Downtown Hollister Historic District: 335 Sixth Street

This cute little brown house is another contributing historic building to the Downtown Hollister Historic District. Located at 335 Sixth Street, just behind the Grangers Union Building, the one-bedroom, one-bath house was built around 1923. It was originally an office building.

Downtown Hollister Historic District: 549 San Benito Street

The commercial building for sale at 549 San Benito Street is another contributing historic building in the Downtown Hollister Historic District. The reinforced concrete edifice was built around 1940, according to the National Register of Historic Places. 

It's a one-story building with a mezzanine. Some of the neat features of this building is the decorative molding on the top of the building, the transom above the front door, and the flat, wooden awning.

It's been over a year since Penny Wise Drug closed its doors. Whose else misses Joan, Jeannie, and Stephen? The drugstore was at 549 San Benito Street for many years. I don't recall when they moved there, but during the 1950s and 60s, Rasco, a five-and-dime store, occupied the space. Anyone else remember the instant aroma of freshly popped popcorn as you walked into Rasco, whether through the front or back door?

Downtown Hollister Historic District: The Veterans Memorial Building

The Veterans Memorial Building, at 649 San Benito Street, is a local landmark. It is also another contributing building in the Downtown Hollister Historic District.  This handsome two-story building was dedicated on November 11, 1927, nine years after the Armistice was signed between Germany and the Allies to end World War I. Over the years, the Veterans Memorial Building has been used for various governmental, community, and private events, from town hall meetings to public concerts and private weddings and birthday parties.

Made of reinforced concrete, the Veterans Memorial Building is divided into three bays, with the center bay being twice the size of the side bays. The porch, or portico, of the center bay, is supported by two side piers and four eight-sided columns. Several gorgeous rounded windows and three arched entrances are protected by the portico's roof.

Jane McClosky Wapple was the person behind getting the building constructed. In 1923, she proposed the idea of establishing a building to honor the military members of San Benito County who died in World War I. To raise construction funds, Mrs. Wapple and her friends held a horse show at Bolado Park, which brought in $14,000. By the way, that horse show, which she called the Spanish Fiesta, became the start of the annual San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Parade.

Mrs. Wapple was a very interesting person in Hollister history. If you'd like to learn a little more about her, check out this article, "Sweet Jane Wapple," written by Martin Cheek in the Gilroy Dispatch.

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Downtown Hollister Historic District: The Kearney Building

The Downtown Hollister Historic District series continues today with a look at the Kearney Building on Fifth Street. This two-story commercial structure is another contributing building in the historic district, which means that it cannot be demolished unless it meets certain measures.

The Kearney Building was constructed around 1929 and still has many of its original decorative features intact, including the beautiful banded tile at the bottom of the building.  Between the windows is a plaque that looks like a crest. Could it be Kearney's crest?

This is one of the few buildings in town that actually has a plaque of its name on it, which is next to the central doorway. Every time I pass by it, I wonder who Kearney was. Anyone know?

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Downtown Hollister Historic District: 401 San Benito Street

Today, the two-story commercial building at the southeast corner of San Benito and Fourth Street is a church. Originally, the building at 401 San Benito Street was a grocery store. It was built in 1907 to replace the first building destroyed in the 1906 Earthquake. It is a contributing building to the Downtown Hollister Historic District, which means that the owners cannot demolish it until certain measures are met. The storefront was remodeled for a modern look in the 1970s.

This historic building is one-of-a-kind in Downtown Hollister. It has two square corners, which remind me of castles. The fancy parapet at top of the roof has a cheerful curved middle section, which makes me think of the Three Musketeers.  And, the balcony on the second floor, well, that brings Romeo and Juliet to mind.

By the way, that balcony is a copy of the original one that had gone missing at one point in time. The copy was made from original timbers, according to Welcome to Historic Downtown Hollister, a walking tour pamphlet by Sharlene Van Rooy.

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