Structures and Monuments in Which
California Stone was Used

Finished Product from California Stone in California

• History of Quarrying in California from the California Indians up to Present Time. Presentation for the International Stonework Symposium 2011 – January 13, 2011. ("History of Quarrying in California from the California Indians up to Present Time" brochure in PDF)
• Gold Rush Country, California Building Materials  – This is a photographic tour of selected buildings and structures in the Gold Rush Country of California starting at Mariposa in Mariposa County northward to Auburn in Placer County.

• Alameda, Alameda County, California – the Post Office  (The following information is from “Projects Utilizing Rocklin Granite,” compiled by members of the Rocklin Historical Society from various sources, 2011.)
  

  “1912  Post Office, Alameda”

• Alameda, Alameda County, California – the Christ 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”

• Alameda County, California – the Masonic Home Foundation (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

  The sandstone used for the foundation of the Masonic Home was taken from the Farwell Sandstone Quarry, which was located in Rocky Brook Canon, a tributary of Niles Canon prior to 1898.

• Alcatraz Island, California– Alcatraz Prison Buildings (The following information is from The Quarries (Alcatraz History), presented by the Angel Island Association.)

  According to this web site, the stone used to construct the fortress on Alcatraz in 1854 was quarried on the east side of Angel Island. Prisoners provided the labor in the quarry.

• Altaville, Calaveras County, California - Rhyolite Tuff Block Fence (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.)

  “Altaville, the historic Cherokee Flat (also known as Winterton and Forks of the Road), has one very well preserved stone building, the Prince and Garibardi Store, built in 1857 of dressed blocks of rhyolite tuff (Fig. 59). Several dryrock walls are built of the same material (Fig. 63) as is the Demarest Foundry.A mile east of Altaville on the road toward Murphys there is a prominent butte, capped with rhyolite tuff. Known locally as 'lava' this material has been quarried since the 1850's and has provided a substantial, decorative building material for structures in Altaville, Angels Camp and Vallecito and facing and trim materials for buildings in more distant towns. This Peirano quarry is still in operation (Fig. 64) (circa 1948).”

  Fig. 63. Rhyolite tuff block fence just east of Altaville, DMBS Cal-H4.

• Alturas, Modoc County, California - Catholic Church & Some Buildings in & Around Alturas built circa 1890 - 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. 334.

  Modoc County, by E. B. Preston, E.M., Assistant in the Field.

  “Following the road along the river, we have an extended view of the Warner Range, with its commanding peaks sloping down into the valley, while close along the banks of the river we find cones of a very recent sandstone. South of Alturas about three miles, tuff as well as sandstones are quarried, and used to a limited extent for building purposes in and around town. A Catholic Church of some size is being built with the materials, but it has not sufficient resistance to pressure to make a first-class building stone....”

• Amador City, Amador County, California - the Fleetheart Store (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 Fleetheart Store, beautifully constructed of stone whose dressed meta-andesite breccia blocks show the stone masonry techniques of the 'fifties at their best (Fig. 111)...."

  Fig. 111. Stone building, Amador City, DMBS Ama-H8.

• Amador County, California – Buildings in Amador County of Rhyolite Tuff (From “Mines and Mineral Resources of Amador County,” by Denton W. Carlson, Junior Mining Geologist, and William B. Clark, Junior Mining Geologist, California State Division of Mines, California Journal of Mines and Geology, Vol. 50, No. 1, January 1954, pp. 210. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

  “…During the 1880’s and 1890’s, rhyolite from this deposit was quarried as a building stone for various buildings in the county, according to Elmer Evans, Jr., the owner.”

• Amador County, California - Local Stone used for Stone Walls, Wine Cellars, & Foundations (The following information is from Italians of the Gold Rush, Image of America Series, by Carolyn Fregulia, Arcadia Publishing, 2007, pp. 39, ISBN 978-0-7385-5558-4.)

  Local stone walls were built by “Italians (who) brought their stone-working skills with them from Liguria (Italy), a rugged, mountainous land....”

  “Italian farmers used native rock to build wine cellars, which also served as the foundations for their homes....”

• Amador County, California - Giovanni Batista Previtali’s Soapstone House (The following information is from Italians of the Gold Rush, Image of America Series, by Carolyn Fregulia, Arcadia Publishing, 2007, pp. 59, ISBN 978-0-7385-5558-4.)

  “(Giovanni Batista) Previtali and his sons quarried a large outcrop of soapstone as building material for the family home.” (A photograph of the Previtali Soapstone house is presented in this book courtesy of Ann Previtali.)

• Angel Island, California – the Buildings on Angel Island (The following information is from The Quarries (Alcatraz History), presented by the Angel Island Association.)

  According to this web site, the stone used to construct the buildings on Angel Island was quarried on the east side of Angel Island.

• Angels Camp, Calaveras 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.)

  "The modernized town of Angels Camp is built around a core of eighteen-fifty period stone structures. The angels Hotel built in 1855 now bears a new façade, but is still recognizable in its earlier style shown in Fig. 56 (sic). It is built of dressed rhyolite tuff blocks, as are at least a dozen other buildings in town of equal age. Examples which show rhyolite block construction are the Stickle Store, Scribner's Store, the Wells Fargo Building and the present Sierra Club (circa 1948). Source of the tuff was the quarry east of Altaville (Fig. 63)...."

  Fig. 58. Angels Hotel, Angles Camp, HABS 1547.

• Arcata, Humboldt County, California –  Greenwood Cemetery – the Isaac Minor Mausoleum  (from Thomas Minor, descendants, 1608-1981, by John A. Miner, J.A. Miner, 1981.   (A snippet of this book is available on Google Books.)

  According to Thomas Minor, Descendants, 1608-1981, in the John A. Miner (sic) section:  “She died in Aracata, Homboldt Co., California.  Isaac died 11 December 1916.  Both are buried in the Miner Mausoleum, Greenwood Cemetery in Arcata.  It was constructed of granite from Isaac’s own quarry and under his supervision….”

  You can view a photograph of the I. Minor Mausoleum in Greenwood Cemetery, Arcata, California, by Julia.Green.67on Panoramio.com.

  • Arcata, Humboldt County, California – the Isaac Minor Mausoleum – Photographs from the Humboldt State University Library, Special Collections.  (Used with Permission.  Humboldt State University Library)

    “Granite from Isaac Minor’s Quarry, Arcata, California”; “Construction of Mausoleum in Arcata’s cemetery”; Palmquist Collection; Author/Creator: Ericson; Photo ID: 2003.01.2795; Source: Lundberg Collection; Region: 04 - Arcata to Blue Lake to Korbel

    “Granite from Isaac Minor’s Quarry, Arcata, California”; Palmquist Collection; Author/Creator: Ericson; Photo ID:2003.01.2796; Region:04 - Arcata to Blue Lake to Korbel

    “Five workers standing in front of Isaac Minor's mausoleum”  Collection: Palmquist; Photo ID: 2003.01.3284; Author/Creator: Ericson; Date: Title:Alt Title: [Five workers standing in front of Isaac Minor’s mausoleum]; Names: Subjects: Arcata; Cemeteries; Construction & repair;  People Author’s Number: Region:04 - Arcata to Blue Lake to Korbel. Comments: ppC716; Source:  Dilling Collection

    “Minor’s Mausoleum Material from his own Granite Quarry, at Arcata, California, James Greig, Builder”; Alternate title:  “Completed Minor mausoleum in the Arcata cemetery”; Palmquist Collection; Author/Creator: Ericson; Photo No. 2003.01.3149; Source:  Waters Collection, Dilling Collection; Region: 04 - Arcata to Blue Lake to Korbel

• Arlington, Riverside County, California – the Sherman Indian School (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 in the construction of the Sherman Indian School.

• Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo County, California - Tuff from the Moore Quarry used for Building Purposes (From The Structural and Industrial Materials of California, Bulletin No. 38, California, State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1906.)

  "...The lower tuff (in the Moore Quarry) is much harder than the upper, has a metallic ring, and breaks in small blocks with curved faces like glass.The tuff is sawed here and used for building purposes in Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo, and some carloads have been shipped via Port Harford to Los Angeles."

  Fig. 148. Rear wall of Cory Feedstore, Auburn, DMBS –Pla-H12.

  Fig. 149. Detail of arched doorway of Cory Feedstore, Auburn, DMBS Pla-H13.

  Fig. 150. Sawed soapstone window arch Cory Feedstore, Auburn, DMBS Pla-H14.

• Auburn, Placer County, California - Brick Building Adjacent to the J. E. Cory & Son Feed Company 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 adjacent brick building (to the J. E. Cory & Son Feed Company building) rests on a schist foundation...."

  Fig. 146. Auburn Electric Co. Building, Auburn, DMBS Pla-H10.

• Auburn, Placer County, California - Building on the Opposite Corner from the J. E. Cory & Son Feed Company 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 opposite corner (from the J. E. Cory & Son Feed Company building) building of the Auburn Electric Company building is built of thick slabs of schist (Fig. 146)...."

• Auburn, Placer County, California - Building of Schist Slabs (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.)

  "...Extending up Court Street from (the Auburn Electric Company building) is a row of three old brick structures, and directly across the street is a small abandoned building made of schist slabs (Fig. 151)...."

  Fig. 151. Schist building on Court Street, Auburn, DMBS Pla-H15.

• Auburn, Placer County, California - J. E. Cory & Son Feed Company 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 building of the J. E. Cory & Son Feed Company in the 100 block of Lincoln Way is constructed of schist blocks (Figs. 148, 149). It has ornamental arches over the second story windows made of sawed soapstone blocks (Fig. 150)...."

• Auburn, Placer County, California – the Placer County Courthouse  (The following information is from “Projects Utilizing Rocklin Granite,” compiled by members of the Rocklin Historical Society from various sources, 2011.)
  

  “1894  Placer County Courthouse, Auburn”

• Bakersfield, Kern County, California – the Dust Bowl Historical Park at the Sunset / Weedpatch Camp (Arvin Federal Government Camp) – the Memorial Bricks

  According to the “Walk Back in Time” section of this web site” “Inscribed granite bricks are planned to memorialize the men, women and families who migrated to California during the Dust Bowl era.  The bricks will be set into a memorial walkway through the Dust Bowl Historical Park.  The memorial walkway will be built with the inscribed bricks of California Sierra White granite and then edged with bricks of Oklahoma Red granite.”

  You can read more about the Dust Bowl Historical Park/Weedpatch Camp (Arvin Federal government Camp) on the Weedpatch Camp web site.

• Bayside, Humboldt County, California – Humboldt Bay Jetty  (This photograph is a part of the Humboldt State University Library collection.  The photograph is used with the permission of the Humboldt State University Library, Special Collections.)

  “Jacoby Creek Rock Quarry, Bayside, California.  Getting Rock for the Humboldt Bay Jetty”; Alternate title:  “Group portrait of minors at the rock quarry”; Palmquist Collection; Photo No. 2003.01.3222; Author/Creator: Ericson; Region:  04 – Arcata to Blue Lake to Korbel

• Bear Valley, Mariposa County, California - Buildings of Schist Slabs (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 little hamlet of Bear Valley, first named Simpsonville, is the site of a once important town in which John C. Fremont made his home. Several old stone buildings are still in use (circa 1948). All are made of schist slabs, set in lime mortar and plastered over with stucco. In one instance - a building on the west side of the highway at the south end of town - the stucco has been painted and grooved to resemble large, dressed blocks of stone. A local source for the stone building material is indicated by evidences of quarrying in schist outcrops within the town.Four adobe buildings also survive (circa 1948). One of these is unusual in having several courses of schist slabs laid in between courses of adobe blocks (Figs. 20, 21...."

  Fig. 19. Schist wall (detail), Bear Valley, DMBS Mrp-H-11.

  Fig. 22. Jail, Bear Valley, DMBS Mrp-H14.

  Photos of building of slab schist in Bear Valley (Photo taken 1998)

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