515 B Street, Petaluma

The owners of this house hired Alice to determine the historic character of the house in anticipation of remodeling it.

This house in the “D” Street Neighborhood of downtown Petaluma incorporates an earlier house dating to the late 19^th c. In 1871 Benjamin Spencer, a local contractor and builder, built a modest one-story, wood frame house on site. By 1906 this house was raised to a story-and-a half  and enlarged to accommodate the owner’s extended family. The house was used as a rental through the first quarter of the 20^th c until the Respinis purchased it. Robert Respini was a farmer from Nicasio who gave up ranching to move into town for a job as a salesman at a local feed company. In May 1929 the Respinis commissioned Wilson Richard (“Dick”) Haskins to enlarge their home. Haskins totally redesigned the front section of the house into its current configuration. Over the past century, the rear of the house has been significantly modified but the front 1929 section has been maintained and continues to convey its early 20^th c origins.

Alice determined that the house is locally significant for its association with the early 20th c. residential development of the Walnut Park area, for its architectural distinction, and as an intact example of Wilson Richard Haskins’ later work.