About CPF and the Awards
Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.
Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.
Train District Project Team
Owner/Client
Rachel Hundley – City of Sonoma (Planning Department)
Author
Jerri Holan – Jerri Holan & Associates
Historic Architect
Jerri Holan – Jerri Holan & Associates
Historic Preservation Consultant
Jerri Holan – Jerri Holan & Associates
Sponsoring Organization
Patricia Cullinan – Sonoma Valley Historical Society
Sonoma Train District and Maysonnave Train Cottage
Sonoma Train District and Maysonnave Train Cottage is a winner for the 2021 Preservation Design Award for Cultural Resource Studies, Reports. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/awards.
About Sonoma Train District and Maysonnave Train Cottage
Researching the historic context of the Maysonnave Cottage (slated for demolition by the City of Sonoma), an architectural historian discovered an intact Victorian neighborhood and Train Depot, concluding that the buildings contributed to a previously unidentified historic “Train District.” A 2008 Report, using the context of ‘Residential Architecture, 1835-1950,’ determined the Cottage was insignificant under California Register’s Criteria. Concerned citizens requested a re-evaluation. The later 2016 historic Report determined the Cottage was eligible for the National Register as was its surrounding neighborhood and train depot. These Victorian folk buildings were typical of rural American frontier towns and possessed a high level of integrity. The 2016 Evaluation successfully used the more precise context of “Rural Victorian Railroad and Residential Development, 1879-1942,” to demonstrate significance. The revised report also found that 80% of the Victorian buildings around the Depot were intact and determined the “Train District” eligible for the National Register under the same Criteria.
