Old Adams District · California
Old Adams District
A residential neighborhood in Petaluma, California — the historic blocks around East D Street, which was originally named Adams. Residents are reviving the old name to mark the area's history and identity.
38.2389° N122.6322° W
Where it is
Across the river from downtown Petaluma
The Old Adams District sits just across the Petaluma River from downtown. It covers the older residential blocks bounded roughly by Lakeville Street, Payran Street, East Washington Street, and Jefferson Street — with East D Street, historically named Adams, running through its heart.
It is mapped in OpenStreetMap as a named neighbourhood.
- City
- Petaluma, Sonoma County, California
- Center
- 38.2389° N, 122.6322° W
- Through street
- East D Street (formerly Adams)
The name
East D Street was once called Adams
Several of Petaluma's cross-streets off Lakeville were named for U.S. presidents — Madison, Washington, Jefferson, and Adams. The street that was Adams was later renamed East D Street, the name it carries today.
That isn't just local lore — it's on the maps. Across five Petaluma fire-insurance maps from 1885 to 1910, the street is labeled "Adams" every time. It became East D soon after. See the maps and the full story →
What's documented, and what's new
- Documented history. Adams was the original name of present-day East D Street, one of Petaluma's presidentially-named streets off Lakeville.
- A revived name. "Old Adams District" is a name residents have recently begun using for the surrounding neighborhood, reviving that street-name history. It is not (yet) an official municipal designation.
- Now documented. Petaluma's Sanborn fire-insurance maps label the street "Adams" through at least 1910, confirming the original name from primary sources. Read the full history — with the maps, the silk mill, and the ice works.
The neighboring street names share the same period. Payran Street honors Stephen Payran, a longtime Petaluma justice of the peace; and according to the same Argus-Courier account, Wilson Street was formerly Bremen Street, renamed during World War I amid anti-German sentiment.
Street names — Adams (now East D Street), Payran, and Wilson (formerly Bremen Street): “Names of streets and places in Petaluma,” Petaluma Argus-Courier, March 26, 2008.
The neighborhood
One of Petaluma's earliest residential streets
The Old Adams District is among Petaluma's earliest residential areas, and much of its original housing still stands. The older dwellings along East D, Wilson, Edith, and Vallejo streets have aged gracefully — a walkable grid of modest homes a short distance from the Petaluma River.
It's an everyday, lived-in neighborhood rather than a museum piece, and that's the point: the Old Adams District is about the people who live here giving their blocks a name worth knowing.
Explore the history
The whole story
The river, the presidential streets, how Adams became East D, and the World's Egg Basket. →
The Silk Mill
A San Francisco silk company, lured here in 1892 — and the twin-towered brick mill it built. →
The Ice Works
The Burdell Building on East D Street — ice, cold storage, and the town's early electricity. →
Questions
Frequently asked
Where is the Old Adams District?
In Petaluma, California, just across the Petaluma River from downtown. It covers the older residential blocks around East D Street, bounded roughly by Lakeville Street, Payran Street, East Washington Street, and Jefferson Street.
Why is it called the Old Adams District?
East D Street was originally named Adams — one of a group of Petaluma cross-streets off Lakeville named for U.S. presidents (Madison, Washington, Jefferson, and Adams). Residents have begun reviving that historic name for the surrounding neighborhood.
Is the Old Adams District an official neighborhood?
It is a community-adopted name, not (yet) an official municipal designation. The district sits within the area the U.S. Geographic Names Information System records as East Petaluma (GNIS ID 1702905).
What are its boundaries?
Roughly the blocks between Lakeville Street and Payran Street, and between East Washington Street and Jefferson Street, with East D Street — historically named Adams — running through the center. These are resident-described and may be refined.
Who maintains this site?
Residents of the Old Adams District, as a non-commercial neighborhood project.