Hotel La Rose
Why it's listed
Hotel La Rose is a three-story stone hotel built in 1907 at Wilson and Fifth Streets in Santa Rosa's Railroad Square. Bautista Bettini commissioned it after the 1906 earthquake destroyed his wooden hotel nearby. Stonemasons Peter Maroni, Natale Forni, Massimo Galeazzi and Angelo Sodini, trained in northern Italy, built it from local andesite quarried in east Santa Rosa. The hotel cost $35,000 and shows Georgian Revival influence. It has about 40 rooms along central corridors, shared bathrooms, dining rooms and a bar. It served railroad workers, passengers and many of the town's working people. The nomination values it as the largest of four related stone buildings around a central park, as an example of the county's stone industry that supplied paving stones to San Francisco, and as a product of Italian stonemasons. Despite a run-down condition, it has no major alterations and has kept its original use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a major example of indigenous stone adapted for commercial buildings in Santa Rosa and a major accomplishment of Italian stonemasons working in Sonoma County around 1900. It also represents the county's stone industry and the railroad-era hotel period from 1870 to 1936. It is the largest of four related stone buildings around a central park and has kept its original use with little alteration.
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 78000802, listed August 3, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5th and Wilson Sts., Santa Rosa |
|---|---|
| County | Sonoma County |
| Listed | August 3, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000802 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Stone masons Peter Maroni, Natale Forni, Massimo Galeazzi and Angelo Sodini |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival influence |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as run down but retaining its original integrity, with no major alterations, its 40 rooms, central baths, kitchen and dining areas, and bar. The form's status box is marked occupied. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Railroad Square District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 38.43787, -122.72061 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 78000802.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q56427587
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.