designed about twenty known buildings in Gilroy between 1894 and 1934, and by the late 1920s his command of this style had fully matured. The hospital is presented as the finest example of that work in the city, with symmetrical massing and signature details. The exterior is essentially unaltered.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion C as the work of master architect William H. Weeks. It shows the full maturity of his Mediterranean Revival (Spanish Eclectic) style, with a symmetrical villa plan, a tile-trimmed arched entry and wrought iron and tile detailing. It is described as his finest Spanish Eclectic work in Gilroy and his last chance there to use the style at this scale.
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 90001442, listed September 13, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 650 Fifth St., Gilroy |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Clara County |
| Listed | September 13, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001442 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929 |
| Architect / builder | Weeks, William Henry |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival; Other: Mediterranean Revival (Spanish Eclectic) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building was vacated in August 1989 except for some center-section offices, and its windows, doors and transoms were covered with plywood. It was recently acquired for conversion to ambulatory senior housing. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 37.00575, -121.57704 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 90001442.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q123230201
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.