Hihn Building
Also known as: Superintendent's Office
Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of Capitola and Monterey Avenues, this two-story redwood building is thought to date from about 1883, though no exact construction date is recorded. Its vague classical styling, steep gabled roof, drop siding, angled main entrance and circular medallions in the cornice frieze recall Portuguese-settled coastal villages of California. It served as the office of the superintendent for Frederick A. Hihn's company town of Capitola, with public offices downstairs and the manager's private office and living quarters above. The superintendent oversaw street repairs, beach clean-up, concessions and cottage rentals until the late 1920s. Hihn and S. A. Hall began developing the area as Camp Capitola in 1874, a tent resort reached by narrow gauge railroad, which is described as possibly California's first seaside resort town. The building is called Capitola's oldest commercial structure and a good example of the county's commercial architecture before 1900. It has been restored and remains in commercial use.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Capitola's oldest commercial structure and an excellent example of Santa Cruz County commercial architecture before 1900. Its vague classical styling in local redwood is likened to Portuguese-settled coastal villages. It also served as headquarters for the F. A. Hihn Company's resort town of Capitola, described as possibly California's first seaside resort town.
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 73000450, listed March 20, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 Monterey Ave., Capitola |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Cruz County |
| Listed | March 20, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000450 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architectural style | Vague classical styling, reminiscent of early California Portuguese fishing villages |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and altered; recently restored and brought up to code. Present use is commercial and the property is occupied. |
| Acreage | 2.1 |
| Coordinates | 36.97304, -121.95064 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 73000450.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85766556
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.