Adventure: 051, Site 138 – National Hotel

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 138 – National Hotel

No numbered plaque on site

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  September 27, 2012

Location:

Latitude: 37° 57.164′ N

Longitude: 120° 25.383′ W

Address: 18183 Main Street, Jamestown CA

Description:

Date Built: 1859

As you may be able to tell from some of the history, this hotel is not a stately, upper-brow lodging place, but a place which fit its time. Still when we saw the hotel, we were really hoping to find a plaque—and we did. It looks like it should be part of the history of Jamestown.



Inscription from HMDB:
This historic Gold Rush Landmark, built in 1859 by Heinrich Neilson as the Hotel Europe, housed miners and notables: offered lodging, meals and a saloon. The original building was badly damaged by fire of 1901 and 1927.

Renamed the National Hotel in early 1900’s it is one of the oldest continuously operated hotels in the Mother Lode. Present owners-partners took over in 1974. Their restoration has preserved much of the past such as the use of the original bar.

Some interesting items from the hotel's history site:

During Prohibition, the National Hotel was raided several times. as read in The Union Democrat of January 5, 1927, which stated that government agents were looking for liquor. Agents seized; 9 - 50 gallon barrels of wine, 1 - 100 gallon barrel of wine, 1 - demijohn of wine, 2 - 10 gallon kegs of brandy and corn whiskey. Owner, Joe Graziano was fined $500
Legalized prostitution was conducted here until the late 1930's and gambling including slot machines until 1949.
The original back bar is still utilized today and a working cash register dating to 1881 is also in view, although it is handicapped by the fact that a maximum of $6.95 can be rung at any one time. Much of the wood wainscoting which is visible throughout the building is original, although it was originally built as floor to ceiling wall paneling.
A gold mine shaft remains at the rear of the garden courtyard, although it is covered and usually full of water. Someday, we may open it and add a water fountain.






References:

• Historical Marker Database (HMDB.org)
  
• Waymarking
  
• National Hotel Web Site and Restoration Work
  

Overall Landmark References:

• Historical Marker Database (HMDB)
  
• WayMarking (WAY)