Luther Burbank House, 200 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA

Significance: The Burbank House is significant as it was the residence of Luther Burbank during a very productive portion of his life and was the site of his early work in plant research and breeding. The house, located on a prominent street near the present commercial and administrative center of Santa Rosa, is a unique part of the City's heritage. / In September, 1884, nearly a decade after his arrival in California, Luther Burbank bought a four-acre plot of land on the southern edge of Santa Rosa. Soon after the purchase, Burbank, his mother and sister moved into the existing house on the property. At the edge of town, immediately south of the iron bridge over Santa Rosa Creek and situated on the county's main north-south road, the house and property provided an ideal setting for Burbank's growing horticultural enterprise. Although the precise date of construction is unknown, the house appears to have been built in the decade before Burbank bought it in 1884. The wood frame structure is in the modified Greek Revival tradition. In 1906 Burbank built a new and larger house on another site symbolizing his successes and left behind his smaller house. Between 1906 and Burbank's death in 1926, the old house served as an office, as a storage place, and as guest living quarters. In 1927, his widow, Elizabeth Burbank moved into the old Burbank house. In the following decade she undertook extensive remodeling of the house, opening up the south wall with doors and windows and adding a bedroom on the second floor. In 1977, with the death of Mrs. Burbank, the property was passed on to the city of Santa Rosa.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-182
Survey number: HABS CA-2201
Building/structure dates: ca. 1874- 1884 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1906 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1927- ca. 1937 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1955 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1977 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 66000241