Throwback Thursday: How Napa looked in the early 1970s
Downtown Napa was a different place in the early 1970s before the city’s urban renewal program swung into high gear and the county cleared a swath of land south of Third Street for its new government/courts complex.
It was older, less prosperous, without tourists.
The city commissioned photos of the “before,” including aerial shots that capture a riverfront almost unidentifiable to someone who knows only today’s landscape.
The Napa River was boxed in with stores and warehouses, reflecting the city’s origins as a river town where commerce centered on the waterway. And Soscol Avenue, a major north-south arterial today, stopped at the river.
So much has changed in less than 50 years. Imagine what is to come.
-- Kevin Courtney, Napa Valley Register city editor
Images of old Napa Conner Hotel
This was the Conner Hotel at the northeast corner of Main and Third streets before its demolition in the 1970s to make way for Veterans Memorial Park.
Images of old Napa River at Third
This is a photo looking west across the Napa River at Third Street. The Conner Hotel to the north and the auto dealership and billboard to the south were removed by the early 1970s.
Images of old Napa Urban blight aerial
This aerial captures the Borreo building, foreground, prior to the extension of Soscol Avenue north over the Napa River. The west bank south of Third is jammed with structures from 19th and early 20th centuries that gave way for the Napa County government complex and the Riverfront commercial/condo development.
Images of old Napa Looking east on First
This scene, looking east on First Street, captures the new brick sidewalks and street lights with bubble globes that the city's redevelopment program built in the 1970s. In the distance, the new clock tower that was eventually torn because the four faces never kept correct time and the public criticized the design.
Images of old Napa View from Second south on Main
This is a view of the east side of Main Street, south of Second, from the early 1970s. All of these structures, including the Conner Hotel at Main and Third, blocked views of the Napa River. They were torn down for Veterans Memorial Park.
Images of old Napa County block
This photo from about 1970 shows the aging urban landscape that was torn down for the Napa County government complex south of Third Street.
Images of old Napa: Barwick Duttons
This is a view from the early 1970s, looking north on Main Street from First Street. The pharmacy on the left corner is today a Starbucks. The Barwick-Dutton's build and those to the north of it on the west side of Main were demolished in the '70s for parking and the uncovering of Napa Creek. The Napa Valley Opera House with its Levi's ad and the Mathis Building on the east side still remain. The northeast corner of First and Main is today a three-story office building.
Images of old Napa Aerial
This aerial of downtown Napa from around 1970 shows a landscape far different than today. There is no Copia or Oxbow Public Market on the Napa River Oxbow, Soscol Avenue does not cross the river, the Borreo building at Third and Soscol is boxed in by adjacent businesses, the west bank, south of Third, is filled with businesses, not the Riverfront stores and condos. Open flood plain lies along Soscol to the south, prior to South Napa Marketplace and more recent commercial development.
Images of old Napa more county complex
When preservationists protested the loss of some landmark structures to downtown urban renewal, they were not referring to these buildings located at the site of today's Napa County government complex south of Third Street.
Images of old Napa pre-urban renewal
Aged commercial storefront in downtown Napa before urban renewal of the 1970s and the county's effort to clear land for a government complex.
Images of old Napa Bank of America building
This is the view looking east on Second Street, near Brown Street. The Bank of America building is today occupied by Wells Fargo.
Images of old Napa Oberon bar
This is a closeup of the east side of Main between Second and First Streets in the early 1970s. Downtown Joe's now occupies the Oberon bar building.
Images of old Napa east on First from Randolph
This view from the early 1970s shows First Street looking east from Randolph Street. The city's redevelopment agency had not yet installed brick sidewalks. Parking meters were everywhere.
Images of old Napa Behlow building, Masonic temple
The Behlow Building, build of native stone and facing Brown Street, was demolished in the early 1970s, as was the Masonic Temple to the left of it on Second Street.
Images of old Napa Main street looking south
This view is from the early 1970s looking south on Main Street, south of Pearl Street. The buildings on the right were cleared for parking and the opening up of Napa Creek.
Images of old Napa Second Street looking east
The intersection of Second and Main Streets, looking east toward the Napa River, from the early 1970s.
Images of old Napa Main looking north from Second
This photo from the early 1970s shows the Oberon Building, today the home of Downtown Joe's, hosting the Oberon bar. The building just to the north of it was torn down for parking. The southeast corner contains the Winship building, now home to Napa Valley Coffee Roasting. A cupola was added later.
Images of old Napa First Street, looking east
The view in the early 1970s, looking east on First Street from Randolph Street. Today the Archer Napa hotel occupies the north side of the block.
Images of old Napa First Street looking east closeup
A closeup of First Street looking east from Randolph in the early 1970s.
Images of old Napa unidentified Napa building
A downtown Napa building from the 1960s.
Napa County has been behind the Golden Gate Bridge since day one. A Napan leads the bridge board today.