Roswell Butler Hard House

Roswell Butler Hard House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	815 W. First St., Antioch, California
Coordinates	38°01′03″N 121°48′59″W
Area	less than one acre
Architect	Roswell Butler Hard
Architectural style	Italianate
NRHP reference No.	93001020
Added to NRHP	September 30, 1993

The Roswell Butler Hard House is a House located in Antioch, California owned by the City of Antioch, California. Roswell Butler Hard was elected as Contra Costa County Supervisor 1866-1868 and Sheriff from 1867 and 1869. He built his large two story brick house on Front (First) Street in 1869 from brick from Antioch's first brick factory. It was considered the nicest and most costly home in the area. It served as the meeting place for the first board of trustees for the newly incorporated City of Antioch. He was elected mayor at this meeting. After he died, the house was sold, upgraded and converted into three smaller units. But by 1979, when the City of Antioch purchased the property the house had fallen into disrepair. It is the only surviving structure built in the Italianate style of architecture during the late Victorian period. It was the first building in Antioch to be recorded on the National Register of Historic Places. The House is currently closed to the public, however there is a group that formed to help restore and preserve the house. The house still stands at 815 West First Street, across from the Antioch–Pittsburg (Amtrak station).

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Contra Costa County, California

External links

• The Press.net Group seeks to Renovate Hard House
• AB 639 Intent to preserve building
• Preserving the Historic Hard house