Alkali Flat West Historic District

This small Sacramento district sits on two blocks around 8th Street between E and F Streets, in Alkali Flat, one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. Its 21 buildings include rows of small Queen Anne/Eastlake cottages built in the 1890s, a rare Second Empire house from 1894, an 1872 Italianate residence, an 1881 double house, and Craftsman and Colonial Revival apartment buildings from the early 1900s. Much of the housing grew from speculation by owners such as the Meister brothers and Mary Mesick, who divided large parcels for tenants, many tied to Southern Pacific employment. Some owners lived elsewhere, reflecting growing absentee landlordism. The district is described as a working class neighborhood that kept its small wood frame houses and large street trees while redevelopment fragmented the surrounding area. Eighteen buildings contribute to its character, and five lots are vacant. It was listed as a remnant of Sacramento's early development and settlement patterns.