Then

Then

Now

Now

Native Sons of the Golden West Parlor #53 has been active in St. Helena since 1885. Active in documenting and marking historic sites significant to Napa County and California, the Native Sons parlors of Napa County were responsible for the early efforts in preserving the Old Bale Mill, when it was deeded to them as a gift in 1923 from Mrs. W.W. Lyman, Sr. In 1941, the Mill was deeded to the County and is now operated by Napa County Regional Park and Open Spaces District.

The Native Sons Hall was built in 1915 in the Italian Villa style becoming popular again at the turn of the century. Characteristic of the style are the two towers with their modillion brackets, low hip roofs, stucco façade and narrow semi-circular arched windows on the 2nd floor. Doorways also have the semi-circular arch. Note the shiplap siding of the two-story building; the stucco façade is original to the building. Two separate buildings were combined to create the Native Sons Hall. The front section that faces Spring Street has room for 92 people and a stairway leading up to the second floor. The back room, or pavilion, is the largest and, according to articles in the St. Helena Star in 1915, it was once an open-air skating rink and later a dance pavilion that were located elsewhere. It was moved to the Spring Street location and attached to the front edifice. This pavilion can hold 485 people. It is the largest hall in the town and is where so many of the fund-raising activities of the community have taken place in the building’s 100+ years. According to the St. Helena Star on June 25, 1915, the hall was decked out in a splendor seldom seen in St. Helena for a grand opening ball. “The entire building was brilliantly illuminated and bouquets of flowers constituted simple decorations in the parlor.”

1313 Spring Street St. Helena CA