California Architecture

Summary

The architectural heritage of California is rich and varied. Thick-walled adobe missions and presidios survive as remnants of the Spanish frontier. Victorian homes, splendid in their wealth of decorative detail, stand in neighborhoods crowded with Craftsman bungalows. Downtown theaters, embellished with the flowing lines of Art Deco, linger in the shadow of high-rise office buildings, earnestly conforming to the dictums of the International style. The Historic American Buildings Survey catalogue for California lists and describes more than 1,000 buildings.