Mayor and City Council Designate North Sacramento School as Sacramento Historical Landmark

North Sacramento School, North Primary View

Sacramento, CA (February 15, 2024) - Members of the Sacramento City Council on Tuesday recognized 670 Dixieanne Avenue, known as the North Sacramento School, as a historical landmark. This designation marks the first historic city landmark located in North Sacramento.

Built in 1915, the North Sacramento School played a crucial role in the growth and promotion of North Sacramento, which was an independent city at the time. Its purpose was to attract families with children, ultimately driving population growth in the area until its annexation by the City of Sacramento in 1964. Over the years, the school underwent several revisions and additions, all meticulously designed by notable Sacramento architects to preserve its original architectural style.

Today, the North Sacramento School maintains its stunning Mission-Revival style educational architecture, featuring elements of Spanish Colonial and Romanesque Revival. Notable features of the building include a clay tile roof, smooth stucco cladding, tall multi-lite wood windows, an inviting arcade and front courtyard, decorative buttresses, scuppers, projecting bay, classroom wings, masonry grids, shaped parapets, clerestory windows, and an intricately detailed tower adorned with blind arches and columns. 

Drawing depicting additions to school, 1920. The Sacramento Bee

The site has been recognized as a historical landmark by the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) since 2021. This official city designation ensures that any future development on the site will need to undergo a preservation review process before approval is granted, effectively protecting this important historic resource. Additionally, being listed on the NRHP and CRHR, the building is eligible for both federal and state rehabilitation tax credits, as well as tax incentives under the Mills Act. 

North Sacramento School, South Westerly View

“I want to acknowledge the importance of preserving the past and recognize the exciting potential this site holds for the future,” said Mayor Steinberg. “This project is born out of love and serves as part of the revitalization of North Sacramento, to maintain its historic character, and at the same time to be another potential economic development project.”

Residents also joined in support of the designation. Gordon Lew, District 2 Park Commissioner and President of Noralto Neighbors United, spoke about the special place that the North Sacramento School has in the community's history. “North Sacramento holds a unique place in our city’s history and the North Sacramento is a cornerstone of our community’s past. It played a crucial role in sparking migration and building a sense of belonging for thousands of early north Sacramentans,” he said.  

Roger Dickinson, former State Assemblymember; Sacramento Supervisor; and current City Council District 2 candidate, highlighted the significance of the building as an iconic landmark and emphasized the need to preserve its architecture and heritage. "There are a multitude of opportunities here while preserving the architecture, the features, and the heritage that this building represents. It is a collection point historically for the community, it is a center of education, and it means an enormous amount to those of us who call North Sacramento home," he said.