Old Adams District · California
Old Adams District
A residential neighborhood in east 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
East Petaluma, across the river from downtown
The Old Adams District sits in east Petaluma, 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.
The district nests within the larger area the U.S. Geographic Names Information System records as East Petaluma (GNIS ID 1702905). 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 east-side 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.
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 east-side streets.
- 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.
- Still being researched. We are confirming further records — original subdivision plats, Sanborn fire-insurance maps, and the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum archives — and will update this page as sources are verified.
The neighboring street names share the same period. Payran Street honors Stephen Payran, a longtime east-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
Petaluma's old east side is among the city'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.
Questions
Frequently asked
Where is the Old Adams District?
In east 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 east-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.