Capitol Extension District
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Two matching five-story government buildings face each other across a fountain plaza on Capitol Mall in Sacramento. The Library and Courts Building and State Office Building No. 1 were built between 1922 and 1928 to designs by the San Francisco firm Weeks and Day. Steel-framed, with granite on the first story and terra cotta above, each has a ten-column portico and a large sculpted pediment by Edward Field Sanford, Jr. The design adapts Greek temple forms, with anthemion, Greek fret and other classical motifs repeated inside and out. Interiors include marble vestibules, murals by Frank Van Sloun and Maynard Dixon, and custom furniture. The buildings were placed at the west end of Capitol Park to create a monumental group with the 1860s State Capitol and to serve as a transition to the modern buildings along Capitol Mall. Later changes include lowered ceilings, sealed light wells and replaced windows in part of the Office Building, though the principal spaces remain largely intact.
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) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1922-1928 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Classical Greek adaptation; Twentieth Century Beaux-Arts interpretation, sometimes classified as Neo-classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Art, Education, Law, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Acreage | 5.7 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Capitol Extension District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.