Napa Register Building Razed, A Casualty Of 2014 Earthquake

NAPA, CA -- With ground-shaking thumps, the walls of the Napa Register newspaper building were knocked to the ground last week by giant machines with jaw-like steel claws at the end of long extensions, demolishing the media center of local information section by section.

On Aug. 10, 1863, 154 years ago, the Napa Valley Register began its journey as a newspaper serving Napa County residents. However, last week the newspaper's building came crashing down as a delayed result of the 6.0-magnitude Napa Earthquake in August 2014 that damaged the building and the heart of its operation, the huge press that printed the paper.

The property was sold by The Register's current owners to developers who have gained city approval to build condos and retail space on the city block on Second Street across the street from the Napa Police Department and the downtown Fire Station. The project is called Register Square.

After the earthquake that made national news, the newspaper's staff operated out of trailers temporarily placed in the Register parking lot. The paper's offices have since been moved to 1615 Soscol Ave., thus still maintaining its daily publication and online news services.

• ALSO SEE: Then and Now Napa Earthquake: One Year Ago In Photos

The paper previously was located on First Street at Coombs Street in a two-story downtown building that was built in 1905. Ironically, that building has survived three damaging earthquakes and is still standing today.

Most of the remaining front walls of the Second Street building were pulled down by noon on Friday, July 28, with the flag pole the only thing still standing at the front of the building.

Several years ago as part of an anniversary celebration, the staff and management put together a time capsule -- a popular thing to do at the time. It was buried in 1988 under a concrete slab beneath the flag pole. This week, crews dug up the time capsule -- a safe containing memorabilia from the 1980s such as samples of the newspaper, wine and a video shot inside the paper's offices and newsroom -- and provided it to the paper.

Another casualty of the 2014 Napa earthquake was the historic Napa U.S. Post Office, just a couple blocks from the Register on Second Street. That building is currently surrounded by fencing.

Article and photos by Al Francis/Napasonomaphotos.com

Note: Al Francis worked as a staff photographer for the Napa Register for some 20 years.