Coulterville Hotel

The original structure was built in 1882 as a private residence by William McCarthy who was both a pharmacist and Wells Fargo Agent next to his place of work. In 1894, the place was leased to Percy Davis. Davis then added two stories and opened the building as the Coulterville Hotel. The hotel was a large and impressive three-storied establishment until it burned down in the 1899 fire, leaving nothing but the rock walls.

Wells Fargo and McCarthy's Store

The Wells Fargo building was a brick building erected in 1856. The massive iron doors are still in place, which preserved helped the building through the fires of Coulterville's past. Nelson Cody, brother of Buffalo Bill Cody, was the Wells Fargo agent in the 1870s and also served for a time as postmaster. William McCarthy later became the Wells Fargo agent and opened his pharmacy within the building.

Hangman's Tree

Coulterville's Hanging Tree is a giant ganrly oak which was used to mete out frontier justice to those found guilty of capital crimes. On March 16, 1856, Leon Ruiz was strung up for the vicious robbery and murder of two Chinese miners at Bear Valley, from whose sluice the outlaw stole more than $600 in gold. This was one of the all too uncommon events where the local Chinese population had sufficient political clout to receive justice. It is said that apparitions of men hanging from the branches can occassionally be seen.

Whistling Billy

The eight-ton Porter Locomotive was bought by the Merced Gold Mining Company for $3,500, shipped around the Horn and brought to Coulterville by mule train in 1897. The locomotive ran on a 30 in gauge track and was capable of hauling 15 ore cars (each weighing five tons when loaded). Just west of town, the tracks Whistling Billy ran on ran four miles from Mary Harrison Mine to Black Creek Potosi Mill (known as Forty-Stamper). The climb was steep and twisting due to the many switchbacks and sharp turns in the rough terrain, which earned it the title of "Crookedest Railway in the World". At one point, the track crossed Maxwell Creek on a fifty foot high wooden trestle.

Barrett Blacksmith Shop

Built in the early 1850s, Barrett's Blacksmith Shop was where local miners would have their tools and mining equipment made and repaired, their horses and mules shod, and their other smithing needs met. Over the years, Barrett's served as a garage, gas station, and (eventually) grocery store.

Hotel Jeffery

The original cantina and fandango hall was originally built in late 1840s (some sources say 1851) with two stories and adobe walls 30 inches thick. It was known as the Mexican Hotel when George Jeffery purchased it in 1852. The Jeffery family owned and operated the hotel for many years, repairing it every time it burned down when fires swept through Coulterville. Each rebuilding added to the hotel until it became the striking three-story building one finds today. The Jeffery Hotel has had many distinguished guests in its past including Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and John Muir. The hotel is said to be haunted with up to 17 ghosts. Sadly, the Hotel was closed and on the market when we were in town in May 2019.

Magnolia Saloon

Once the oldest operating saloon in CA, the Magnolia Saloon was established in 1851. It is part of the Jeffery Hotel and was closed when we visited in May 2019.

Chinese Laundry

Presumably, the Chinese Laundry was opened in 1860. It later became a storeroom for the Magnolia Saloon.

Old Post Office

Originally Alex Guerra's barber shop, this building later became the Coulterville Post Office. For a time it was the North County Visitor Center (now at 5014 Main St).

Old Johnny Haigh Saloon

The Haigh family arrived in 1849 and Johnny Haigh opened a saloon here. The structure is protected from fires by a layer of dirt in the ceiling. The saloon closed in April 2018.

Cigar Store

Over time, the shop has had many occupants, including a candy store, goldsmith, and cigar store.

Bruschi Store

Built in 1860 by Francisco Bruschi, this building was originally the family home, then became a bakery. The original walls of schist and mud still survive. The building now houses Fielding's Trading Post.

E.E. Warne Store

Originally built in 1860s (some sources say 1870s or 1880s) by E.E. Warne, the store that bears his name is one of the most unique buildings in Coulterville. There was a general store on the first floor and living quarters on the second. The Knights of Pythias held lodge meetings upstairs for a number of years. The building was destroyed in the 1899 fire, but was soon rebuilt with side walls of quarried stone and a wooden false front and balcony. The building became an antique store in 1973 and restoration completed in 2003. The ground floor remains an antique store while the living quarters on the second floor is currently a bed and breakfast (Yosemite Coulterville Inn, formerly Rose Cottage).

Jail

This small, cozy jail was built in 1899. The cable from the Mary Harrison Mine hoist was used for reinforcing the walls. The jail is quite escape proof.

Powder House

Built in 1860 to house explosives used at the local gold and hard rock mines, this building in the only known powder house in the county where adobe material was used in the construction. Very few powder houses remain standing due to the volatile nature of explosives. Most powder houses were built either of brick or stone and located at the outskirts of town.

Bruschi Brothers Warehouse

By 1857, Bruschi had three thriving businesses, so it became necessary to build this warehouse for his merchandise. After one of the Coulterville fires gutted his three stores, Bruschi converted the warehouse into a general store (one side a meat market and the other sold general merchandise) and conducted business there until his death in 1893. The warehouse survived the fire due to its thick adobe walls and the layer of dirt above the ceiling. The dirt prevented the fire from coming into the building and only the wooden shingle roof burned.

The Mint

The structure was built around 1860 and the oldest record of ownership placed the structure with Francisco Bruschi. The property was sold to George Barlow in 1885 (according to one source), but was shortly after in the possession of Tom Hollow and housed a blacksmith's shop. The structure was sold to John and Susie Pendray in 1889 and rebuilt after a fire in 1890. The upper level (since removed) was added around 1900 and eventually opened into a bar, restaurant. and ice cream parlor called "The Mint." In 1936 (or 1935 according to another source), the site was sold to Louis Milani who opened "The 49er Club." Nine years later, it became the "Emporium", which sold a large variety of goods.

Gazzolo Store

The store was built around 1860 as two separate, two-storied buildings. The door on the right opened into a barber shop and (at some point) a post office. The door on the left led to a clothing store. Theclothing store burned in one of the many fires that swept through Coulterville in the late 1800s. After a fire gutted much of the interior in 1995, the store was rebuilt as a single structure (less the second story).

Gazzolo Building

The original one-story building was constructed with stone in the early 1850s and housed a saloon. Giant blocks of ice were hauled in from Yosemite by wagons and stored in the an ice room, enabling the saloon to provide cool drinks well into the summer for its patrons. Most of the other saloons in town could not match this enticement. The second story was added after the fire in 1899 and built of wood. It served as a fandango hall and hotel for a time.

Commissiona Store

The main part of the building was built in the 1870s and housed the general store operated by Mrs. Commissiona for many years. The stone portion of the building is a later addition and used as a warehouse for the store. The store eventually came into the possession of the Canova family, who operated the store until the 1940s.

Sample Family Home

Originally built as a residence, this building later became Sample's Rooming House. It became Holland's Grocery Store some years later. It is now the Coulter Cafe and General Store.

Yosemite Garage

Built in 1915 by Demetri Bruschi, the tin-covered building was used as a stage stop and then as a garage for the first Model-A tour buses travelling with passengers to Yosemite. In 1933, it became the first headquarters for the Northside California Division of Forestry. The building now houses the local VFW Post and Canteen.

Harlow House

This building was originally built as a home for the Harlow family, who owned and operated a nearby livery stable. It is currently a bakery and cafe.

Ellis House

Believed to have been built shortly after the 1899 fire, this building as the childhood home of Vince Ellis, a longtime resident and stage driver of Coulterville.

I.O.O.F. Building

Though this building was constructed in 1900, it is built in the Greek Revival architectural style on the site of an earlier lodge building (presumably a victim of the 1899 fire). The edifice is constructed of redwood and still used for lodge meetings and community events.

Canova Store

Built in early 1860s, this building was Giacoma Canova's residence and his general merchandise store. Afterwards, the building housing the store was incorporated into the house and moved from the side to the rear. The store was operated until 1917.

Canova Warehouse

Mexican stone masons constructed the building around 1870 with three foot thick walls made of schist stone, mud, and mortar. The building was virtually fire-proof and used by the Canova family until 1959.

The Boardwalk

Built in the 1930s by the Canova family, this garage housed the Coulterville fire truck before the present firehouse was built.

Candy's Place

This building was used as a bordello by Candy for years until she ran away with a prominent citizen and never returned. The roses from the rose bush in front of the house were her trademark.

Sun Sun Wo Store

Built in 1851, this store is the lone remnant of one of the Mother Lode's largest Chinatowns. The store's abode walls were formed from soil which came from the store's basement excavation. Several inches of dirt were placed over the beamed ceiling which help insulate the indoors from the summer heat and winter's chill. It also made the ceiling fire resistant as evident by it being one of the few buildings in Coulterville to survive the 1899 fire intact. Sun Sun Wo Store is one of the last adobe structures left in the Mother Lode.

The store was named after its original owners, Mow Da Sun and his son, Sun Kow. It was the largest Chinese-owned store in Coulterville, filling extensive orders from the surrounding mines and ranches, not just the local Chinatown. In later years, some ranches had direct telephone lines to the store. Sun Sun Wo Store remained in continuous operation from 1851 to 1926. The original shelves and counters are still inside. Storerooms, a blacksmith shop, and the store's offices are at the rear of the building. Strong evidence points to part of the office being used as an opium den.

Musante House

Originally the residence of the Boisse family, this house is an example of earlier Victorian architecture. The rock gardens were constructed by John Musante, who also directed the contruction of ornate rock works that can be seen in Yosemite Valley (e.g. the fireplace at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite).

James Gazzolo House

This house was built by James Gazzolo for his mother, Maria, around 1900.

Tiscorgnia (Tiscornia?) House

This is the old Goss Ranch which was home to Andrew Goss from (presumably) 1883 to 1904.

Coulter House

This Neo-Colonial house was built by George Coulter in 1857.

Coulterville Cemeteries

Coulterville once had Catholic and Chinese (Ching) cemeteries, but whatever remains of these are both on private lands at opposite ends of town. When we tried to find the Chinese Cemetery, we came across the following sign:

The third cemetery -- Public Cemetery - is the largest and has been in use since the 1850s. We didn't visit this graveyard since it was pretty late in the day when we visited Coulterville and we were just pooped out.