The Gilroy Historical Society hosted its annual architectural award ceremony at Chitactac-Adams County Park on June 26. The event marked the society’s sixth year of honoring its recipients at a ceremony dedicated to promoting the preservation and welfare of architectural gems all across the city.
At the event, five homes and one commercial building were recognized by the Gilroy Historical Society in a variety of award categories, including Historic Home and Certificate of Commendation.
“You drive by these beautiful, old places that have had a facelift or a paint job and they just stand out at you,” says Kathy Hodgdon, co-chair of the architectural awards committee.
Hodgson explains that the process for selecting the awards is fairly simple with the help of the community and committee members.
“We have nominations [of historical properties] and each committee member goes out and takes a look,” she says. “Each member makes their observations and they cast their vote. I tally it up and there we go!”
Connie Rogers, president of the Gilroy Historical Society, says the most enjoyable part of the event is getting to congratulate and compliment the building owners for all their hard work.
“We are trying to raise the level of awareness of Gilroy’s history. and where our roots are because we as a community have grown fairly rapidly in the last 20 or 30 years,” she says. “People who have moved here in that time don’t know that much about us. It’s really an attempt to educate everyone, especially people who have moved here more recently, of our roots and why we are the way we are.”
Rogers believes that the award winner’s accomplishments lead to an infectious sense of pride in the community.
“When one owner upgrades and improves his property, the neighbors say, ‘Oh, well you know, maybe I should get mine looking better too,’” she says.
While not a California native, Rogers is keen to infuse the Gilroy community with her East Coast values of architectural preservation.
“My hometown is actually New England and they hardly tear down old buildings back there,” Rogers says. “They renovate, modify and improve them, but they never tear them down and start over. This is an attitude that I would like to foster in Gilroy that no matter what the age is of your property, it’s still important to maintain it and keep it nice looking.”
Rogers ultimately views the upkeep and maintenance of historic buildings in Gilroy as passion projects that require both time and financial investments. The Furlong House, which won the Historic Home award this year, stands out to Rogers as a memorable recipient.
“Last week at the museum, I discovered a picture of the house when it was out on the ranch,” Rogers said. “I was so surprised. It was the same house!”
The Furlong House was not always located where it is currently standing today. Around 1900, the property was located east of Holsclaw Road and the creek before finding its permanent location in the city at 7311 Alexander St.
Built in 1878, the Pioneer-style home is a property with distinct character that Rogers finds both funky and eye-catching. Although the original photograph she stumbled upon excludes the recent additions of two little windows situated under the eaves of the second story, it retains much of its classical charm. It is now divided into three apartments, but the Moreno family has owned the historic building since 1961.
“The son of the woman who owns the Furlong House had gotten an award two years ago for his house, so it runs in the family!”
Rogers hopes that in time, more historic houses within the community will continue to find loving homeowners who not only preserve Gilroy’s historical buildings but who, in turn, preserve Gilroy’s history.
Interested in learning more about Gilroy’s historical buildings and neighborhoods? Connie Rogers leads walking tours on the first Saturday of every month, excluding holiday weekends.
Historic Home Award:
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7751 Rosanna St.
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7541 Church St. (Dr. H.R. Chesbro House)
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366 Fifth St. (Doan-Martin House)
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7311 Alexander St. (Furlong House)
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7539 Eigleberry St. (Holloway House)
Certificate of Commendation:
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7471-7473 Monterey St. (Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, Garlic Festival Office Building)
