Falkenstein, Lewis, House
Also known as: Sarter House
Why it's listed
Located at 401 South Gold Street in Yreka, this two-story Italianate house dates to 1855 and was built by Lewis Falkenstein, a German-born bricklayer. The first floor is thick stone and mud mortar coated with penciled cement, while the upper story is brick with penciled stucco under a low hip roof. Its form closely resembles a design in Andrew Jackson Downing's 1850 book on country houses. An 1873 rear addition, made for the Warren family, used poured gravel and lime walls coated in cement, a method promoted by Orson Squire Fowler. Later changes include a 1942 stoop, 1949 and 1963 additions, and conversion to apartments by the Sarter family. The house is one of about twelve surviving homes from the 1850s in Yreka. Its original rectangular core and the 1873 gravel wall construction remain intact, and the landscaped gardens that once surrounded it are gone.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a rare western example of an Andrew Jackson Downing-inspired "suburban cottage in the Italian style." Its 1873 rear addition also uses the "gravel wall" construction method popularized by Orson Squire Fowler. It is also one of about twelve surviving houses from the 1850s in Yreka and is tied to local figures such as the Warren family.
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 79000554, listed December 31, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 401 S. Gold Street, Yreka |
|---|---|
| County | Siskiyou County |
| Listed | December 31, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000554 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Builder Lewis Falkenstein, a bricklayer (architect unknown) |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; used as an apartment house, with alterations from 1873 to 1979 and a porch under construction at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.72988, -122.64283 (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 79000554.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133544297
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.