Robinson, Elias H., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1888 at the eastern edge of Santa Cruz, this two-and-one-half-story wood frame house was designed by local architect Daniel A. Damkroeger for Elias H. Robinson, a Minnesota real estate broker who arrived during the 1887 land boom. Damkroeger adapted the popular Stick/Eastlake style with Swiss Cottage, or "Alpine," details such as scroll-sawn flatwork on porch rails and gable trim, and wide, sharply flared eaves. About thirty such houses were built during his brief stay in the city, and perhaps six survive. The Robinson House retains a decorative wraparound porch, applied geometric window trim and original drop siding on several elevations. The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake damaged it severely, and the lost gable ornament was reproduced from 1976 survey photographs. Interiors no longer survive after long use as apartments. Although the surrounding area has become mixed commercial and residential, the house still conveys the look of late nineteenth-century Santa Cruz.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as a good representative example of the "Alpine" variant of the Stick/Eastlake style, a form once common in Santa Cruz but now rare. Damkroeger was the only local designer to use this variant, and only about a half dozen of roughly thirty examples remain. It is judged significant at the local level.
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 97001634, listed January 9, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 363 Ocean St., Santa Cruz |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Cruz County |
| Listed | January 9, 1998 |
| Reference number | 97001634 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1888 |
| Architect / builder | Damkroeger, Daniel A. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Stick/Eastlake |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as an apartment building (multiple dwelling). Interiors were lost to apartment use and 1989 earthquake damage; the exterior was repaired, including a replicated gable ornament. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 36.97317, -122.01827 (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 97001634.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133528717
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.