Fleming, Molly, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1912 at 616 Wood Street in California Borough, this one-and-a-half-story hip-roofed bungalow is constructed of stretcher-bond brick on a raised glazed tile basement. It was built for Molly Williams Fleming, widowed in 1910, and sits on a lot that was part of an 1911 sale from the neighboring T. J. Underwood property. The house combines Craftsman and Colonial Revival features, including a recessed wraparound porch with fluted wood columns, exposed rafter ends, copper porch lanterns, and four hipped dormers. Inside, the entry hall holds a carved open-string stair, and the dining room has a coved plaster ceiling with molded foliage. The house also retains a service stair, unusual for a house of its size. Because many contemporary middle class houses in California were converted to student housing, remodeled, or demolished, the nomination treats this building as a rare surviving example of the type in the town.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a regionally rare and intact example of early twentieth-century middle class bungalow architecture, combining Craftsman and Colonial Revival details. It retains its exposed rafter ends, wraparound porch, fluted columns, hipped dormers, and an elaborate interior including a coved dining room ceiling and service stair. Most comparable houses in California have been altered, divided for student housing, or demolished.
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 97000519, listed May 30, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 616 Wood St., California |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | May 30, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000519 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1912 |
| Architectural style | Bungalow; Craftsman; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Original slate roofing was replaced with slate-look asphalt shingles in 1995; the house is occupied by its present owner. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.06351, -79.87916 (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 97000519.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6896574
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.