Publisher Edward Gardner Lewis moved from the midwest to California in 1913. He purchased 23,000 acres in the Atascadero area where he planned to create a community which would combine "all the advantages of country life with city conveniences."

Lewis laid out a model community he called the Atascadero Colony with residential buildings in one area and civic buildings in another area. Two of the civic buildings were actually built, The Printery and the Administration Building.

The Printery, which had a rotogravure press, helped to finance the operations of the colony. The Printery published the colony's promotional journal, the Illustrated Review, and did special work for the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times.

Source: Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in the year 2000.