Six Sisters-Lawn Way Historic District
Why it's listed
Six Sisters-Lawn Way is a small group of buildings in the center of Capitola Village, arranged around Lawn Way, a cross-axial pedestrian green. Two building types define it: six near-identical two-story Victorian apartments on the Esplanade, known as the Six Sisters, and one- and two-story gable-front cottages, mostly built between 1910 and 1914, that line the walkway. The buildings are mainly wood frame with weatherboard and shingle siding, and their entrances sit flush or recessed along the walkway. The area grew out of Camp Capitola, the seaside resort founded by Frederick A. Hihn, and the Six Sisters were built after the grand Hotel Capitola opened in 1895. The district is valued as the city's most cohesive reminder of its peak years as a resort. It holds the earliest two-story cottages in Capitola and its only formal village green. Some buildings have been converted to shops, and a few are later replacements or additions.
Significance in brief: The district is described as an intact residential enclave linked to Capitola's formally landscaped village green and to the resort developed under Frederick A. Hihn. It is the community's most important surviving link to its turn-of-the-century seaside resort era. The Six Sisters are the city's earliest two-story cottages, and the Lawn Way cottages are unique in Capitola for their formal arrangement around a pedestrian walkway.
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 87000623, listed May 1, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by San Jose Ave., Capitola Ave., and Esplanade, Capitola |
|---|---|
| County | Santa Cruz County |
| Listed | May 1, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000623 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c. 1898-c. 1914 |
| Architectural style | Victorian (Six Sisters) and early twentieth-century beach cottages with Craftsman influence |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings are occupied, in mixed residential and commercial use; alterations are largely limited to commercial conversion and a few aluminum windows. Two buildings are modern intrusions and two of the Six Sisters are c. 1980 reconstructions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.97243, -121.96222 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 87000623.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q49562081
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.