Historic Resources

The Gilroy area has many significant prehistoric, historic, and cultural resources. Examples of historic resources include buildings, districts, sites, and objects. Historical and archaeological resources are nonrenewable resources that often yield unique information about past societies and environments. The policies in the 2040 General Plan Natural and Cultural Resources Element strive to preserve Gilroy’s historic and cultural resources to preserve its local heritage for future generations.

Review the City's regulations for historic resources

Get involved in an update to the regulations: The City's Historic Heritage Committee is currently reviewing the city's historic resource regulations as part of the overall update to the City's Zoning Ordinance. View Recent Agendas and Minutes. Agendas for all meetings are available no less than 72 hours prior to the meeting, which generally occurs on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 pm. Meetings are currently virtual.

Read more about Gilroy's fascinating history: The Historic Context Statement presents the history of Gilroy’s built environment from pre-history to present, identifies important themes, events, and patterns of development, and describes the different property types, styles, builders, and architects associated with these important periods and themes. 

What is the Mills Act? Property owners may be eligible for reduced property taxes through the City’s Mills Act program. The Mills Act is a state law allowing cities and property owners to enter into a contract allowing reduced property taxes in exchange for the continued preservation of the historic building and property. Property taxes are recalculated using a formula in the Mills Act and Revenue and Taxation Code further described in this background document. 

Mills Act Applications are accepted one time per calendar year in July. Mills Act contracts must be approved by the City Council.

Learn more about preservation best practices that can help to protect Gilroy's irreplaceable historic resources: The Secretary of Interior Standards are a series of concepts about maintaining, repairing, and replacing historic materials. The Standards offer four distinct approaches to the treatment of historic properties: 

  • Preservation places a high premium on the retention, conservation, maintenance and repair of a historic resource’s materials, features, finishes, spaces, and spatial relationships that, together, give a property its historic character.
  • Rehabilitation emphasizes the retention and repair of historic materials, but allows replacement when materials are deteriorated.  
  • Restoration focuses on the retention of materials from the most significant time in a property's history, while permitting the removal of materials from other periods.  
  • Reconstructionestablishes limited opportunities to re-create a non-surviving site, landscape, building, structure, or object in all new materials.


  1. Alexander Street
  2. Carmel Street
  3. Chestnut Street
  4. Church Street
  5. Eigleberry Street
  6. Forest Street
  7. Hanna Street
  8. Martin Street
  9. Monterey Street
  10. Old Gilroy Street
  11. Princevalle Street
  12. Railroad Street
  13. Rosanna Street
  14. Swanston Street
  15. Second Street
  16. Third Street
  17. Fourth Street
  18. Fifth Street
  19. Sixth Street
  20. Seventh Street
  21. Eighth Street
  22. Ninth Street
  23. Historic Sites
  24. IOOF Street

Historic Resources
Several of the City's historic resources (both residential and commercial) have been documented. To view a particular property, please select a street name. 

  1. 7200 Alexander Street (PDF)
  2. 7311 Alexander Street pg. 1
  3. 7311 Alexander Street pg. 2
  4. 7341 Alexander Street (PDF)
  5. 7350 Alexander Street pg. 1
  6. 7350 Alexander Street pg. 2
  7. 7361 Alexander Street (PDF)
  8. 7391 Alexander Street (PDF)
  9. 7429 Alexander Street (PDF)
  10. 7439 Alexander Street (PDF)
  11. 7520 Alexander Street (PDF)
  12. 7530 Alexander Street (PDF)
  13. 7531 Alexander Street (PDF)
  14. 7536 Alexander Street (PDF)
  15. 7551 Alexander Street (PDF)
  16. 7554 Alexander Street (PDF)
  17. 7561 Alexander Street (PDF)
  18. 7571 Alexander Street (PDF)