Hood, William, House
Also known as: California State Historical Landmark No. 692
Why it's listed
Built in 1858 with bricks fired on site, this two-story mansion near Santa Rosa was the home of early California settler William Hood, who made his fortune building housing for gold miners and later ran a winery at Los Guilucos. Utah Senator Thomas Kearns used it as a summer residence from 1905 to 1918 and added two second-story wings, a dining room and fireplaces, bringing it to 24 rooms. Its design blends New England and Southern Colonial elements, with a one-story porch, square Doric columns, dentils and modillions. The Knights of Pythias bought the property in 1924 and made it the centerpiece of the California Pythian Home for aged members, which operated until 1944, when financial pressures from declining membership forced a sale to the State of California. Its importance rests on that fraternal history and on its status as the county's only known surviving pre-Civil War brick building. Sonoma County acquired it in 1974, and it is currently unused.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion A for its association with the Knights of Pythias fraternal order, which bought the house in 1924 and made it the centerpiece of the California Pythian Home for elderly members. It reflects the early twentieth-century boom in fraternal societies and their role in mutual aid. It is also described as the only known surviving pre-Civil War brick building in Sonoma County.
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 97001658, listed February 6, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7501 Sonoma Hwy, Santa Rosa |
|---|---|
| County | Sonoma County |
| Listed | February 6, 1998 |
| Reference number | 97001658 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1944 |
| Architect / builder | Hood, William |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival (New England Colonial and Southern Colonial influences) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant/not in use; described as relatively good condition but needing seismic retrofitting, plaster and window repairs, and cosmetic refurbishing. Owned by Sonoma County. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 38.44339, -122.57780 (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 97001658.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8012475
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.