McHenry Mansion
Why it's listed
Built in 1883, this two-story wood-frame Italianate mansion at 906 Fifteenth Street in Modesto was the town residence of Robert McHenry, a self-made rancher and banker who expanded the Bald Eagle Ranch, led the First National Bank of Modesto and helped found the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts. His son Oramil later lived there and enlarged the family's business holdings. The house has a bracketed cornice, an octagonal cupola with a stag weathervane, a widow's walk and an ornate front porch. The family lived there until 1920, when it became a sanatorium and then fifteen apartments, and most of the grounds were sold. The City of Modesto acquired it in 1976 and planned to remove later additions and restore the building. It is recognized as Modesto's finest Italianate house and a local symbol of the valley's agricultural development.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the finest example of Italianate architecture in Modesto, built with high-quality materials, design and craftsmanship. It was the home of the McHenry ranching and banking family, whose members were prominent in San Joaquin Valley business and in forming the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts. It is described as a symbol of Modesto's past and of early settlers' work in making the valley highly productive.
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 78000805, listed April 4, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 906 15th St., Modesto |
|---|---|
| County | Stanislaus County |
| Listed | April 4, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000805 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Victorian Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Acquired by the City of Modesto in 1976 for restoration; formerly apartments, with restoration work in progress to return it to its original appearance and open it for public events. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 37.64360, -120.99452 (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.
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 78000805.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6801571
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.