Carr House
Why it's listed
Carr House is a small brick and wood dwelling at 165 East D Street in Benicia, California. Its original brick section likely dates to the late 1850s, and ornate millwork added in the 1870s was later removed and stored for a planned restoration. A frame addition at the rear, built before 1919, gives the plan a shortened T shape. The front retains a Federal-style door with a fanlight, and iron braces run the length of the brick walls. The house matters because few buildings survive from Benicia's early development, when the city served as California's state capital. Its brick resembles that of the first capitol building and appears to come from a local factory. The house therefore documents early architectural taste in the town as well as the growth of brick construction around the San Francisco Bay Area. At the time of listing it stood vacant and deteriorated, with restoration intended.
Significance in brief: The house is one of the few surviving structures from Benicia's early history, including the years when the city was California's state capital. Its brick construction resembles that of the first capitol building, suggesting locally made brick, and it documents the growth of the masonry building industry in Benicia and the Bay Area. It also retains overtones of the Federal style.
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 79000555, listed September 13, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 165 E. D St, Benicia |
|---|---|
| County | Solano County |
| Listed | September 13, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000555 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850s & 1870s |
| Architectural style | Simple brick vernacular with Federal style overtones |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and vacant, in fair to deteriorated condition. Removed millwork is in storage pending restoration, which the owner intends to carry out. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 38.04675, -122.15886 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 79000555.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q38252206
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.