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September 2025 Preservation ePost | | |
September 15 - October 15 marks National Hispanic Heritage Month and California Latino Heritage Month. Proposed in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week by Congressman George E. Brown of California and adopted under the Johnson administration, the celebration was later expanded to a 30-day celebration by Ronald Reagan in 1988. Events will take place throughout the state to celebrate the heritage and history of the Hispanic and Latino community. Below are just a few of the events taking place across the state and the country.
We encourage you to read Latinos in Twentieth-Century California:
National Register of Historic Places Context Statement to learn more
about how the Hispanic and Latino experience helped to shape 20th century
California. This is just one of the many historic contexts produced by the Office of Historic Preservation, National Park Service, and local governments to help preserve and tell California's full story.
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North Star House
Originally listed in 2011, the nomination was amended to document the property at the national level of significance and to provide additional historical context, with no change to the boundary. North Star House is located on a sloping, wooded site near Grass Valley. The 11,000-square-foot, two story Craftsman style building is located on a crest of a hill, oriented west with a pine-studded view of the Sierra Nevada foothills below. Designed in 1904-1905 by architect Julia Morgan, the residence is U-shaped in plan, with an entry courtyard on the east side and a sprawling stone terrace serving as the focal point of the residence on the west side. In keeping with the aesthetic of Julia Morgan’s Arts and Crafts design proclivities and with the San Francisco First Bay Tradition generally, the building contains little unnecessary architectural ornamentation.
| | North Star House derives its aesthetic from its imposing massing and materials, which are simply expressed. The wood frame building features exterior stone masonry walls at the first level and cedar shingle cladding at the second level. The stone walls are of rough quarried mine rock salvaged from the immediately adjacent North Star Mine. The low pitch gable roof has wide overhangs that shield the shingle clad walls below. Eyebrow vents break the roofline in several locations, as do a number of brick chimneys, which are in-kind replacements to the originals. The roof was originally cedar shingle, replaced in 2004 with fireproof concrete shingles that replicate wood because of severe disrepair of the original as well as fireproofing concerns. Although some of the building’s original materials have been removed and replaced due to deterioration, the building retains all aspects of historic integrity. | | North Star House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 at the local level of significance under Criteria A, B, and C in the areas of Industry, Literature, and Architecture for its association with regional mining, author and illustrator Mary Hallock Foote, and architect Julia Morgan, with a 1905 to 1932 period of significance, from the year of construction until the year Mary Hallock Foote and her husband Arthur de Wint Foote vacated the property. | | |
The nomination was amended to document national level of significance under Criterion B in the areas of Literature, Social History: Civil Rights, and Social History: Women’s History with an expanded discussion of Mary Hallock Foote’s importance and influence. At the national level of significance under Criterion C in the area of Architecture, the nomination was also amended to document Julia Morgan’s association with design and construction of 127 Hostess Houses on military camps during World War I, for which North Star House is perceived as the prototype. The property remains eligible at the local level of significance under Criterion A in the area of Industry. The period of significance remains 1905 to 1932 with significant dates updated to 1908, 1917, 1919, and 1929.
Photos by Brian Lucas and Jim Vetter
| | California Garden and Landscape History Society Annual Conference The California Garden and Landscape History Society will gather in Palo Alto, October 24-26, for its annual conference. This year's proceedings will explore the landscapes that generated the town as a technological hub, from the Olmsted-era quad on Stanford University's campus to a mid-century office park that continues to influence the region. Read more at cglhs.org. Early bird registration is open; space is limited. | |
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Open Call for Applications to Name First-Ever California Teen Poet Laureate
The application process is now open for the state’s first California Teen Poet Laureate. The role offers young adult word artists within our state the unique opportunity to promote literary arts and engage with diverse communities throughout California. All eligible teenage poets are encouraged to apply.
Deadlne: 11/30/2025
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News, Education, Grant Opportunities
and More
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California Preservation Foundation
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Doors Open California – Held over four weekends in September, enjoy exclusive access to remarkable architecture and uncover hidden histories during the largest statewide celebration of historic places.
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California Grants Portal
Hosted by the California State Library, this is a one-stop portal for searching for grants and loans offered by state agencies.
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"Ready—Or Not”: Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project
Funded by the California State Library, this free in-person workshop will introduce key disaster recovery concepts, including risk assessment, preparedness, response procedures, and recovery actions.
These workshops are open to individuals in California associated with cultural heritage organizations, such as libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies; government departments; state historic parks; cultural centers; tribal nations; county clerks; and others who work with historic and cultural resources. Click the link below for more details on dates and locations.
Advance registration is required.
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National Trust for Historic Preservation
Articles
Grants
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Preserving Black Churches - Annual grants from Preserving Black Churches are intended to preserve historically Black houses of worship—including those with active congregations and non-active congregations—and advance ongoing preservation activities. Deadline: 9/12/2025 at 5 pm EST
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Preserve Route 66 Grant Fund - This grant fund provides financial support to public agencies, tribal governments or nonprofit organizations to preserve and interpret historic places along the Route 66 corridor. Deadline: 9/30/2025
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Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant Fund - Grants are designed to help business owners advance projects in the following three categories: (1) capital improvements, (2) planning, and (3) marketing and outreach. Deadline: 9/30/2025
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HistoriCorps Volunteer Opportunities
HistoriCorps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides volunteers of all skill levels with hands-on experience preserving historic structures on public lands across America. Volunteers work with HistoriCorps field staff to learn preservation skills and put those skills to work saving historic places that have fallen into disrepair. HistoriCorps works to ensure America’s cultural and historical resources exist for generations to come.
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Hunter's Cabin, CA, September 21-26, September 28-October 3, and October 5-10
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Mendocino Woodlands State Park, CA, October 19-24, October 26-31, and November 2-7
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Robb's Peak, CA, September 28 - October 3
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Keys Ranch Teacher's House, Joshua Tree National Park, CA, October 19-24, October 26-31, November 2-7, and November 9-14
| | Items posted in the ePost are presented as an informational courtesy and do not constitute an endorsement by the Office of Historic Preservation. | | |
News from California State Parks
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