Octagon Building (Santa Cruz, California)

Octagon Building
Octagon Building (Santa Cruz, California) is located in California
Octagon Building (Santa Cruz, California)
Octagon Building (Santa Cruz, California) is located in the United States
Octagon Building (Santa Cruz, California)
LocationCorner of Front and Cooper Sts., Santa Cruz, California
Coordinates36°58′29″N 122°1′29″W / 36.97472°N 122.02472°W / 36.97472; -122.02472
Built1882
ArchitectJ. W. Newcum[2]
Architectural styleOctagon Mode
NRHP reference No.71000193 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 24, 1971

Known informally as the Octagon Building, the redbrick octagonal building at 118 Cooper Street (at the corner of Front Street) in Santa Cruz, California was built in 1882, adjacent to the first (1866) County Court House, to serve as the County Hall of Records. In 1894, a major fire destroyed most of the nearby buildings, including the adjacent courthouse, but the brick Octagon survived.

In 1968, the records were moved to a new County Government Center. Many historic brick buildings on the Pacific Garden Mall were damaged during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, but again the Octagon survived.[3] On March 24, 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[1][4]

Since 1993, the Octagon has been used as the Museum Store for the adjacent Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH), and later as a coffeehouse. Vacant as of October 2016, the building is administered by the MAH.

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References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ John Chase; Judith Steen; Daniel Platt Gregory (2005). The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (3rd ed.). Santa Cruz, Calif.: Museum of Art & History. pp. 179–180. ISBN 978-0-940283-14-5.
  3. ^ Paul Whitfield; Jeff Dickey; Mark Ellwood; Nick Edwards (2003). The Rough Guide to California (7th ed.). Rough Guides. p. 495. ISBN 978-1-84353-049-7.
  4. ^ "Waymarking listing for the Octagon Building". waymarking.com. Retrieved 2008-10-31.

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