Historic Main Street Walking Tour
Due to its historical significance, the Main Street business district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the California Register of Historical Resources on January 2, 1997. Take a stroll along Main Street using the walking tour map available here in PDF format or available at the Visitors Center located at 11 Main Street. The colorful history of Winters will come to life through the stories of our many historic buildings. Print out the text below and take it with you.
HISTORIC WINTERS MAIN STREET WALKING TOUR
Because of its historical significance, the Main Street business district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 2, 1997. On the same date, the Main Street Historic District was also placed on the California Register of Historical Resources. Inclusion on the National and California Registers affords the Winters business district the honor of inclusion in the Nation’s and California’s official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation.
(1) Southern pacific Railroad Bridge- The steel Pratt Truss Railroad Bridge was constructed by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1906. It was preceded by three bridges in this location. The first bridge was built on the same site as the present structure, 400 yards upstream from the Old Wolfskill ford. It was the scene of the first train sent to Winters by the Vaca Valley Railroad on August 26, 1875. The arrival of rail service to Winters stimulated town growth greatly. The first rail and wagon bridge, as well as the second, was washed away by the storms in 1877. The third bridge served until 1906 when the present steel structure was built. With the cessation of rail service, the tracks were removed in the 1970s and surrounding property was sold to the city of Winters for construction of the Community Center. Sothern Pacific made a gift of the bridge to the town for use as a bike path, the presentation being made by former Winters resident, Allen Furth, Southern Pacific president. It serves as a reminder of the enormous impact which the bridging of this creek by the first railroad had upon the birth and development of Winters.
(2) Yolo- Solano Bridge- The concrete bridge spanning Putah Creek was complete in 1908. Yolo and Solano Counties shared the $50,000 expense of building the structure. It took six months to complete and, at the time, was described as the longest bridge of its kind west of the Mississippi, as well as one of the finest bridges in California. The bridge had been an access route from the center of Winters to Vacaville for many years, and had served as an important economic and communications link for the region. The bridge is 461 feet long and 22 feet wide. It contains two arched spans supported by the piers on each side of the creek and one in the center.
(3) 2-10 Main Street- Hotel DeVilbiss (1899-90) The Hotel DeVilbiss was the finest and most prominent commercial building in Winters at the time of its construction in 1889. DeVilbiss came across the plains in the 1860s, tried mining in Nevada and finally settled on the land west of the town known as the DeVilbiss tract. He was a pioneer in fruit raising and shipping and built his hotel to meet the growing needs of travelers to the town. DeVilbiss chose a regionally prominent architect, A.A. Cook of Sacramento, to design the hotel. Mr. Cook had designed a number of buildings in Sacramento, including the downtown Clunie Block and the State Prison at Folsom. An unusual feature of this large Italianate building is the combination of shallow and round arched openings. The tall. Ground floor arches reflect the architect’s efforts to create a “grand hotel” image. The second story had forty sleeping rooms and a parlor. The ground floor housed the lobby and several businesses. The building now houses the Buckhorn Steak and Roadhouse.
(4) 26 Main Street- Bertholet Building (1889) The two- story rectangular building is constructed of rusticated and coursed local stone. The building was restored in 1892 following the major earthquake that struck Winters. Benoit “Chip” Bertholet, a native Pyrony, France, came to California with his wife, Zeliah, in 1876. In 1882, he purchased land where the Monticello Dam now stands. Living in the Winters area for twenty-six years, he made many tombstones found in Cottonwood and the Winters Cemeteries. Before coming to Winters, he helped build Folsom Prison and the Memorial Arch of Leland Stanford University, as well as the state capitol.
(5) 30 Main Street- Humphrey Building (1889) This building has significance due to its association with an important Winters family. It was constructed in 1889 for E.A. Humphrey by Benoit “Chip” Bertholet and built out of stone quarried near where Monticello Dam now stands. Humphrey, a native of Tennessee and one of the sixteen founders of Winters, operated the first harness shop in the new city. The Humphrey harness was well-known all over the state. It was restored and later occupied by Yolo Traders in the late 1970s. The design and scale of the structure make it a visual focal point to the downtown streetscape.
First Northern Bank of Dixon
(6) 48 Main Street- First Northern Bank of Dixon (1912) The structure was build for the Citizens Bank of Winters in 1912. In February of that year, the bank opened in its new Classical Revival style building which had been erected at a cost of $40,000. The interior was finished in mahogany woodwork with marble counters and floors. In 1914, the Citizens bank advertised that the bank had 130 stockholders and 30 of them were women. The largest stockholders were also women. The bank has, over the years, been the Bank of Italy and the Bank of America. In 1970, The First Northern Bank of Dixon purchased the building. Ionic columns support a pedimented entry and a large arched window stands above the entrance.
(7) 47 Main Street- Masonic Building (1897) The structure was built for the Buckeye Lodge #195 F&AM. Alex Ritchie, locally prominent contractor, constructed the building in 1897. The upper story was used for lodge meetings, and the lower floor was rented to business firms.
(8) 41 Main Street- The Baker Company (1908) The dry goods firm of Anderson and Baker built the ground floor of this building in 1908. Shortly after, Anderson sold his half to Baker to go to Africa in search of gold. Baker, a descendant of the pioneer Baker family, was involved with local civic groups, serving as city mayor for a number of years. In 1923, Baker sold the building to Masonic Hall Association. A second floor lodge room was added in 1928 to extend the adjacent Masonic Building. The Baker Company continued as renters on the main floor until 1951. In 1982, the Greenwoods purchased both this building and the Masonic Building to the west. Designed by architects Slocome and Tuttle of Oakland, the structure is a carefully composed, almost elegant building, utilizing elements of Classical Revival design. Centered in the front façade at the second floor level is a Masonic medallion.
(9) 37 Main Street- Morrison Building (1892) The charm of this small store evokes a strong sense of nostalgia and appears today much as it did when it was bu8lt for Robert Morrison in 1892, as an expansion for his thriving hardware business next door. Present owners, Mike and Janet Kimes, restored the original wooden façade and doorway in 1980. This well-preserved example of late 19th architecture combines elements of Stick, Eastlake, Italianate, and classical design and is perhaps the best remaining commercial design building in the heart of the Winter’s business district.
(10) 35 Main Street- Winters National bank (1906) This property was owned by Robert Morrison, a native of Scotland, who originally operated a blacksmith, carriage-making and woodworking business. In 1892, he expanded, building a hardware store. Morrison retired in 1906 and sold his business to W.I. Baker who replaced the old building with a new structure made of “Hercules”, or artificial stone blocks that were produced locally. Subsequently, Morrison became the charter president of the Citizens Bank of Winters organized here in 1907. In 1929, another locally organized bank, the Winters National Bank, operated from here. It continued to serve the community until it merged with the Bank of America in 1944. After that it was sold and has been in continuous use, primarily as a hardware store.
(11) 17-23 Main Street- Cradwick Building (1875) Between 1889 and 1891, John Cradwick erected this large two-story building on the three-lot site. Two of the ground-level store rooms were rented to the Winters Bakery and J.L. Harlan’s Phoenix general store. A third was occupied by a saloon, with a stairway leading upstairs, where in 1893, Cradwick offered 21 sleeping rooms, dining room and kitchen for rent. These later became known as the Acme Hotel. Cradwick, a native of England, settled in the Winters area in 1875 and established a brick making business. He produced many of the bricks used to build buildings and houses in Winters. His two kilns were able to produce 4-5,000 bricks in a single firing. During the severe earthquake in 1892, the Cradwick Building sustained major damage. The city’s only fatality occurred when bricks in the back building fell and killed Jeff Darby. Repair were made, but there were no noticeable architectural damages. The Cradwick Building has just undergone major restoration and seismic strengthening.
(12) 15 Main Street- Chulik Market (1875) The building was erected in 1875 by A. Hockheimer and the Blum Brothers of Vacaville. Hockheimer became sole owner in 1876 and later sold it to Henry Seaman. In the late 1920s the Chulik family bought the building and operated a meat market there until 1980. At various times, the second story has been used for lodge meetings, dancing, and a gymnasium. The Winters Winery now occupies the building which is important as an early element of this historic main block.
(13) 11 Main Street- Seaman’s Opera House (1876) B.R. Sackett built the structure in 1876. The original tenant operated a grocery store in the location. In 1881 the building was sold to Henry Seaman. Seaman remodeled the building in 1890 and later sold it to Jonas Rummelsburg. Rummelsburg moved his merchandise store from the Masonic Building to its location. Around 1919, Jack and Gregory Vasey acquired the business and the building; they remained in business until 1981. The second floor is the opera house and has been used for many years for civic, social, and entertainment purposes. It has been restored beautifully in recent years and is now the venue for regular and diverse musical events. Of particular interest is the old curtain on display. While some external alterations were made to accommodate business on the first floor, the two story red brick building of vernacular Italianate design constitutes a key visual and historic element of downtown Winters.
(14) 3-5-7 Bank Building (1904) When constructed in 1904, the Bank of Winters Building added and aura of style and substance to downtown Winters. The Queen Anne towered structure complemented the Hotel DeVilbiss on the opposite side of Main Street. In addition to the bank with its corner entrance, other businesses in the building included W.H. Gregory’s real estate office, Craner’s general merchandise and grocery store, and Young’s shop of bicycles and cutlery. The second floor held professional offices, club rooms, and a large meeting room with connecting doors into the adjacent Opera House. The building now houses the Putah Creek café and an antique gallery.
