St. Helena: Where Every Barrel Tells a Story
Celebrating 150 Years | 1876-2026
As St. Helena approaches its Sesquicentennial, we’re uncovering the people and places that shaped the town and inviting you to join a year-long celebration filled with special events, experiences, and moments throughout 2026.
The Years That Started It All
- 1846 | Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park
Before the wine, there was flour. Dr. Bale’s mill remains a living piece of history. Listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places, it’s the longest-operating mill in California and one of only two water-driven mills west of the Mississippi. - 1858 | The First Crush
Did you know Charles Krug Winery made the first Napa Valley wine using a cider press? By 1861, his namesake winery was born. - 1859 | Dr. Crane’s Discovery
Dr. George Crane arrives and identifies St. Helena’s “perfect soil,” changing the valley’s future forever. - 1865 | Prager Winery & Port Works
Originally part of the John Thomann Winery and Distillery. - 1874 | St. Helena Star
The local voice begins printing, later moving into the iconic Star Building in 1900. - 1875 | Grace Episcopal Church St. Helena
Founded 1876 with the current beautiful church built in 1883.
1876: The Year We Became “St. Helena”
- 1876 | The Big Birthday
After decades of pioneers, vineyards, and vision, St. Helena officially incorporated. Transforming a growing settlement into a town with a name, a voice, and a future. A place visitors continue to discover, step by step.
The Golden Era of Architecture
- 1876 | Beringer Vineyards
The Hudson House was already standing when the winery was founded. By 1881, the Rhine House was built, and Chinese immigrants began hand-digging the legendary wine caves. - 1878 | Faust Haus
Originally built as the Rosenbaum residence, this Victorian landmark remains one of St. Helena’s enduring architectural icons. - 1880 | A Famous Pass-By
Author Robert Louis Stevenson treks through the valley. Though headed for Calistoga, The Silverado Squatters put our region on the literary map. - 1888 | Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
Once known as Greystone Cellars, this monumental stone building reflected the valley’s growing ambition. - 1890 | The Madrones (AXR Napa Valley)
What began as a luxury resort later became V Madrone and is now AXR, named for the rootstock that saved Napa Valley’s vines. - 1890 | The Saint
Once the Bank of St. Helena, its original vault now houses a speakeasy where history and great wine meet. - 1892 | Richie Block
Built for M.G. Richie by John Money, this downtown cornerstone remains a defining piece of St. Helena’s historic streetscape. - 1894 | Queen of Bridges
The Pope Street Bridge becomes Napa County’s oldest stone arch bridge, a true landmark.
A 20th Century Transformation
- 1907 | Alila Napa Valley
Originally a lavish private estate, it became the St. Gothards Inn in 1911 and served as a hospital in 1924 before its current luxury chapter. - 1913 | Cameo Cinema
Known over the years as the G&G, Liberty, and Roxy, it’s been St. Helena’s go-to movie house for over a century and remains one of the last single-screen art house cinemas in the United States. - 1914 | The Electroliers
Look up! These historic streetlights are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. - 1924 | Lyman Park Gazebo
A gift from the Women’s Club that continues to host concerts and community gatherings. - 1934 | Louis M. Martini Winery
Emerging from Prohibition, Martini builds this winery for his very first post-Prohibition crush.
A Nationally Recognized Downtown
St. Helena’s Historic Downtown District is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Next time you stroll Main Street, look for the plaques tucked into the brickwork at Napa Valley Vintage Home and Tweed & Vine.
Continue the Celebration
Celebrate St. Helena’s sesquicentennial by exploring the 150th Anniversary website, visiting the St. Helena Historical Society to uncover more of our past, and sharing your own historic photos with #StHelena150.
