Preferred Sonoma Caterers’ home is a circa 1911 building that has been attentively renovated with an eye toward preserving its historic charm, while providing a completely modern and energy efficient catering facility.  The building’s façade and windows were all restored.  Inside you may notice the original redwood wall and ceiling in the showroom, or the slightly later era bead board wall and ceiling in the office, and the original wood floor throughout.  And what you can not see is just as good, the frame is entirely redwood, including 12x12 clear heart beams for the upper foundation.

We are the proud recipients a Petaluma Heritage Homes award for the restoration work.  We undertook this project simply because we love Petaluma and its old buildings and it was the image we wanted for our company.  The award was unexpected; it was a joy to have all our hard work recognized.  Thank you Heritage Homes.

The building has had a rich history, being occupied almost continuously, having hosted a wide variety of Petaluma businesses including a clothes cleaning and dying company, a chicken incubator factory, a vending machine service, a furniture rental store, a carpet and drapery company, and finally a saddle shop before becoming a catering company.  And rumor has it that a fair number of smaller undocumented businesses also resided in parts of building, including a bookie.

Since originally writing this we have met the daughter (Lorraine Byce Skoog) of the owner of the incubator factory, who was able to fill us in a few more details.  The factory was the "Petaluma Electric Incubator Factory" owned by Elwood Byce (not to be confused with the Petaluma Incubator Factory which was owned by Lorraine's grand father).  It was here from 1938 to 1955.

We welcome any other information or photos of our buildings past.
                                                                                  Jim & Amber

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