Saint Vincent's Hill Historic District
Why it's listed
Saint Vincent's Hill is a hillside neighborhood of about 540 parcels just north of downtown Vallejo, California, laid out on a regular grid of 38 blocks that rise from the Mare Island Channel to a crest of 120 feet. It grew around Saint Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, built in 1868 in the Gothic Revival style on land donated by General John Frisbie, and developed in waves through the end of World War II as Mare Island Naval Shipyard drew workers. Of 691 primary buildings, 542 contribute to its character. Most are modest one-story houses in Stick/Eastlake, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Craftsman and Prairie styles, along with plain vernacular types such as the gable-front cottage. Groups of identical cottages and second units on alleys show how pattern-book designs spread. Civic landmarks include the Art Deco post office of 1933, the Veterans' Memorial Building of 1930 and City Park. High integrity and a strong pre-1947 feel support its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the district as a largely intact residential neighborhood that grew around the parish and is directly tied to changes in the workforce at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Its concentration of houses in popular nineteenth- and early twentieth-century styles, plus vernacular types, gives it high integrity, with 542 contributing buildings out of 691. Notable civic buildings and City Park, donated by General John Frisbie, add to its importance for the city.
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 03001168, listed November 21, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Mare Island Way almost to Sonoma Blvd. and from Quincy Alley to Kissel Alley, Vallejo |
|---|---|
| County | Solano County |
| Listed | November 21, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03001168 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century Greek and Gothic Revival and Vernacular; Late Victorian (Italianate, Queen Anne, Eastlake, Shingle Style); Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Mission, Craftsman, Prairie; Modern Movement Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly in residential use (about 95 percent of parcels); about 25 non-residential resources, some former grocery spaces abandoned or converted; 20 vacant lots; integrity described as high. |
| Coordinates | 38.10661, -122.26035 (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 03001168.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q141649474
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.