Hostess House

The Hostess House is a historic house in Palo Alto, California. It was built in 1918 by the YWCA[2] for members of the United States Army to meet their relatives while they were still serving in World War I.[3] The location was then an army camp, Camp Fremont. The building operated as a hostess house from May through October 1918. The house was designed by architect Julia Morgan.[3] It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since July 30, 1976.[1] The building moved locations after World War I ended and was repurposed into a municipally sponsored community center, the first in the nation.[4]

Hostess House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The house in 2012
Location	W of University Avenue underpass of El Camino Real, Palo Alto, California
Coordinates	37°26′35″N 122°09′53″W
Area	9.5 acres (3.8 ha)
Built	1918
Architect	Julia Morgan
Architectural style	Bay Region Traditional
NRHP reference No.	76000528[1]
Added to NRHP	July 30, 1976

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. https://noehill.com/santaclara/nat1976000528.asp
3. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Hostess House". National Park Service. Retrieved July 22, 2018. With accompanying pictures
4. Brandimarte, Cynthia (Winter 2008). "Women on the Home Front: Hostess Houses during World War I". Winterthur Portfolio. 42 (4): 201–222. doi:10.1086/592789. JSTOR 10.1086/592789.