235 Liberty Street, Petaluma

The owners of this 1897 “Queen Anne” house in downtown Petaluma hired Alice to assess the consistency of their proposed renovation project with the City of Petaluma’s “Oakhill-Brewster District Preservation Design Guidelines” and the “Secretary’s Standards.” The documentation included enumerating the character defining features, assessing the physical integrity and determining potential impacts to the historic house. The house is identified as a contributing resource to the City of Petaluma’s “Oakhill/Brewster Historic District,” and is significant for its long-term association with a prominent Petaluma family, for its association with the residential development of Brewster’s Addition, and for its architectural character. Even though many of the original details and features had been removed, the house retained enough physical integrity to convey its historic origins. The owners proposed to rebuild the rear of the house, add a garage, replace missing “gingerbread trim,” restore a retaining wall and add a window. Alice reviewed the project in light of both the City of Petaluma’s design guidelines and the “Secretary Standards” and determined that the project would have no negative impact on the historic resource.