Old Post Office
Also known as: US Government Post Office and Federal Building
Why it's listed
Santa Rosa's Old Post Office was the city's first federal building, completed in 1909 after the 1906 earthquake leveled the downtown. Designed by Treasury Supervising Architect James Knox Taylor, it combines Roman Renaissance Revival styling with a Spanish tile roof, a stone-columned portico, granite steps, oak interiors and an advanced automatic hot-water heating system. Local firm Hoyt Brothers built it using mostly local craftsmen. Later changes included a 1926 rear addition and 1967 interior alterations for a county data processing center. In 1979, because an urban renewal shopping center was planned for the site, the 1,800-ton building was moved 800 feet north on rails and rollers, and the rear addition was removed. Its listing rests on its architecture, on Taylor's influence on federal design, and on its place among early California federal buildings that moved toward smaller-scale styles suited to local communities. A museum use was proposed after restoration.
Significance in brief: It was designed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the Treasury, known as the 'National Architect'. It was Santa Rosa's first federal building and part of the city's rebuilding after the 1906 earthquake. It is also one of the earliest California examples of the shift toward smaller federal buildings that suited local settings.
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 79000559, listed November 16, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 425 7th St., Santa Rosa |
|---|---|
| County | Sonoma County |
| Listed | November 16, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000559 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- |
| Architect / builder | James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect, Treasury Department; built by Hoyt Brothers |
| Architectural style | Roman Renaissance Revival with Spanish tile roof |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Moved in 1979 to a new site and awaiting restoration for museum use. A separate HABS record lists it as vacant, and the form marks it unoccupied or inaccessible until restored. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 38.44174, -122.71807 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 79000559.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q125536999
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.