Structures and Monuments in Which California Stone was Used

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Structures and Monuments in Which
California Stone was Used

Finished Product from California Stone in California (Continued)

South Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California – the Opera House – Trimmings (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.) Brownstone (sandstone) from the Sespen Canon Brownstone Quarry (located from 5 to 6 miles from Brownstone, a station on the Southern Pacific Railroad) was used for the trimmings of the Opera House.
St. Helena, Napa County, California – the Hunt Block (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

Reddish trachytic tuff was taken from the Davis Quarry to be used in the construction of the Hunt Block in St. Helena.
St. Helena, Napa County, California - the Post Office - Front Wall (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

Light yellow trachytic tuff taken from the Howell Mountain Quarry about three miles northeast of Calistoga, was used for the front wall of the St. Helena Post Office.
St. Helena, Napa County, California - the Some Bridges in Napa County and Buildings in St. Helena of Trachytic Tuff (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

"...light yellow trachytic tuff, and has been used in a number of buildings in St. Helena and also in some bridges in the county."
St. Helena, Napa County, California - St. Helena Cemeteries - Cemetery Stones (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

The light gray sandstone quarried from Maxwell Canon, Napa County, was used for cemetery stones in St. Helena cemeteries.
St. Helena, Napa County, California – the St. Helena High School (From Report XIV of the State Mineralogist – Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report – Biennial Period 1913-1914, Part II. “The Counties of Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo,” by Walter W. Bradley, Field Assistant (field work in September, 1913), California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1916, pp. 173-370.)

The St. Helena High School was constructed in 1912 from trachytic tuff quarried at the Howell Mountain Quarry, which is located on the Glendale ranch 3 miles northeast of St. Helena.

Photo No. 32. St. Helena High School. Stone from Howell Mountain Quarry, Napa County, 1912.

St. Helena, Napa County, California - the St. Helena Public School (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

Light buff trachytic tuff taken from the Moffat Quarry located "...about 2 miles northwest of St. Helena, near the reservoir." was used in the construction of the St. Helena Public School.

Ill. No. 71. St. Helena Public School. Constructed of Trachytic Tuff from Moffat Quarry, near St. Helena, Napa County

Stockton, San Joaquin County, California - the Methodist Church - Excerpt from the Tenth Annual Report of The State Mineralogist For The Year Ending December 1, 1890, California State Mining Bureau, Sacramento: State Printing Office, pp. 1890, pp. 20.

“San Francisco, August 22, 1890.

“Hon. Wm. Irelan, Jr.:

“Dear Sir: I would like to thank you for the assistance you have given me in finding red sandstone. I had been looking all over the State for red sandstone, and came here from Indianapolis in 1889 especially for that purpose, and was unsuccessful, until very lately, in finding any that suited my purpose in the State, although I was hunting for it for about six months.

“I heard of the Mining Bureau and happened to visit it one day and picked up a copy of the report, and in that report found a description of a deposit of red sandstone in Amador County. I immediately went to Amador County and secured the quarry. Found there was an immense body of it, at least forty acres, and about one hundred and seventy-five feet thick. I at once began to open it up, had the sandstone tested, found it to be of two qualities, a beautiful red and a pure white sandstone. We were very successful in selling the stone from the first day we started to work.

“The stone has been used in the California State Bank, corner of J and Fourth Streets, Sacramento, one of the finest buildings in the State; also in the Methodist Church in Stockton, one of the largest churches we have; and is now being used in the Christ Church in Alameda, and in the Church of the Holy Innocents in this city; also, the Crocker residence is being built of it almost entirely, and this will be one of the finest buildings ever put up here. It is also being used in a dozen other places in this city and State, namely, Ukiah Asylum, Ione Industrial School buildings, Home for the Feeble-Minded Children at Glen Ellen, Sacramento Post Office, and many other places.

“I had the stone tested by you and found that it will stand a crushing weight of seven thousand two hundred and ninety-five pounds to the square inch.

Bank in Sacramento - $35,000

Methodist Church in Stockton - $16,000

Crocker Building - $46,000

Ukiah Asylum, for this year - $26,000

“I can safely say, that through the discoveries of the State Mining Bureau, there will be at least $500,000 worth of stone taken from this quarry within the next three years, independent of the above, already provided for.

“Very respectfully yours, David O’Neil”
Stockton, San Joaquin County, California - Odd Fellows Cemetery - Tunnis/Browne Marble Monument by Messrs. Benedict and Roberts. (The following article is from the Stockton Daily Independent, Stockton, San Joaquin County, California, Monday, 12 May 1862, transcribed by Dee Sardoc on the NorCal email list, April 18, 2007.)

“FINE MARBLE WORK -- In the Odd Fellows Cemetery near this city is a monument form the marble works of Messrs. BENEDICT & ROBERTS, on Sutter street near Main, recently erected by Mr. Richard TUNIS in memory of deceased relatives. This monument is made entirely of marble quarried near Columbia, and stands upon a brick base 3 feet in height, the block and column rising to a high of 7 feet, making the total high 10 feet. On the south side is the following inscription:

Benjamin TUNIS, a soldier of the War of 1812-1815; born 1795, died 1859

“And on the north side the following:

Thomas TUNIS BROWNE; born 1824; died 1850

“The principal beauty is in the fine quality of the marble, next to which is the design, surpassing in elegant proportions all other monuments in the city. The Columbia marble, for all purposes for which marble is used, is unequalled by any imported; and by those competent to judge, is pronounced susceptible to the highest degree of polish and capable of durability beyond the marble in general use for monument purposes in the Eastern States. All who are interested in native productions, will derive pleasure in visiting the marble works above referred to, and examining the specimens of various grades of marble in the rough and finished state. No other than that from the quarries at Columbia, is used in these works.”
Stockton, San Joaquin County, California - Stockton Court House - Tenth Annual Report of The State Mineralogist For The Year Ending December 1, 1890, California State Mining Bureau, Sacramento: State Printing Office, pp. 1890, pp. 413.
Placer County, by J. B. Hobson, E.M., Assistant in the Field.

“The granite quarries are another source of revenue to the people of Placer. The inexhaustible quarries at Lincoln, Rocklin, Loomis, and Penryn afford stone of all shades from the lightest gray to an almost jet black when polished. Great quantities of this stone are free from iron, and the convenient railroad offers shipping facilities which makes quarrying for distant markets profitable.

“The street curbing and granite fronts of San Francisco are nearly all from the Placer quarries, while the State Capitol, the Stockton Court House, and the Crocker monument are examples of the value and beauty of this foothill granite. The amount of business in this industry varies with the season, but it runs well up into the hundred thousands of dollars every year.”
Stockton, San Joaquin County, California - A. J. Zimmermann - Marble Match-Safe from Columbia (The following transcription is from the Stockton Daily Independent Stockton, San Joaquin County, California January 14-19, 1867; part 2 of 2, transcribed by Dee Sardoc and posted on the NorCal email list on June 29, 2008.

“MARBLE MATCH-SAFE - A beautifully chased match-safe, made of Columbia marble, was sent from Sonora yesterday by John SMITH to A. J. ZIMMERMANN, of this city. It is of the form of an ancient Corinthian Altar, but so cut as to resemble various styles of architecture. On 2 sides the hewing is rough, so that matches can be readily ignited; and on the 2 ends are grooves cut, whereby the hands can be placed to lift the block. On the top are the cavities in which the matches are placed ready to a Bavarian, or any other man, who may desire to smoke while he is ‘eating.’ In size it is 8 inches long, 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep. The margins or borders are pretty, tasteful mason work, consisting of diamond cavities cut merely for ornament.”
Susanville, Lassen County, California - Building Stone Used in Susanville - Volcanic Tufa Quarry (Volcanic Tufa) Excerpt from Fifth Annual Report of The State Mineralogist, For the Year Ending May 15, 1885, California State Mining Bureau, Sacramento: state Office, James J. Ayers, Supt. State Printing, 1885, pp. 119.)

“5994. Volcanic breccia, used as a building stone in Susanville. It is said to resist the action of fire, as shown during a recent conflagration in that town. Section five, township twenty-nine north, range thirteen east, eight and one half miles from Susanville, Lassen County.”

Swansea, Inyo County, California the Swansea / Owens Lake Silver-Lead Furnace Stone Monument. The photographs below shows some of the remains of the ghost town of Swansea, which is located about 10 miles south of Lone Pine along Highway 136. More historical information and photographs are available on the “Swansea Ghost Town” on ghosttowns.com and “Swansea, California” on Wikipedia. Local stone was possibly used in the construction of the monument, although I have not found any documentation about this – Peggy B. Perazzo


The Owens Lake Silver-lead Furnace Monument	Plaque on the Owens Lake Silver-lead Furnace Monument	Stone cabin with wood roof located where the town of Swansea was once located

Tehama County, California - Tuff Used For Building Purposes in Tehama County (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

The light reddish tuff quarried from Sonoma County was used for building purposes, especially for chimneys, "all through the vicinity."
Treasure Island, San Francisco County, California – Treasure Island - Landfill (The following excerpt is from the “Brooks Island Shoreline Regional Shoreline” Brochure (pdf), presented by the East Bay Regional Park District.

“Brooks Island was used as a quarry intermittently from 1892-1938. The rock is said to have been used by San Quentin prisoners in constructing Treasure Island as well as the south cell block of San Quentin penitentiary. They Army Corps of Engineers built harbors and a breakwater to protect the Richmond Marina....”
Truckee, Nevada County, California – the Railroad Round House (The following information is from “Projects Utilizing Rocklin Granite,” compiled by members of the Rocklin Historical Society from various sources, 2011.)

“1883 Round House - Truckee”

Tuttletown, Tuolumne County, California - Building Calaveras Schist (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

"The very well preserved and neatly built stone building which stands in Tuttletown was a store, built by W. Swerer in 1852, and patronized by Mark Twain during his sojourn at Jackass Hill. It is made of quarried and dressed blocks of Calaveras schist (Fig. 54). A schist quarry can be seen on the north side of the highway a half mile west of the store. Tuttletown was first settled by a group of Mormon prospectors in 1848 and then named Mormon Camp."

Fig. 54. Swerer’s store, Tuttletown, DMBS 233-B-8.

Ukiah, Mendocino County, California - the Ukiah Asylum - Excerpt from the Tenth Annual Report of The State Mineralogist For The Year Ending December 1, 1890, California State Mining Bureau, Sacramento : State Printing Office, pp. 1890, pp. 20.

“San Francisco, August 22, 1890.

“Hon. Wm. Irelan, Jr.:

“Dear Sir: I would like to thank you for the assistance you have given me in finding red sandstone. I had been looking all over the State for red sandstone, and came here from Indianapolis in 1889 especially for that purpose, and was unsuccessful, until very lately, in finding any that suited my purpose in the State, although I was hunting for it for about six months.

“I heard of the Mining Bureau and happened to visit it one day and picked up a copy of the report, and in that report found a description of a deposit of red sandstone in Amador County. I immediately went to Amador County and secured the quarry. Found there was an immense body of it, at least forty acres, and about one hundred and seventy-five feet thick. I at once began to open it up, had the sandstone tested, found it to be of two qualities, a beautiful red and a pure white sandstone. We were very successful in selling the stone from the first day we started to work.

“The stone has been used in the California State Bank, corner of J and Fourth Streets, Sacramento, one of the finest buildings in the State; also in the Methodist Church in Stockton, one of the largest churches we have; and is now being used in the Christ Church in Alameda, and in the Church of the Holy Innocents in this city; also, the Crocker residence is being built of it almost entirely, and this will be one of the finest buildings ever put up here. It is also being used in a dozen other places in this city and State, namely, Ukiah Asylum, Ione Industrial School buildings, Home for the Feeble-Minded Children at Glen Ellen, Sacramento Post Office, and many other places.

“I had the stone tested by you and found that it will stand a crushing weight of seven thousand two hundred and ninety-five pounds to the square inch.

Bank in Sacramento - $35,000

Methodist Church in Stockton - $16,000

Crocker Building - $46,000

Ukiah Asylum, for this year - $26,000

“I can safely say, that through the discoveries of the State Mining Bureau, there will be at least $500,000 worth of stone taken from this quarry within the next three years, independent of the above, already provided for.

“Very respectfully yours, David O’Neil”
Vacaville (?), Solano County, California - J. R. Wolfskill’s Stone House - Excerpt from Tenth Annual Report of the State Mineralogist, For the Year Ending December 1, 1890, California State Mining Bureau, Sacramento: State Printing 1890, pp. 773-794. (This book is available for reading or downloading to your computer on Google Book Search - Full View Books.)
Yolo County - Building Stone, by W. L. Watts, Assistant in the Field.

“...A volcanic tuff occurs abundantly in the eastern margin of the foothills to the west of Winters, and in places affords a fair building material. It is a soft, whitish rock, which becomes hard on exposure to the air.

“The residence of J. R. Wolfskill was built of this stone about twenty-five year ago, and appears to stand the weather remarkably well; several other building in winters are built of similar material.”
Vallecito, Calaveras County, California - Buildings of Rhyolite Tuff and Limestone (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

"Vallecito is on Highway 4, six miles from Angels Camp. Vallecito preserves the Wells Fargo Office, later Sanguinetti's and then Dinkelspiel's Store (Fig. 65) built in 1854. It is constructed of dressed blocks of rhyolite tuff which came from the Altaville quarry (Fig. 64). Across the road are the ruins of the Wells Fargo Stables put up in 1851 and made of the same material (Fig. 66), and up a side street is the splendid Cuneo building built in 1851 complete with iron doors and made of rhyolite tuff blocks (Fig. 67).

"Beyond Vallecito at Douglas Flat, a distance of 2 ½ miles to the northeast, are a number of stone ruins which may be seen on either side of the road. the rough-quarried limestone here has served as a fence material. The Gilleado building built in 1851, now stabilized with concrete and with a new tin roof (Fig. 68), serves to illustrate the use of rough limestone blocks as a construction material in this vicinity and at Murphys not far beyond."

Fig. 65. Detail of rear wall, Wells Fargo Office, Vallecito DMBS Cal-H6.

Fig. 65. Front door, Wells Fargo Office, Vallecito, DMBS Cal-H7.

Fig. 66. Wells Fargo stables, Vallecito, DMBS Cal-H8.

Fig. 67. Rholite tuff building, Vallecito, DMBS Cal-H9.

Vallejo, Solano County, California – Mare Island

See: Mare Island, Solano County, California – Mare Island
Ventura, Ventura County, California – Art City Studios. On their web site, Art City Studios is described as: “Art City hosts over 20 professional sculptors, who make beautiful desktop pieces to monumental sculptures and fountains. They share common facilities and each other’s knowledge.” (You can view more photographs of the Art City Studios section of our web site.)

Sculpture at Entrance to Art City Studios

Ventura, Ventura County, California – Father Serra Cross Park – the Ramparts. The ramparts were constructed in Serra Cross Park during the Japanese Dry Stone Walling Workshop January 8-18, 2010. Below are photographs of the limestone ramparts at Serra Cross Park. (You can view more photographs of the ramparts in the “Limestone Ramparts in Father Serra Cross Park” section of our web site.)


Limestone Rampart at Serra Cross Park, Ventura, California	Second Limestone Rampart at Serra Cross Park	Closeup of one of the limestone ramparts showing tool marks

Ventura, Ventura County, California – Father Serra Cross Park – the Stone Wall. The photographs below are of the limestone dry stone wall that was erected during the 2011 International Stonework Symposium – International Dry Stone Walling Workshop, January 5-10, 2011, presented by the Stone Foundation and Stonexus Publications. (You can view more photographs of the stone wall at Father Cerra Cross Park in the “Limestone Dry Stone Wall at Father Serra Cross Park” section of our web site.)


Kyle Lawrence & Doug Bell working at stone wall at Father Serra Cross Park	Portion of the stone wall built during the 2011 International Stonework Symposium	View of Ventura from the stone wall

Ventura, Ventura County, California – Mission San Buenaventura – Stonework from locally-quarried stone. Stone was used in the construction at the 21 California Spanish missions locally for foundations, walls, lintels, walkways, fountains, ditches, aqueducts, etc. when available. Some of the photographs below demonstrate the uses of stone at Mission San Buenaventura and on what were once mission lands. Mission San Buenaventura suffered neglect after secularization in 1836. By 1875, some of the mission properties had been returned by the U.S. courts to the church. You will find more photographs in the “Mission San Buenaventura & Some Stone Work Created from Locally-quarried Stone” on our web site. Historical information and photographs of California's Spanish missions are available in the "The Mission Period (1769–1833) and the Spanish, Mexicans, and Indians in California (expanded version [PDF]" section of our web site. (Photographs taken in January 2011. Peggy B. Perazzo)


The stone church at Mission San Buenaventura was constructed in 1809. After the mission was severely damaged by the 1812 Wrightwood earthquake, the heavy buttress was added to strengthen the walls.	Model of the mission located at Mission San Buenaventura in Ventura, California	This fountain at Mission San Buenaventura may be a reproduction.

Stone floor at one of the entrances to the Mission San Buenaventura Church	Mortars, pestles, metates, et al., used in mission life at Mission San Buenaventura	Metal-rimmed stone wheel at Mission San Buenaventura

Memorial and piece of the old cobblestone and mortar aqueduct	Memorial of Rancho Cañada Larga and the stone aqueduct built by the Chumash Indians to bring water from San Antonio Creek to Mission San Buenaventura	A portion of the old stone aqueduct hat once brought water from San Antonio Creek to Mission San Buenaventura

Ventura County, California – the Piru Railroad Bridge (From Report XV of the State Mineralogist, Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report Biennial Period 1915-1916, Part V. Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura counties, California State Mining Bureau, 1919.)

“Hogan Quarry…Beds of hard gray sandstone, a couple of hundred feet thick outcrop in Sycamore Cañon for several hundred feet. Stone from this quarry was used in building the breakwater at Santa Barbara; also in the portals of the Bay-Shore cut-off tunnels at San Francisco, and the Sespe, Piru, and Santa Clara railroad bridges in Ventura County. Idle for past five years.

“Bibl.: R. of M. Santa Barbara Co., 1906.”
Ventura County, California – the Santa Clara Railroad Bridge (From Report XV of the State Mineralogist, Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report Biennial Period 1915-1916, Part V. Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura counties, California State Mining Bureau, 1919.)

“Hogan Quarry…Beds of hard gray sandstone, a couple of hundred feet thick outcrop in Sycamore Cañon for several hundred feet. Stone from this quarry was used in building the breakwater at Santa Barbara; also in the portals of the Bay-Shore cut-off tunnels at San Francisco, and the Sespe, Piru, and Santa Clara railroad bridges in Ventura County. Idle for past five years.

“Bibl.: R. of M. Santa Barbara Co., 1906.”
Ventura County, California – the Sespe Railroad Bridge (From Report XV of the State Mineralogist, Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report Biennial Period 1915-1916, Part V. Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura counties, California State Mining Bureau, 1919.)

“Hogan Quarry…Beds of hard gray sandstone, a couple of hundred feet thick outcrop in Sycamore Cañon for several hundred feet. Stone from this quarry was used in building the breakwater at Santa Barbara; also in the portals of the Bay-Shore cut-off tunnels at San Francisco, and the Sespe, Piru, and Santa Clara railroad bridges in Ventura County. Idle for past five years.

“Bibl.: R. of M. Santa Barbara Co., 1906.”

Ventura, Ventura County, California – the Ventura Breakwater. The Ventura breakwater was constructed with stone quarried in California.


Bronze Mermaid statue at Soter Point in Marina Point next to the Ventura breakwater.	Bronze Mermaid statue at Soter Point	Part of the Ventura breakwater

Closeup of part of the Ventura breakwater	Closeup of part of the Ventura breakwater	Closeup of part of the Ventura breakwater

The Mermaid Statue at Soter Point at Marina Park in Ventura – base of stone. (You can read about the Mermaid Statue at Soter Point in the “Mermaid Sculpture Installed at Marina Park’s Soter Point,” by Timothy Pompey, in the Ventura Breeze online edition.)

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