Roger L. Lathe papers
Center for Sacramento History
Center for Sacramento History
551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.
Sacramento, California 95811
(916) 808-7072
csh@cityofsacramento.org
http://www.centerforsacramentohistory.org
2013
Descriptive Summary
Title: Roger L. Lathe papers
Dates: 1961-2002
Collection Number: MS0010
Creator/Collector:
Lathe, Roger Lee, 1933-2009
Extent:
9.25 linear feet
(8 boxes)
Repository:
Center for Sacramento History
Sacramento, California 95811
Abstract: 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.
Language of Material:
English
Physical location: SP:02:H:04-05
Access
The collection is open for research use.
Publication Rights
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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Roger L. Lathe papers, MS0010, Center for Sacramento History
Acquisition Information
Received from the Sacramento Public Library (via Liza Mehler), on October 17, 2012 by the Center
for Sacramento History (accession #2012/036).
Biography/Administrative History
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.
He composed thorough house inspection reports for the Sacramento area that reflected a high level
of inspection and evaluation of older homes for prospective buyers and homeowners alike. He was an
active freelance writer for multiple publications, such as the
Sacramento
Bee
, and the
Old City Guardian, and his article series, “The
Housewright,” appeared in both. Lathe contributed to the Sacramento Old City Association’s
“Structural Rehabilitation and Restoration Resources List” and assembled their first “Fainted Ladies
Resource List.”
He was a long-time member of the Sacramento Old City Association, Berkeley Architectural Heritage
Association, and Sacramento County Historical Society.
Lathe’s house inspection career ended in 2001 due to macular degeneration; he passed away on
February 11, 2009 in Sacramento at age 76.
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection contains publications and articles Roger Lathe wrote and collected regarding
architecture, historic preservation, and construction. It also includes reports of inspection he
conducted on Northern California homes. The geographic focus of the material is Sacramento,
California, and dates from the 1960s through the 2000s. The original order of the papers was not
discernible, and an artificial series hierarchy was created based on similar subject material.
Within each series the folders are organized both alphabetically and numerically.
Topics and subjects included in the collection are architecture, historic preservation, real
estate, construction materials, inspections, restoration, neighborhood revitalization, city
planning, and the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Series 1. Reports of Inspection comprises of reports evaluating houses
primarily in the city of Sacramento. There are also reports for outlying cities and unincorporated
areas such as Walnut Grove, West Sacramento, Woodland, Arden Park, Carmichael, Citrus Heights,
Clarksburg, Courtland, Dixon, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Freeport, Granite Bay, Knights Landing,
Laguna, Newcastle, North Highlands, Oakland, Penryn, Roseville, and Winters. The series is organized
by street address – first by Sacramento numbered avenues, streets, and parkways; and then
alphabetically by the name of the street. The aforementioned cities are organized alphabetically by
city at the end of the series.
Series 2. Publications encompasses various publications that Roger
Lathe contributed to and collected regarding real estate, architecture, and construction. This
series includes such publications as
Home Owner’s Resource, the
Sacramento Bee, and the
Old City Guardian. The
series is organized alphabetically by publication title and each publication is in order by date
published. See also Series 5 for additional articles written by Lathe.
Series 3. Collected Materials comprises of articles, papers,
brochures, and other materials regarding his interests in historic preservation, homes, and
architecture. It is organized alphabetically by folder title.
Series 4. Correspondence is in no discernible organization, and
includes various letters, memos, “thank you” notes, correspondence between clients regarding home
inspections, and public responses regarding Lathe’s published articles.
Series 5. Newspaper Clippings focuses primarily on articles written by
Lathe in publications such as the
Sacramento Bee,
The Housewright, Neighbors, etc. Subjects of note include neighborhood restoration, historic
preservation, renovations, Governor’s mansion, house inspections, vintage house restorations, K
Street, Old Sacramento, and Sacramento heritage. Organization of these files was kept in original
order created by the donor—alphabetized by the first letter of the article title.
Indexing Terms
Architecture
Building inspection
Building materials
Community development, Urban
Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration
Historic neighborhoods
Historic preservation
Residential real estate
Sacramento (Calif.)—History
Lathe, Roger Lee, 1933-2009
Old City Guardian
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento Old City Association
Southern Pacific Railroad
Series 1. Reports of Inspection
Physical Description:
5 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
Reports of Inspection comprises of reports evaluating houses primarily in the city of Sacramento.
There are also reports for outlying cities and unincorporated areas such as Walnut Grove, West
Sacramento, Woodland, Arden Park, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Clarksburg, Courtland, Dixon, Elk
Grove, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Freeport, Granite Bay, Knights Landing, Laguna, Newcastle, North
Highlands, Oakland, Penryn, Roseville, and Winters. The series is organized by street address –
first by Sacramento numbered avenues, streets, and parkways; and then alphabetically by the name of
the street. The aforementioned cities are organized alphabetically by city at the end of the
series.
Box 1:8
11th-12th Avenue
1992-2001
Box 1:9
13th-14th Avenue
1997-1999
Box 1:14
32nd – 35th Avenue
1997-2001
Box 1:18
11th-12th Street
1995-2001
Box 1:19
13th-14th Street
1992-1999
Box 1:20
15th-18th Street
1985-1998
Box 1:21
19th-21st Street
1984-1999
Box 2:4
26th-27th Street
1992-2001
Box 2:7
34th-35th Street
1986-2001
Box 2:8
36th-37th Street
1985-2001
Box 2:9
38th-39th Street
1985-1999
Box 2:10
40th-41st Street
1985-2001
Box 2:11
42nd-44th Street
1992-2001
Box 2:14
50th-54th Street
1993-2001
Box 2:15
55th-64th Street
1985-1999
Box 2:18
Bartley Dr.-Burnett Way
1992-2001
Box 3:1
C Street-Capital Avenue
1992-2001
Box 3:2
Capitol Avenue-Carmela Way
1992-2001
Box 3:3
Casita Way-Coleman Way
1995-1999
Box 3:4
Coleman Way-Curtis Way
1994-2001
Box 3:5
Curtis Way-Cutter Way
1993-2001
Box 3:6
D Street-Delores Way
1986-1999
Box 3:7
Delores Way-Downey Way
1992-1998
Box 3:9
E Street-Esperanza Drive
1985-2001
Box 3:11
Fair Oaks Boulevard-Folsom Boulevard
1992-2001
Box 3:12
Fordham Way-F Parkway
1986-2001
Box 3:14
G Street-Grain Flat Road
1984-2001
Box 3:16
H Street-Harkness Street
1985-2001
Box 3:17
Harkness Way-Hullin Way
1985-2001
Box 3:18
L Street – Land Park Drive
1985-1999
Box 3:19
Landis Avenue-Lucio Lane
1985-2001
Box 4:2
J Street-Jones Street
1992-2001
Box 4:3
K Street-Kroy Way
1993-1999
Box 4:4
M Street-Marshall Way
1985-2001
Box 4:5
Marshall Way-Miller Way
1992-2001
Box 4:6
Mission Way-Muir Way
1992-2001
Box 4:7
N Street-North Point Way
1993-1999
Box 4:8
O Street-Oregon Street
1992-1999
Box 4:9
P Street-Perkins Way
1992-2002
Box 4:10
Perkins Way-Pontrero Way
1992-2001
Box 4:12
Red Robin Lane-Rosy Ridge Court
1993-1999
Box 4:13
S Street-Santa Ynez Way
1992-2001
Box 4:14
Santiago Avenue-Sutterville Road
1985-2001
Box 4:15
Sutterville Road-Sweet Gum Court
1986-1999
Box 4:17
Tahoe Way-Trainwinds Avenue
1985-2001
Box 4:19
V Street-Vancouver Way
1985-2001
Box 5:1
Warrego Way-Wymore Way
1993-2001
Box 5:3
Y Street-Yale Street
1992-1999
Box 5:18
North Highlands
1992-1995
Box 5:23
West Sacramento
1992-2001
Series 2. Publications
1986-1999
Physical Description:
2 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
Publications encompasses various publications that Roger Lathe contributed to and collected
regarding real estate, architecture, and construction. This series includes such publications as
Home Owner’s Resource, the Sacramento Bee, and the Old City Guardian. The series is organized
alphabetically by publication title and each publication is in order by date published. See also
Series 5 for additional articles written by Lathe.
Box 6:02
North Neighbors
1990-1991
Box 6:03
Home Owner’s Resource
1990
Box 6:04
Home Owner’s Resource
1992
Box 6:05
Home Owner’s Resource
1993
Box 6:06
Home Owner’s Resource
1994
Box 6:07
Home Owner’s Resource
1995
Box 6:10
Office Hours
June-July 1987
Box 6:11
Office Hours
August-September 1987
Box 6:13
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
1991
Box 6:14
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
April-May 1997
Box 6:15
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
August-September 1997
Box 6:16
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
October-December 1997
Box 6:17
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
January-February 1998
Box 6:18
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
March-April 1998
Box 6:19
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
May-June 1998
Box 6:20
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
July-August 1998
Box 6:21
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
September-October 1998
Box 6:22
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
Nov-98
Box 6:23
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
January-February 1999
Box 6:24
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
April-May 1999
Box 6:25
Sacramento Bee: Sunday Real Estate
June-September 1999
Box 7:01
Old City Guardian
1976-1979
Box 7:02
Old City Guardian
1985-1988
Series 3. Collected Materials
1986-2000
Physical Description:
2 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
Collected Materials comprises of articles, papers, brochures, and other materials regarding his
interests in historic preservation, homes, and architecture. It is organized alphabetically by
folder title.
Box 7:15
Air Quality, Sick Building Syndrome
undated
Box 7:17
Architectural Preservation League
undated
Box 7:18
Article on Esquire Theatre Marquee 1989
1989
Box 7:19
Articles on Preserving the Francesca Apartments 1988
1988
Box 7:20
Articles on Merrium Apartments Demolition 1988-1989
1988-1989
Box 7:21
Articles on Roger Lathe 1978-1989
1978-1989
Box 7:22
Asbestos 1987-1989
1987-1989
Box 7:23
Association for Preservation Technology International 1985-1998
1985-1998
Box 7:25
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
1961-1988
Box 7:26
Collected Brochures and Pamphlets
1984-1989
Box 7:27
Downtown Revitalization
1985
Box 7:28
Downtown Sacramento Churches
1980-1981
Box 7:29
Fairmount Hotel San Antonio Texas
1985
Box 7:31
Historic Architecture Design
1988-2005
Box 7:32
Historical/Architectural Surveys
1982
Box 7:33
Historical Landscaping
undated
Box 7:34
Historic Midtown Home Tour
1989-1991
Box 7:35
Historic Orangevale Properties
1984
Box 7:36
Historic Preservation
1988-1990
Box 7:37
Historic Preservation and Conservation
1980
Box 7:38
Art Museum Brochures
1980
Box 7:39
House Report Records
1985
Box 7:42
Land Drive Terrace
undated
Box 7:45
Membership Buttons
undated
Box 7:47
National Register of Historic Places
1991
Box 7:50
Preservation Magazine
2003
Box 8:01
Railroad History
1973-1985
Box 8:02
Real Estate Acquisition
undated
Box 8:03
Residential and Commercial Development
undated
Box 8:04
Restoring the Capitol
1979
Box 8:05
Roger Lathe Certification
undated
Box 8:06
Sacramento County Main Jail
1983-1988
Box 8:07
Sacramento Environmental Summaries
undated
Box 8:08
Sacramento Historic Preservation
2000
Box 8:09
Sacramento Memorial Auditorium Renovation
1991-1993
Box 8:10
Sacramento Old City Association
1988-1990
Box 8:11
Sacramento Sesquicentennial
1989
Box 8:12
Sacramento Urban Development
undated
Box 8:13
Southern Pacific Railroad Downtown Property Deal
1988-1989
Box 8:14
Southern Pacific Toxicity
undated
Box 8:19
Witter Ranch Historic Farm
undated
Box 8:21
University Medical Center
undated
Series 4. Correspondence
1985-2002
Physical Description:
3 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
Correspondence is in no discernible organization, and includes various letters, memos, “thank
you” notes, correspondence between clients regarding home inspections, and public responses
regarding Lathe’s published articles.
Series 5. Newspaper Clippings
1986-1999
Physical Description:
121 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
Newspaper Clippings focuses primarily on articles written by Lathe in publications such as the
Sacramento Bee, The Housewright, Neighbors, etc. Subjects of note include neighborhood restoration,
historic preservation, renovations, Governor’s mansion, house inspections, vintage house
restorations, K Street, Old Sacramento, and Sacramento heritage. Organization of these files was
kept in original order created by the donor—alphabetized by the first letter of the article
title.