Visit Date: March 31, 2021I wish all of the buildings from the 1948 survey were still around. Unfortunately, time has won in its battle against many of them. Those destroyed structures that are in country can be so hard to find. But when they were in a city, they can be much easier to find. That was the case with Rother's tin shop, Sonora, Tuolumne County. The address (919 Washington Street) was even printed right there in Bulletin 141, my guide to these old buildings. So not too difficult to figure out, plus the fact it says "Rother" right on the front of the new building. The City of Sonora did something really thoughtful when they re-built the structure. Instead of putting in a Starbucks or Subway, they made the building into a fire museum and senior center. The day I visited I picked up some interesting history about the building from the retired firefighter tending the museum. I'm not buying all of his ideas about why the building came to be (something about having a place where high school kids wouldn't loiter), but he was an absolute gentleman and I appreciated everything he was willing to share. I highly recommend stopping in if you are in Sonora.
0 Comments
Visit Date: March 31, 2021Fortunately the State Legislature in their great wisdom have blessed state employees with the best possibly holiday, Cesar Chavez Day. Why the best holiday? Because my kids don't get it off, so its like a free day just for me, usually in middle of the week. This year I decided to honor the great labor leader with a visit Sonora in Tuolumne County. I was able to find many buildings from Bulletin 141 on this day, but I started with the Italia House, which is currently known as the Gunn House Hotel (286 S Washington St, Sonora). I was able to quickly find the building. No problem there. Today the Gunn House Hotel is a notable inn in Sonora with a nice website, although with I think a somewhat suggestive history in their "About Us". My problem that day came with trying to get the right angle for the repeat photography. (Thanks Waste Management!) I needed to be about 3 steps to the left, which would have put me in the middle of the dumpster that was set up in the parking lot of the motel next to the Gunn House. Did I consider climbing in to see if I would get the right angle? Maybe, but I had a long day ahead so decided to just keep it clean, keep it classy. The image below though works as a fairly accurate repeat photograph. I don't think I'll need to visit again to capture that exact spot I always want. After walking the Streets of Sonora, I find it hard to understand why the authors of Bulletin 141 selected this structure to include when there are so many great stone buildings in Sonora. (See the City Hotel just up the street.) The building doesn't look like one of the classic brick or stone structures. Bulletin 141 notes that the then Italia Hotel "contains at least one interior adobe wall of the original structure." But this was not the photo that they gave us. I wonder if maybe they were comped a dinner or room by the owners in trade for inclusion in the publication? [Note to Sonora restaurant owners, I'll add your building to this blog if you buy me a drink.] In addition to their description of the building, the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps don't indicate that it was stone or brick structure. The image below is from the 1890 Sonora Sanborn maps and shows the hotel as a boarding house (This is part of the sketchy past that I think the current owners are maybe just a little misrepresenting. They haven't always been a nice traditional hotel.) Because it is shown as colored yellow, the building was recorded as having a wood frame construction, not brick (red) or stone (blue). The key to the Sanborn map is at right. In 1908 the Sanborn people returned and conducted a much more thorough survey of Sonora. During those 18 years, the Italia House (in lower right of image below) expanded slightly, but more importantly, added a bar. They probably needed the bar in order to complete with the new Europa Hotel and bocce ball court that had opened across the street. I think a future project may be to eat (or have a drink) at as many of these buildings that serve as I can. Possibly starting next Cesar Chavez Day!
|
AuthorMy name is Jeff and I am on a hunt to find historic brick and stone structures along Highway 49. Archives
January 2022
Categories
All
|