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Roger L. Lathe papers
MS0010  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
The Roger L. Lathe papers includes the professional documentation of a “housewright,” working throughout the Sacramento area and Northern California cities. Lathe spent his professional career as an architectural historian, preservation and restoration contractor and licensed home inspector. He wrote numerous articles in the Sacramento Bee entitled, “The Housewright,” addressing issues pertaining to restoration, preservation, architecture, and other home improvements. The bulk of the collection contains reports of home inspections, an inspection checklist for private residences, including Lathe’s comments and repair recommendations.
Background
Roger Lee Lathe was born on October 27, 1933 in Delaware. Lathe was a professional preservation and restoration contractor, a licensed home inspector, and called himself a “housewright,” meaning a person who works on houses. In 1976, Lathe and his wife, Louise “Liza” Mehler, settled in Alkali Flat, an older Sacramento residential neighborhood that was undergoing a thirty-year plan for redevelopment and preservation. He worked for three decades, as well, to restore his 1894 home on F Street. He had an affinity for Victorian homes and championed the cultural heritage present in midtown Sacramento.
Extent
9.25 linear feet (8 boxes)
Restrictions
All requests to publish or quote from private collections held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Center for Sacramento History as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron. No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.
Availability
The collection is open for research use.