The Petaluma area was spared the destruction brought by the catastrophic earthquake of 1906, and today visitors are fortunate to be able to experience so many fine examples of turn-of-the-century architecture in California. Take the Victorian Homes of Petaluma Walking Tour and see some of the nation’s finest examples of Victorian architecture, many of which were designed by the same architect who created Hearst Castle, Julia Morgan.

The Victorian Homes of Petaluma Walking Tour will take you past exquisite examples of Victorian mansions dating from 1860 to 1925 all within a six-block area. Petaluma’s west side residential area features a variety of interesting architectural elements and styles and colorful exteriors. You can then continue your tour by car or bicycle through the rest of Petaluma’s interesting neighborhoods.

This tour explores the A Street Historic District near downtown Petaluma and showcases 16 different homes. You’ll find this neighborhood to be quite eclectic and occupied by a mixture of single family homes, apartments, offices, churches and a restaurant. Thirty-seven of the buildings in this area are listed on Petaluma’s Historic Resource Inventory.

At Fifth and “B” Street you’ll find that a church was first built here in 1857. Previously the First Congregational Church, this building is an excellent example of high Victorian Gothic style architecture. At Fifth and “C” Street you’ll see St. John’s Episcopal Church, a Shingle style building dating from 1890. Construction of the church cost just over $7000 at the time. Fifth Street offers a fine example of Gothic Revival Style from 1870. Steeply pitched roofs, cross gables, and ornately decorated gables are visible.

Along this tour you’ll also find examples of Victorian stick style from 1885, as well as a number of examples of classic Queen Anne style architecture and some houses of the Spanish and Colonial Revival styles from the early 1900s. The oldest home on this tour sits at the corner of B and Sixth Streets and was built in 1860. It is constructed entirely of redwood in the Greek Revival Style and was originally a farmhouse.

See these and about a dozen other unique homes on the Victorian Homes Walking Tour in historic Petaluma.