Historic Woodland isn’t just populated with impressive Victorians. Within a few blocks, strollers will experience a microcosm of Woodland housing development spanning more than a century. The stroll begins at a lovely Arts & Crafts Gothic Revival Church and later on we view a rare Gothic Revival home from the 1870s. Scattered throughout this tour are houses of diverse styles, shapes, and sizes, including Victorians, and many from the 20s and 30s, including Craftsman, Spanish eclectic, and many bungalows, one built from a Sear’s kit and another built in 2013. Interspersed are mid-century apartments built to address Woodland’s need for affordable housing. Join historian and neighborhood resident Jim Lapsley for a discovery tour as he seeks out new and interesting observations and insights about this charming and diverse neighborhood he calls home.

Time: 9:00 AM
Location: S/E corner of Second & Lincoln streets in front of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Docent: Jim Lapsley, Woodland Historian

College Street has a variety of upscale house styles, including Victorian-era Italianates, Queen Annes, Craftsman Bungalows, and the first Modernist home built in Woodland in 1912. Join docent Barbara Graham, who has intimately studied this neighborhood over the course of leading this captivating walking tour for many years, for a step back in time to experience Woodland’s formative years. Learn about these upscale, renovated houses and who lived in them during the early days of Woodland. From a United States Congressman, a bank president, an author and a Women’s Christian Temperance activist, College Street was home to incredibly interesting and influential people.

Time: 8:30 AM
Location: S/E corner of College & Lincoln streets (historic Woodland Christian Church)
Docent: Barbara Graham, Woodland Historian

Richly diverse with a wide array of Victorians, including the California State Landmark Gable Mansion, First Street contains a stunning variety of well-preserved architecture, with many different styles spanning the period 1860 to the present, epitomizing Woodland’s extraordinary cultural heritage. Many homes set along this picturesque tree-canopied street have been lovingly restored over the last 50 years, notably the Victorian at 638 First Street, winner of a Great American Home Awards Grand Prize for restoration work.

There are three houses on First Street—all very different—designed by the renowned Berkeley architect, John Hudson Thomas, including the unique Prairie style house in the 700 block, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Chicago-area houses. The 700 block was developed over a 70-year period, so it contains a wide variety of architecture.

The 800–900 blocks are lined with immaculate houses in several styles from the early 1900s, including Woodland’s first brown-shingled Craftsman house built in 1908, which influenced many others. Stroll past lovely and well-preserved houses of many classic styles on this tour such as Neoclassical, Tudor Revival, Craftsman, Spanish eclectic, a gorgeous “Hollywood bungalow,” and a vintage home surrounded by a low cobblestone wall. This exceptional tour captures Woodland’s extraordinary social and economic history embodied by its renowned architecture.

Note: First Street will be divided into three contiguous sections, allowing strollers to walk specific sections or the entire street.

Part 1 — 9:00 AM Tour starts at corner of First and Lincoln.
Docent: Chris Holt, Architect and Artist

Part 2 — 10:15 AM Tour starts at First and Cross streets in front of Gable Mansion.
Docent: Mary Aulman, Yolo County Historical Society & Stroll Committee

Part 3 — 11:15 AM Tour starts at First and Pendegast streets.
Docents: Allison and Tim Brown (Architect) and Neighborhood Residents

In 1873 Sam Ruland had the misfortune of being robbed on Dead Cat Alley. Even before that time, the alley had already become one of Woodland’s most interesting landmarks. Today, most visitors are alarmed at the unusual name of the passage, but personal tales of “The Alley” bring its history to life. In 1853 Henry Wyckoff built a small store on the southeast corner of what is now First Street and Dead Cat Alley. The Tai Lee Laundry and the Din family later occupied the same building. Strollers will spend an hour exploring how the commercial district evolved from that corner and learn about the happenings in the alley and Old Woodland. The tour will include 666 Dead Cat Alley, Woodland’s first post office, and the Strand Theatre (“Woodland’s Photo-Play House De Luxe”), the Porter family influences in downtown, the city’s original railroad site, and Chinatown – behind the famous Chicago Cafe, which was one of the longest-running Chinese restaurants in California.

9:00 AM Tour starts at Downtown Heritage Plaza, Second and Main

Docents: Dino Gay and Rich Westphal (NSGW Woodland Parlor 30)

This shady tour winds its way along Pendegast Street lined with beautiful houses from the early 1900s. There are lovely gardens and ancient oaks, representative of Woodland from a century ago. Architect Chris Campbell has assisted many Woodland historic homeowners with renovating their houses, including her own house within this neighborhood, and has unique stories to share. Stroll by a historic school site that began with Oak Street School in 1889 and continues today as Dingle School, originally built in 1924 as Woodland Grammar School. An ancient oak on campus is now designated a city landmark. There is a colorful mural by renowned artist, Malaquias Montoya and his UC Davis students, on the multipurpose building. Dingle’s landscape is getting a big makeover through the Cool Schools Yolo project adding lots more trees, shade, and outdoor learning areas, which will be explained on this tour. The Dingle neighborhood features many fine examples of bungalows from the 1910–20 period. Strollers will also visit City Park, Woodland’s oldest public park c1910, and enjoy the shade and beauty of the valley oak planted in 1916 by the Woodland Shakespeare Club, California’s oldest continuous women’s literature club, founded in 1885.

Time: 10:00 AM
Location: N/W corner of Pendegast and College streets
Docent: Chris Campbell, Architect

This approximately one hour tour will explore some hidden and not so hidden chapters from Woodland’s history. Highlights include: the story of Woodland’s electric “high-speed rail” system; some of our town’s most successful preservation efforts; the tragic decision that brought depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange to Woodland; a historic covered bridge; the alley where the Cal-Pacific Railroad once had its right-of-way; a disastrous fire, and a lost Victorian home.

Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Corner of Second Street and Dog Gone Alley (just south of Main Street); winds up at the Woodland Christian Church at College Street and Lincoln Avenue
Docent: Mark Aulman, Woodland Tree Foundation

Shortly before World War I, Bay Area developer, Hewitt Davenport, subdivided the old Richard and Rebecca Beamer homestead and hired a young, talented landscape architect, Mark Daniels, to design something different for Woodland: an upscale, master planned “residential park” with curved streets and round-about with fountain, an architectural gateway, a public park—and pricey home lots set among ancient valley oak trees. Daniels’ credentials include designing the 17-Mile Drive in Monterey and the posh Forest Hill and Seacliff neighborhoods in San Francisco. A private train was chartered from Sacramento to promote the grand opening of “Beamer’s Woodland Park” in June 1914. The complete build out of the Park took more than 40 years, interrupted by WWI, the Great Depression, and WWII, and accounts for the broad range of housing styles. Several talented builders left their mark on Beamer Park, including William Fait and Joseph Motroni, whose works will be highlighted on this tour. Recent improvements to the public park and tree-scape will also be discussed.

Time: 10:30 AM
Location: The Beamer Arches at Third & Beamer streets
Docent: John Murphy, Woodland Planning Commission

While Woodland’s wealthy business and professional classes were building their large houses south of Main Street, working class people were being housed in a creative mix of folk Victorian cottages, bungalows and period revival houses to the north. This cross-sectional tour begins at the Electric Train Depot at Main/Second streets and heads north across Heritage Plaza (created out of a section of Second Street) past the handsome Yolo County Administration Building (c1984, which also required removing part of Second Street) and the impressive Yolo County Courthouse (c1917) to residential neighborhoods filled with a variety of classic smaller houses, many lovingly restored or in process. Docent Will Anderson has spent several years restoring his Craftsman Bungalow on Second Street and will share stories of his experiences along the way.

Time: 9:00 AM
Location: S/W corner of Main and Second streets (across from Heritage Plaza)
Docent: Will Anderson, Home Restorer, Neighborhood Resident