A handsome Art Deco movie palace when it opened in 1937, the Uptown Theater had fallen on hard times and eventually shut down. George Altamura and partners bought the building in 1998 and opened the newly renovated performance venue in 2010. Under the guidance of Altamura's grand-daughter, Jackie, the old grandeur was revived, using original designs where they could find them, creating compatible décor when they could not.

This project involved the interior rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the first floor of the main building. Originally a barrel storage area for Greystone’s original winery, and more recently used for offices, storage, and other accessory uses, the space has been remodeled to house the Campus store with a large collection of culinary tools, cookbooks, and culinary aids. Space has also been set aside for a full café and dining area for students and staff. The stone walls, barrel vaulted ceiling, steel columns and concrete floors were cleaned, repaired and gently restored. The visibility of utilities has been minimized, and for new spaces, such as restrooms, distinct finishes were used to distinguish the new from the old.

This house is located in the Devita subdivision, which had been a farming area of old Napa. Ths house had fallen into substantial disrepair, leaning to one side, and has been pulled back together and now presents a handsome and unusual façade, The Award is for an addition which has been appropriately integrated into the original house, which dates from around 1903-1905. A room has been added to the rear of the original house, and six to eight feet added to the east side of the house and tucked into the existing façade.

This 1874 Gothic Revival farmhouse had been empty for nearly a decade. Under the care of the Halls the house has undergone an adaptive reuse renovation to serve as the winery tasting room on the ground floor and staff offices on the second floor. Many original elements, such as the beadboard and wooden windows (with new glass) remain and others have been reused in new ways. The house was raised for a new foundation, and the old foundation stones and the redwood stumps used as supports at the corners were saved. The stones have been reused in the fireplace of the adjacent restaurant, and the stumps converted to patio cocktail tables.

This building served as a winery from the early 20th century to 1951. More recently, the structure underwent renovations according to the Secretary of the Interior’s standards, and now serves as the headquarters for the Napa Valley Vintners Association. The owners succeeded in what is often difficult – an appropriate historical renovation coupled with a high level of green building and energy efficient features. This building is now LEED certified. Wherever possible, original materials were salvaged, refinished if necessary, and reused. Exterior wood that was too deteriorated was replaned and used for interior finishes, for example.

This plaza which runs from behind Napa’s historic 1879 Opera House is a pedestrian and bicycle connection from the historic Semorile building on First Street to the parking lot to the north across Napa Creek. Eventually it will connect the Riverfront Promenade to the south and the future Oxbow Commons bypass channel to the northeast. Designed as a passive and active gathering space for community-wide music, culinary and cultural events with visual access to the Napa Creek, it also acknowledges the area’s history with a plaque. The result is a pleasant space where individuals can enjoy their lunch or larger groups gather for informal events.

Located six miles north of Napa, and established in 1853 the Oak Knoll farm grew to 2000 acres, and survives today as the 750-acre Oak Knoll Ranch, owned by the Lamoreaux family since 1949. The Ranch includes the home site and agricultural lands of the estate’s founder, Joseph Warren Osborn, “one of the most influential pioneers of fine viticulture” in California. Much has been written about the several colorful owners of the property and the dramatic events that occurred there. But over the years the Lamoreaux family had collected a series of historical notes and threads about the history of this property, and determined to have a more complete record of the property documented for future generations.

The Judge Augustus C. Palmer House, a Second-Empire style home, was restored to its original use as a single-family residence in 2012. This house was chosen under the category of restoration for outstanding efforts to accurately depict form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Henry

Fagiani’s Bar was selected for an award under the category of Façade Restoration. The project combined both the preservation and restoration of early twentieth century features and elements of the building while allowing for the preservation and restoration of the character-defining elements of the 1940s. Both eras showcase the building's architectural history and the changing character in downtown Napa.

Napa County Landmarks is pleased to announce that Oak Knoll Ranch has been chosen for outstanding efforts to accurately depict form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time. Oak Knoll Ranch represents preservation excellence in materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques that define the historical significance of the property. The building was selected under the category of Restoration as defined by the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Preservation.