Downtown Hollister Historic District: 449 San Benito Street

Yesterday, you saw a building on San Benito Street that looked like it was two buildings. What do you think: Is that one or two buildings in the photo?

Two buildings, right. It wasn't obvious to me until I looked near the roof line and saw a slight gap between the two Italianate-style buildings. The folks who renovated the buildings in the 1990s did a nice job of making them seem like one.

Built in the late 1800s, both commercial edifices are contributing buildings to the Downtown Hollister Historic District. Today, we'll focus on the site at 445 San Benito Street.

This two-story commercial building is an example of Italianate-style architecture, which was popular in the United States in the 18th century. Notice the elaborate details of the cornice with recessed panels, curved brackets, and dentil course. And, check out those bay windows. Very handsome, don't you think?

Currently, the restaurant La Catrina occupies the first floor of the building.

Downtown Hollister Historic District: 738 - 750 San Benito Street

Do you think this is one building or two?

I thought it was two, too.

According to the National Register of Historic Places, this two-story commercial building in the Downtown Hollister Historic District was constructed around 1922. It actually has a flat roof. Somewhere along the line, an owner added the false-front gable roof on the "white" building.

The one detail that unifies the white and brown parts of the building is the band of tiles along its foot. Of course, you could say that the band brick tiles is the tying grace of the three buildings on this part of the 700 block of San Benito Street, between South Street and Swope Alley. Take a look: 730 San Benito Street and 756 San Benito Street.

Today, the occupants of the three storefronts in this white and brown building are:

• The Farmer's Daughters Events & Rentals and Erin Balbas Photography (738 San Benito Street)
• Swanky Finds (740 San Benito Street)
• Paradiso Spa & Salon (750 San Benito Street)

Downtown Hollister Historic District: 222 Fifth Street

The two story building at 222 Fifth Street is one of the oldest commercial structures in the Downtown Hollister Historic District. Built around 1880, the top floor has been used for lodging since the beginning. At one time it was the New England Hotel. The storefront on the bottom floor houses Rowe Upholstery, which has been there for several decades.

Downtown Hollister Historic District: 722 - 728 San Benito Street

I think this two-story historic commercial building in the 700 block of San Benito Street has one of the more interesting facades in the Downtown Hollister Historic District. The reinforced concrete structure was built around 1915. The top floor has several apartments while the bottom floor has two separate store fronts. Currently,  I Love Hair and Nails (722 San Benito Street) occupies the north side of the building and San Benito Shoes & Wear (728 San Benito Street) is on the south side.

When you have a chance, check out all the fine details of this building in person. Notice the four bas relief urns in the blue parapet and the molding going across the parapet's top, as well as that piece going across the parapet. Also check out the fancy ornamentation that frames the windows.

The entryway to the apartments is cool, too. It reminds me of some of the brownstone buildings in San Francisco with the marble on the bottom part of the walls and the mosaic-looking entryway floor. And the trim on the entry door, ooh-la-la.

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Downtown Hollister Historic District: 204 Fourth Street

At the northwest corner of Fourth and East Streets stands another contributing historic building to the Downtown Hollister Historic District. The two-story commercial structure at 204 Fourth Street is a combination hotel and restaurant. I don't think the second floor is used as a hotel anymore. On the first floor is the restaurant El Kora Moriscos.

The building was constructed in 1908. Its stepped parapet with a diamond vent on the front of the building reminds me of the queen of diamonds in Alice in Wonderland. Sometime in the 1950s, a shorter two-story addition was erected on the west side of the building.

Not visible is a one story building adjacent to the hotel/restaurant. The arched doorways that you see on the left in the photo were probably open at one time and lead to the building, which is described an an annex. Built around 1940, the annex is also a contributing building to the Downtown Hollister Historic District.