"Historic Homes" Plaque Program
The Program
Beginning in February of 2024, Chico Heritage Association (CHA) started a program to recognize local historic homes with two goals in mind:
- To recognize the city’s early homes with attractive wooden plaques that include the name of the first registered owner and the year it was built,
- To increase awareness of our shared history by adding eligible historic structures to Chico’s Historic Resources Inventory.
CHA is giving away, free of charge, plaques to homes built before 1930. Such homes must retain their original character and architectural style. An old wooden cottage covered with stucco would not be eligible. A house torn down and rebuilt exactly the same would not be eligible. However, a house remodeled or added on to over the years is eligible as long as it’s in harmony with the original structure, and the original characteristics are retained and apparent.
The most common reason for refusing a plaque is the mistaken belief that it somehow limits what you can or cannot do to your house. This is not true. There are numerous examples of homes in Chico with plaques that have additions and alterations. A plaque can be the finishing touch to a renovation or rehabilitation.
The plaque can be proudly displayed as a reminder of our heritage in Chico. It gives recognition to the age and first registered owner of a structure. It is an honor to have a plaque on your house.
MORE ABOUT OUR HISTORY...
To Protect and Preserve
In 1981, Chico did not have a preservation ordinance or any formal documentation to support one; thus, historic buildings were not protected. Many downtown buildings had already been razed. In response, an informal coalition of citizens met to determine what steps were needed to save any threatened buildings. Thus was formed the Chico Heritage Association
(CHA).
The first major project of CHA was to research and document over 300 buildings, and create a pathway for many of them to be registered with the National Register of Historic Buildings, and to establish a local Historic Inventory.
Much of CHA’s early work was made possible from two grants: one from the City of Chico and another from the State of California Office of Historic Preservation. The local Historic Inventory that was developed gave credence to the protests against removing historic buildings and provided accurate research into local history. Today, the Inventory still provides grounds for consideration of the historical value of buildings in the community in order to protect, preserve and restore them.
Plaque Requests
If you believe your property qualifies, please feel free to reach out to us directly. After your request is made, the property will be researched and if it qualifies (meets the age requirement and retains its original character as determined by the board of directors) a plaque will be crafted with the year that the building was erected and the name of the owner at the time the property was first assessed for improvements. If you wish, we will also nominate your home to be included in the Chico Historic Inventory.
To request a plaque, or information on a historical person or address, please fill the form below.
You may either submit the application online using the form below, or click here to download the form and bring in your application to the Chico Heritage Association office, located at the Garden Walk Mall, 225 Main St., Suite D, Chico, CA.