This Mission/Spanish Revival residence was designed by Birge Clark for nationally prominent authors Kathleen and Charles Norris. Between 1911 and 1957, Kathleen Norris wrote ninety novels which were read by both men and women. In the 1940s, she was the highest paid woman author in the Unite States.

The Norris House is one of the finest Spanish Colonial Revival houses in Palo Alto. This style, first employed in Palo Alto during the early 1920's, quickly became an important model for much of the city's development during that era. The prominent and prolific local architect, Birge Clark, used the style for many of his best works, thus helping to establish the style and its image within the city.

Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in 1980.