Octagon Building (Santa Cruz, California) Explained

Octagon Building
Location:Corner of Front and Cooper Sts., Santa Cruz, California
Coordinates:36.9747°N -122.0247°W
Built:1882
Architect:J. W. Newcum[1]
Architecture:Octagon Mode
Added:March 24, 1971
Refnum:71000193

Known informally as the Octagon Building, the redbrick octagonal building at 118 Cooper Street (at the corner of Front Street) in Santa Cruz, California was built in 1882, adjacent to the first (1866) County Court House, to serve as the County Hall of Records. In 1894, a major fire destroyed most of the nearby buildings, including the adjacent courthouse, but the brick Octagon survived.

In 1968, the records were moved to a new County Government Center. Many historic brick buildings on the Pacific Garden Mall were damaged during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, but again the Octagon survived.[2] On March 24, 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[3]

Since 1993, the Octagon has been used as the Museum Store for the adjacent Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH), and later as a coffeehouse. Vacant as of October 2016, the building is administered by the MAH.

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Notes and References

  1. Book: John Chase . Judith Steen . Daniel Platt Gregory . The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture. 2005. Museum of Art & History. Santa Cruz, Calif.. 978-0-940283-14-5. 179–180. 3rd.
  2. Book: The Rough Guide to California. Paul Whitfield. Jeff Dickey . Mark Ellwood . Nick Edwards . 495. 978-1-84353-049-7. 2003. Rough Guides. 7th.
  3. Web site: Waymarking listing for the Octagon Building. waymarking.com. 2008-10-31.