Camellia Cottage was a 14,800 gross square foot structure built in 1934 with funds provided by the federal Works Progress Administration. Designed by Harry J. Devine, one of Sacramento’s leading architects, this one-story Spanish Revival style building was constructed as a separate ward on the eastern side of the main hospital. It was intended to serve as the “Woman’s Cottage” to provide care and housing for elderly women who had no relatives or family.

A seismic evaluation, conducted in 1996, rated Camellia Cottage as “very poor” according to University of California criteria. A 1998 reevaluation by structural engineers also rated the building as “very poor.” Additional analysis determined that retrofit expenses could cost twice as much as the estimated value of the refurbished building.