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)

Coulterville, Mariposa County, California – Buildings of Schist and Soapstone (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.)

"Among the most interesting of the buildings in Coulterville are the ruins of a stone hotel. It is constructed of flat laid schist slabs (Fig. 28) but the front is covered with neatly dressed blocks of soapstone (Fig. 32). The soapstone facing blocks are said to have been quarried on the Gordon Place at Greely Mountain. Adjoining the ruins of the Coulter Hotel are the brick Wells Fargo office and Wagoner's store. Adjacent to this group is a schist quarry, the source of part of the building material...Several brick buildings may be seen as well as a few made of schist slabs...."

Fig. 28. Detail of schist wall, rear of Hotel, Coulterville, DMBS Mrp-H20.

Fig. 32. Hotel, Coulterville, DMBS Mrp-H22.

Diamond Springs, El Dorado County, California - Buildings in which Rhyolite Tuff was Used (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.)

"Several buildings erected in the 'fifties still stand in Diamond Springs and are in present day use. The transition from the roaring 'fifties to the prosaic present is exemplified by the old Wells Fargo Express Office now (circa 1948) under different management with a sign in front reading 'Mom's Kitchen.' It is built of attractive gray-brown dressed rhyolite tuff blocks whose source was nearby Pleasant Valley. The site of the famous Golden West Hotel built in 1856 is marked by a vacant lot littered with large dressed facing blocks of rhyolite tuff. Toward the west end of town are two buildings fashioned of dressed rhyolite tuff, one on the south side of the road and now abandoned, and other, used at present as a hay barn (Fig. 125), was originally a general store...."
Diamond Springs, El Dorado County, California - the I.O.O.F. Hall - the Stone Corners (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 I.O.O. F. Hall, made of wood (1852) rests on a foundation wall of brick with dressed rhyolite tuff corners."
Dogtown, Calaveras County, California - House Ruin (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.)

"A quarter of a mile north of Altaville on Highway 49 is the Calaveritas road which turns off to the right. Dogtown, which lay on the edge of the flat at San Domingo Creek, is marked on the right side of the road by a stone fireplace and on the left by a large house ruin of schist set in mud mortar (Fig. 84)."
Diamond Springs, El Dorado County, California - the Wells Fargo Express Office (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.)

"Several buildings erected in the 'fifties still stand in Diamond Springs and are in present day use. The transition from the roaring 'fifties to the prosaic present is exemplified by the old Wells Fargo Express Office now (circa 1948) under different management with a sign in front reading 'Mom's Kitchen.' It is built of attractive gray-brown dressed rhyolite tuff blocks whose source was nearby Pleasant Valley...."
Downieville, Sierra County, California - the Building Behind the Ponta Hotel (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.)

"...In the rear of the frame Ponta Hotel is a stone cellar (Fig. 167) built of schist slabs and river boulders held in mud mortar. This structure dates from the 'sixties. Downieville is built in a steep walled canyon with a narrow bottom, and the standard method of securing building space has been to erect retaining walls to form flat terraces. Excellent dry-laid terrace walls may be seen on both side of the river; a typical example is shown in Fig. 168."

Fig. 167. Building behind Ponta Hotel, Downieville, DMBS Sie-H1.

Fig. 168. Dry-laid schist wall, Downieville, DMBS Die-H2.
Downieville, Sierra County, California - the Pioneer Museum Building (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 Pioneer Museum building made of carefully selected schist slabs and with brick doorframes (Fig. 166) dates from the early 'fifties...."

Fig. 166. Pioneer Museum building, Downieville, HABS, 1687.
Drytown, Amador County, California - the Butcher Shop.
- The marble floor of the butcher shop and the front porch were hauled by mule from a marble quarry at Fiddletown.

El Dorado, El Dorado County, California - Buildings of Rhyolite Tuff (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.)

"Formerly named Mud Springs, El Dorado can boast a large number of 1850 buildings than many larger Mother Lode towns. The most imposing structure is a group of three buildings of dressed rhyolite tuff built in 1855 (Figs. 121, 122). The westernmost of the three (Now - circa 1948 - a garage) has side walls of fieldstone which is largely meta-andesite agglomerate...."

Fig. 121. Rhyolite tuff and brick buildings, El Dorado, DMBS Eld-H3.

Fig. 122.Rear of two-story stone building shown in Fig.121, DMBS Eld-H4.

El Dorado, El Dorado County, California - the Hill Building (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 Hill Building now (circa 1948) the Wilson garage, erected in 1857 is of the local rhyolite tuff At the west end of town is a large stone and frame building faced with dressed rhyolite tuff (Fig. 123) and with the walls of meta-andesite fieldstone held in lime mortar. The iron doors and shutters (Fig. 124) are still present, and in the rear is a doorway framed with rhyolite tuff blocks (Fig. 124...."

Fig. 123. Tuff-faced meta-andesite building, El Dorado, DMBS Eld-H5.

Fig. 124. Detail of iron-shuttered window Fig. 121, DMBS Eld-H6.
Eureka, Humboldt County, Califonira - Large Marble Blocks (on exhibition in Eureka, California) (December 1880) The Manufacturer and Builder, Vol. 12, Issue 12, December 1880, pgs. 273-274. (Article in digital images viewed at American Memory, Library of Congress.) (Look at lower right-hand side of page - brief article.)
Ferndale, Humboldt County, California - Main Street - Ferndale, California, Field Trips by Ellin Beltz.
Fiddletown, Amador County, California - the Schallhorn Blacksmith and Wagon Shop (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.)

"...Near the east end of town is the Schallhorn Blacksmith and Wagon Shop (Fig. 117), a massive and excellently constructed building erected in 1870 of rectangular hewn blocks (measuring 12 by 18 by 10 inches) of Valley Springs rhyolite tuff which is easily worked when first quarried but hardens after exposure. The source of this tuff, a quarry about 1.5 miles east of Fiddletown, may be seen across a field to the south of the road."

Fig. 117. Schallhorn smithy, Fiddletown, DMBS Ama-H-14.

Schallhorn Blacksmith and Wagon Shop (Photo taken in 1998)

Schallhorn Blacksmith and Wagon Shop (side wall) (Photo taken in 1998)
Flea Valley and Clear Creek, Butte County, California – Firebacks (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

“In Butte County soapstone has been employed only for local structural purposes, chiefly for firebacks in the neighborhood of Flea Valley and Clear Creek….”
French Mills, Mariposa County, California – Building Foundations of 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.)

“A mile and a half south of Coulterville and three-quarters of a mile west of highway 49, are the ruins of the mine buildings and houses of the old site of French Mills. At present (circa 1948), the remains consist of a boiler house…, a series of retaining walls…, and several stone foundations, all constructed of schist slabs set in mud mortar and stucco covered. The source of this building material can be seen in the extensive quarrying of local outcrops.”

Fig. 25. Schist retaining wall, French Mills, DMBS Mrp-H18.
Fresno, Fresno County, California – the Buildings in Fresno (The following information is from “Projects Utilizing Rocklin Granite,” compiled by members of the Rocklin Historical Society from various sources, 2011.)

“1906 Buildings at Tonopah, Nevada; Oakland, San Jose, Fresno”

Fresno, Fresno County, California – the Henry Madden Library at California State University, Fresno – the Granite Entryway (history) The following information is from the Fresno State News.com web site.

According to the article entitled, “Ansel Adams Photos, Indian Baskets Featured in Library Display,” April 17, 2009, “Rare and historic baskets from this region were the source of many of the features of the new Madden Library building, which opened in February. The granite stone entryway is an artistic replication of the stair-step basket pattern constructed of locally quarried Academy Black* and Sierra White granite* from quarries in Clovis and Raymond. The design was carefully constructed and laid stone by stone to ensure the accuracy of the pattern….” (* Academy Black granite is quarried at Clovis in Fresno County, California; Sierra White granite is quarried at Raymond in Madera County, California.)

Garvanza (near), Los Angeles County, California - the Holy Angels Church (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

The tawny-colored sandstone used in the construction of the Holy Angels Church, built in 1887, was quarried from the Chatsworth Park Quarry, which was located about 1 ½ miles west of Chatsworth, a station on the Southern Pacific Railroad."
Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, California - the Home for the Feeble-Minded Children - 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”
Gold Rush Country, California - Building Materials (1998). This is a photographic tour of selected buildings and structures in the Gold Country of California starting at Mariposa in Mariposa County northward to Auburn in Placer County focusing on structures built using local stone.
Grass Valley, Nevada County, California - Brick Buildings (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.)

"Grass valley lies in a pine-forested region, and not long after the discovery of rich placer and quartz mines there were several sawmills operating here. Frame houses characterized the early architecture, but a disastrous fire in 1855 led, as all through the Mother Lode country, to the building of fireproof structures. The unavailability of the excellent meta-andesite used so extensively farther south for stone buildings and the abundance of lateritic clays which served as brick earth are in part responsible for the choice of brick as the material for durable buildings in Grass Valley...."
Grass Valley, Nevada County, California - the Club Café Building (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 Club Café Building is an outstanding large stone structure made of serpentine and talc schist held in lime mortar (Fig. 155)...."

Fig. 155. Club Café Building (side wall), Grass Valley, DMBS Nev-H3.
Grass Valley, Nevada County, California - the Mill Building and Another Building of Similar Construction (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.)

"...A few blocks south of the main street on Mill Street is a beautifully built mill building (Fig. 156) of rough serpentine, talc schist, and granite blocks laid in lime mortar. The window and doorways are of brick. Nearby, across the street from the Lola Montez house is a dwelling (Fig. 157) constructed in a style similar to that of the mill building. One distinctive stylistic trait of the local architecture is leaving the outer wall of the brick fireplace chimneys flush with the outer wall of stone buildings (cf. Fig. 157)."

Fig. 156. Mill building, Grass Valley, DMBS Nev-H4.
Grass Valley (south of), Nevada County, California - Winery Ruins (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.)

"About two miles south of Grass Valley on the west side of the road are the remains of a winery built of rough-quarried granite blocks set in mud mortar...."
Henley (near), Siskiyou County, California - the Horn Building (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

Sandstone for the Horn and Jones buildings in Hornbrook built in 1888 was taken from the Southern Pacific Railroad Company sandstone quarries located near Henley."
Henley (near), Siskiyou County, California - the Jones Building (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

Sandstone for the Horn and Jones buildings in Hornbrook built in 1888 was taken from the Southern Pacific Railroad Company sandstone quarries located near Henley."
Honolulu, Hawaii, California - the Honolulu Hotel (from “Colusa County Sandstone Builds Some of The World’s Most Famous Buildings,” by John L. Morton, Colusa County Historian and Colusa County CAGenWeb Project Coordinator.)

Many fine buildings are attributed to the McGilvray sandstone quarry located at Sites, Colusa County, California, including the Honolulu Hotel in the Hawaiian Islands.
Hornbrook, Siskiyou County, California – Buildings in Hornbrook (From “Mines and Mineral Resources of Siskiyou County,” by J. C. O’Brien, District Mining Engineer, California State Division of Mines, California Journal of Mines and Geology, pp. Vol. 43, No. 4, October 1947, pp. 412-461. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

“Southern Pacific Company has quarried considerable sandstone in sec. 29, T. 47 N., R. 6 W., M.D., near Hornbrook. This stone has been used for railroad culverts and for some buildings in Hornbrook. (Averill 35, p. 337.)
Hornitos, Mariposa County, California - Stone-Mud Buildings in Hornitos (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 schist for the several stone-mud buildings was quarried in the center of town (Fig. 13)...."

Fig. 27. Jail, Hornitos, HABS 1522.
Humboldt County, California – the Jetty at the entrance to Humboldt Harbor (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 III. “The Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino,” by Walter W. Bradley, Field Assistant (field work in August, 1913), California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1916, pp. 371-425.)

Pacific Engineering and Construction Company of San Francisco supplied the stone for the construction of the jetty at the entrance to Humboldt harbor from their Jacoby Creek Quarries. These quarries was located 5 miles from Arcata, and one quarry produced a metamorphic sandstone and the other quarry produced a mica schist.

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