Preservation Square and former St. Mark's Episcopal Church

The charming former church building sitting at the corner of Lane and Fourth Streets in Yreka is one of the most iconic buildings in town!  This wonderful landmark sits on the corner just across from the Siskiyou County Courthouse Square.  

            In July of 1876 the first Episcopal congregation met at the original courthouse to form and held the name as St. Paul’s Mission.  However, in less than a month the Church of St. Laurence was incorporated to serve the community.  Within same month (July) of 1876 the lot at the corner of Fourth and Lane was purchased for $200 for the purpose of building a church.  This lot was the former site of the old Metropolitan Hotel which is believed to have burned in the 1871 devastating fire that hit Yreka.  Within a couple of months the parishioners instituted a plan for the building and the original plans were suggested for a brick structure.  However it was in 1880 when the building we see today was built.  Reports from historical papers indicate that building began on the 15^th of May, 1880.  The first church services were held in the church on January 30, 1881.  The original price tag of the building and furnishings for the church was $3,100.  A marine architect constructed the church and the roof is supported by what looks like an upside down sailing ship hull under the outside roof line and shingles. The roof is made of 2 x 10 tongue and groove planks and is carried on seven arches to which equivalent rafters are fastened to form the peak.  The bracing of the rafters on the arches is much the same as that used when bracing the hull of an 1850 sailing ship.  The heavy work of the structure is bound together with wooden pegs. This building was definitely made to last, the exterior of the roof originally had a “striped” design (similar to what we see today) in the shingles and these original shingles served the church for 67 years and were made of sugar pine.  The first time the church building was “re-roofed” was in 1947.  The walls of the building are constructed of boards and batten, and the walls are also made of 2 by 10 tongue and groove pine.  In 1881 the windows were covered with fancy oiled paper, which was reported to have looked even “better” and more “ornamental” than stained glass. 

            In 1885 St. Laurence was renamed St. Mark’s and consecrated in June of that year.  The church was “out of debt” and paid for, and this was the cause for celebration and change.  The next year a new bell was hung at St. Mark’s and this original bell weighed 350 pounds.  Unfortunately in 1900 the bell at St. Mark’s fell and had to be replaced.  In 1915 St. Mark’s exchanged their bell for a heavier bell that hung at St. Barnabas in Dunsmuir.  This bell is still hanging in the bell tower today.

            On January 25, 1962 it was the annual church dinner and business meeting…but at 10:00 a.m. fire was discovered when smoke began billowing through the roof.  It had been zero and sub-zero weather and one of the oil stoves had been left burning on low to keep pipes from freezing.  Following this devastating fire the insurance company called the building a total loss.  In the end the parishioners decided they would salvage all they could and rebuild the church.  It was the interior that was the total loss and was replaced, but the exterior survived.  Today the interior is the replacement interior that was created, but the exterior is the same as it was in 1880.

            On August 20, 2010 it was with great sadness the congregation voted to close the long lived St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, a number of reasons were considered in this difficult decision including the economy, lack of interest, and an ageing population.  It was on January 1, 2011 that St. Mark’s Episcopal Church closed their doors and ended a legacy of service to Yreka.  But it wasn’t the end of life for this beautiful little building…

            In June of 2011 title of the property including the church building, the patio area, the brick block building in the back, and the former Victorian rectory that sits at the side was transferred to the Yreka (Historic) Preservation Corporation.  It is the goal of Yreka Preservation to utilize the buildings in positive ways for the community and preserve the building to the best of their ability.

            Today Preservation Square provides a venue for a wide variety of opportunities; the building has been used for weddings, social events, meetings, musical events, parties, lectures, films, etc.  The building is offered for rent to the community at low cost and the funds raised go toward maintaining the property.  The building is available to tour with prior arrangements with Yreka Preservation.

Copyright: Claudia East, 2008.

Smith & Rosenburg / Morrison & Lash Building

Photos Copyright Claudia East, 2008

Located on West Miner Street at 219, 221, and 223 resides this wonderful building that has been a landmark since the second story was added in 1896. Orignally there were other buildings in this location and the first were damaged in a 1862 fire, and later rebuilt only to be almost totalled in the big fire of 1871. Once again they were rebuilt in 1875. The buildings hosted a number of businesses during this time serving as a dry goods store, a commercial hotel, as well as a fruit, nut, vegetable and candy store. Looking at old fire maps one can determine that from 1885 up through 1890 one of the sections of these buildings was home to a General Store, the store on the west side of the building had a variety of businesses during that time with a tailor, a "lunch" store, and a real estate office.

It was in 1896 that Morrison and Lash purchased this building (which was actually two seperate buildings with a shared wall) and added the upper story to both sections. In Archie Noonan's book (thesis) self-published in 1976 titled, Yreka's West Miner Street he explains that in October 1896 the newspaper, the Yreka Journal described this new addition as having "two sets of offices built especially for lawyers and doctors." The building was reported to have "two handsome bay windows extending three feet over the sidewalk."

A local billiard parlor, "Con Brown's" resided on the lower floor in this building for many years, sometimes one can still hear local folks refer to Con Brown's Place. Currently "The Book Store" (Trans Book Company) has been in this location since 1974 and Lalo's Restaurant has been in this location for almost as long.

Copyright Claudia East, 2008.

First Baptist Church ~ 1948

Photo copyright Claudia East 2008

Sitting at the corner of Yama and North Oregon Streets in Yreka nestled among mostly beautiful victorian and historical houses one will find the First Baptist Church, a simple but strong appearing cement block building. At first one might wonder ~ why this architecture, why not something more complementary to the surroundings? A peek into the timeline may answer some of the questions!

It was on July 27, 1947 that the founding of this church began with the first meeting of this congregation. Ground breaking ceremonies for the church above were held on October 17, 1948 and the church was dedicated on December 4, 1949. The first regular minister was a Rev. E. Halcrow. In September of 1972 the church held 25th anniversary ceremonies and the Siskiyou Daily News ran a short article and photo on September 6, 1972 regarding this event.

Concrete block construction had been around since since early 1900s, but it was in the 1940s that concrete block construction took a "leap"... technology in producing these concrete blocks was improved by new patents and builders and architects were looking for more efficient ways to build inexpensively and a the same time improve fireproofing and insulation. Concrete slab floors were also becoming more accepted and the concrete block construction lent itself well to this technique. It was "post war" (WWII) and having things new and modern was absolutely high on many lists! At this time one must remember that victorian architecture was 50 years old and definitely out of style. (Today it would be early 1960 construction that would hit that mark.) Many towns, cities, and people were eager to embrace the newer more youthful look of new construction. Whether or not these were some of the reasons the First Baptist Church took on this appearance is not known to this author, but it is an "educated" guess.

Copyright Claudia East, 2008

Charles A. Larison Home 1890

Located on the corner of North and North Oregon Streets in Yreka sits the Charles A. Larison Home that was originally built in 1890. Charles A. Larison was a dentist and had his practice here in Yreka. At the turn of the century his offices were located in the upstairs of the Siskiyou County Bank Building (also known as the Guilbert Building) located at 216 Miner Street. Dr. Larison was born about 1859 in California and in 1883 married Dora Peters in Yreka. It is mentioned in the 1976 Siskiyou Pioneer [a publication of the Siskiyou County Historical Society] on page 55 that Charles A. Larison was also a local photographer in the 1890's. He was in his early 50's when he died and left his widow and at least two children at home.

This house has changed only a little during its nearly 120 year life... maps that show the "footprint" of the home the year it was built shows a nearly flat front and some porches on the back of the home not visible in the image above. By 1897 the house changed to the appearance as seen in the image above. The front south corner of the house was angled off and additional space was created by making rooms out of the old porches in the back and additing additional porch space. Sometime between 1908 and 1927 bay windows were added on the south side of the home.

Today this fine structure serves as apartment dwellings. The image seen above was taken from a magazine article written in 1897 and the Larison home was one of Yreka's "showcase" structures.
Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2008.

DeWitt and Peters Building 1897-98

Currently standing on the corner of Miner and North Oregon Streets, The DeWitt and Peters Building broke ground in the fall of 1897 and the building was completed in 1898 at a cost less than $7,000. Prior to this building being constructed a portion of the lot was vacant and the east half of the lot was occupied by the old Yreka Brewery owned by G. H. Peters. In the 1850s the original Yreka Bakery stood on the west half of this lot on Miner and Oregon Streets according to research conducted by Robert Noonan in 1976 in his publication Yreka's West Miner Street Buildings, Blocks 200 - 300, 1851 - 1900.

The Yreka Journal on September 24, 1897 ran an article on this "new" building designed by Architect, G. W. Cooper. They described the layout of the building to have two new stores on the bottom floor, and a large assembly hall (rented by the Knights of Pythias and other orders...) and offices on the second story. "Mr. DeWitt of the Bee Hive store will occupy the corner and Peters will rent the other portion of the building downstairs." The building was also described as having a large cement cellar to be built in connection with the original cellar once used by the Yreka Brewery on the back portion of the lot. It was also stressed that there would be sidewalk elevators for "lowering and raising goods when wanted." In addition, the paper pointed out that the upper story would likely not be finished until spring as the cold weather might damage the plastering.

The exterior of the building is from red sand stone taken from a quarry at Little Shasta, according to a news article from the Yreka Journal ~ it was the first time this stone was utilized for building purposes in the area. According to further Noonan research (see above) a Mr. Ed Armstrong was in charge of the masonry, and the roof was constructed by the Iunker Brothers.

Today this fine building still stands and is proudly owned by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks as a lodge. The photo above shows the building as it was in about 1905. Today the lower portion of the building is covered with board and batten siding to conceal the large windows.

You might wish to look at the SketchupbyDawn Blog for the August 14, 2008 post, he has a nice 3-D drawing of the original building. You can link here or check out the Blogs I am watching on the side panel: http://sketchupbydawn.blogspot.com/

For those of you with our book, Yreka, Images of America by Arcadia Publishing you can find other images with this building in the photos on pages 35, 52,and 115.

Copyright: Claudia A. East, 2008.

Powers Building ~ Clarendon Hotel 1879 & 1882

Located on Miner Street in "Old Town" Yreka between Broadway and Third Streets, the building with the "pink" second story and the "green" ground floor was originally known as the W. W. Powers Building, and had three different business suites in a single story when it was built in 1879. In 1882 the second story was added with 22 rooms and it became the Powers Hotel. A few years later, in 1888, the business became known as the Clarendon Hotel and operated for more than 75 years under that name! In 1897 the building underwent extensive remodeling and was the first hotel in Yreka to be wired for electricity! It also had a very nice observation deck off of the second story which also served as a covered walkway for patrons and people walking along the boardwalk below. This deck was often favored during festivities and parades as it afforded a great view. In a description of the Clarendon Hotel in 1891 it was advertised that the rates for a room began at $1.25. According to historical information the Clarendon Bar was in a building adjacent to the Hotel. A fine image of this hotel as it was seen when relatively "new" can be found in the 1976 Siskiyou Pioneer, an annual publication of the Siskiyou County Historical Society. Reprints of this book may still be available at the Siskiyou County Museum located at 910 S. Main Street in Yreka, California.

The building is brick with a stucco finish as it appears today in the photo above. The basic structure of the building has not drastically changed, although the windows on the ground floor business suites have been modernized and enlarged considerably. The upstairs windows appear similar to early photos of the building with the curved archway at the top. The stucco exterior was likely added sometime after the turn of the century.

The street level has accommodated various businesses throughout the many years this building has stood. The current paint theme certainly brings notice to the building but is not a exterior color scheme that this writer believes would have been viewed after the turn of the century when the original brick was stuccoed. 

Copyright: Claudia East, 2008

Franco-American Hotel 1850's

The Franco-American Hotel is one of Yreka's major landmarks. It is located in the 300 block of Miner Street in the heart of the "old town" Yreka. For many years it was a major hotel that served many who traveled "well". Among notables who stayed here, President Hayes and his family lodged here in 1880. The original building is reported to have been a narrow two story brick home built sometime in the early 1850s. In 1855 a Frenchman, Leon Marniesse, purchased the house and it soon became the Franco-American Hotel. [The exterior photo above was taken during Yreka's 150th Celebration of the city's incorporation in 2007. ]

Over the years many changes and improvements were made to this property. A big change came in 1867 when Mr. Marniesse increased the frontage of the building and added a second story and balcony. Mr. Marniesse owned and operated the building until his death just a year later in 1868.

Mr. John B. Rohrer obtained the Hotel following Mr. Marniesse's death and operated the hotel with a first class restaurant for many years. During this time both North and Southbound stages stopped here on a regular basis. After the railroad came to the area in the late 1880s "hacks" (buggies for hire) carried guests and visitors from the train depot (either from Montague depot or Yreka depot) to the hotel.

Around the turn of the century, 1899-1900 the ownership was held by a Charles Bohnart and managed by Charles Herzog. Further improvements and building enlargements were made during this time. It is interesting to note that today, behind this vintage building, is an apartment complex. This apartment building was once a part of the Franco-American Hotel and a portion of it served as a new dining room and the upstairs with additional suites. It was moved north from the building to where it sits today.

During the 1940s the name was changed to Hotel Yreka and the facade was changed dramatically. The balcony was removed and the building had a more "modern" streamlined look to it. During the mid 1970s when Yreka received the designation of a National Historic District the building facade was restored to its 1880s appearance.

Today the building still serves businesses on the street level as it has for 150 years! The hotel is no longer in operation and has been partially rejuvenated.  The upstairs currently serves as a residence. For those of you that might have a copy of our book, Yreka, Images of America by Arcadia Publishing you can find other views and information on pages 4, 13, 45, and 52.

Copyright: Claudia East, 2008 ~ updated 2015

Louis Wetzel Home 1896

Locally this has been known as the "Honeymoon Cottage" according to a historical account published in Houses That Talk written by Fred J. Meamber and R. Bernice Soule Meamber in 1986. Originally built and known as the Louis J. Wetzel home for his June bride, Gertrude Nixon. Gertrude was the daughter of the local newspaper editor of the Yreka Journal, Mr. Robert Nixon. This home is located at 327 Third Street, Yreka, California in the heart of the National Historic District. Local folklore tells us that Robert Nixon was a direct ancestor of the former U. S. President, Richard Nixon, but to date no direct proof in scholarly form has been seen by this author.

Louis went into business and joined his father in his mercantile endeavors on Miner Street in downtown Yreka. The young couple had three children while they lived here. In 1910, however, the Wetzels sold the cottage to a family member and moved to Oakland, California where Mr. Wetzel went into the real estate business and did quite well. He lived in the new district of Oakland Hills.

Within a couple of years the home sold again to a Forest Supervisor, a Mr. William B. Rider. Following that transaction the home has sold several times throughout the years until the present.

Copyright: Claudia East, 2008

Guilbert & Siskiyou County Bank Building 1872 & 1899

Still sitting proudly on the Northeast corner of Miner and Third Streets is a victorian business building that has served the community of Yreka and the surrounding area for over 100 years. Prior to the great fire of 1871 another building sat on this spot and was owned by a Buenaventura Guilbert. The building hosted a variety of businesses including a billiard saloon, a boot store and coffee and lunch stand. The building was rebuilt following the fire and was back in operation by 1872. At this time Mr. Guilbert had a soda factory in the building, and auction sales were regularly held in the front portion of the structure. This building even served as one of the main exhibit halls during the local County Fair for a number of years. During this time it was a single story structure.

Between the years of 1878 and 1886 a variety of businesses occupied the premises. In July of 1886 the Siskiyou County Bank and the Wells, Fargo Express Company moved in to the building. At this time a vault was built expressly for the bank and Wells, Fargo. In 1899 the building was enlarged with a second story. Folks who may have travelled to Yreka at the turn of the century would still recognize this building today. A few changes have occurred over the years, but the basic structure has remained intact, the largest changes being the front door that originally was at the corner on Third Street rather than in the center location where it appears today. This building operated as a bank from 1886 until 1955.

Since 1955 there have been a wide variety of businesses that have occupied this building. It currently has a rather "fanciful" painted theme, however, for a vast majority of its years the building was a light plain color on the stucco exterior, and prior to being stuccoed and painted, it was simply brick.

Copyright: Claudia East, 2008

Chamberlain-Stimmel Building Circa 1855

Located on the corner of West Miner and North Oregon Street in Yreka is this wonderful old brick building. On the side is a historical plaque that provides some information about the building's past. This is one of the few buildings in Yreka that escaped the terrible fire of 1871 that burned something like 13 blocks of town! In old photos of Miner Street dated from the Modoc War period this building can be seen.

It is unknown when the first brick was laid, but in 1856, just five years after the discovery of gold in Yreka this building was purchased by a H. E. Stimmel, a immigrant from Germany, and he bought the building from a Mr. William Chamberlain. Mr. Stimmel opened a stove shop, selling parlor and cooking stoves; he later broadened his stock to include more general hardware. In many old photos along the top edge of the building in letters large enough to be read clearly from a distance one could see the words, stove, hardware, etc. For many years a wooden awning covered the walkways completely on both street sides.

Around 1900 Mr. Stimmel went to his grave and the building was sold. It was later remodeled a bit with larger glass windows. At this writing an exact date is unknown, but likely by 1910 (or earlier) the downstairs of this building served the city of Yreka as the U. S. Post Office. The postal service was here until the Warrens Building (previously located on Miner and Broadway) was built in 1931. Mr. Warrens specifically designed a portion of that building for the Post Office. In addition to being home to the Post Office, this building has seen many businesses come and go including such things as a grocery, fruit store, mortuary, clothing store, art gallery and others. One of the unique features of the building is the tin ceiling in the main downstairs area. It has been elaborately painted and is worth the walk downtown just to take a look!

Currently the downstairs portion of this building is home to the Daily Grind, a coffee and sandwich shop. It is the only coffee shop in Yreka at this writing that has free Wi-Fi so out of town visitors often stop here to squeeze in a few minutes online while they enjoy their favorite coffee or tea.

Copyright: Claudia East, 2008.

Yreka Rail Station 1888 & 1910

The railroads of the late 1800's and early 1900's were exciting in so many ways! It suddenly provided transportation at wonderful new speeds ~ and a new way to expand one's business and pleasure. Yreka was thrilled when the first news (around 1873) of a California & Oregon Railroad was coming our way! Unfortunately by 1886 Yreka was given the gloomy news that the railroad would be bypassing the city and finding a less expensive route. In 1888 the Yreka Railroad began construction to lay a track to the small town of Montague about 7 1/2 miles away to meet up with the California & Oregon Railroad. The city fathers knew without rail service Yreka would be in financial trouble. Within one year the new Yreka Railroad was open for business!

The original station was located near what is now South Main and Broadway, where the roads merge, at the "Y". It served Yreka there until about 1910. The station was rebuilt to the East of Yreka Creek where it remains today. The move was prompted by several very bad floods of Yreka Creek and damage interrupted the rail traffic. 1901 saw one of the worst floods and there are numerous vintage photos of this event in local history books largely courtesy of the Siskiyou County Museum.

The current station is larger than the original, but has the same appearance as the original depot. This railroad route has been through many changes over the years and currently operates the "Blue Goose Train" ~ an excursion for locals, tourists, and railroad fans! They have a nice website you may wish to visit: Yreka Western If you visit Yreka in the summertime, this is a great activity!

The Yreka Railroad has had a rich yet sometimes fretful history, it has been a very important part of the city of Yreka and has influenced her history beyond measure.

Copyright: Claudia East

Parr-Steele House 1900

It was 1900 and a traveling dentist, Dr. William Parr decided to stay in Yreka and build a home for his family. History tells us that he designed this home himself and had it built by a local contractor/builder, Mr. O. A. Bennett. [Interestingly enough, Mr. Bennett won the contract for adding the North and South Wings onto the original Siskiyou County Courthouse and was a notable figure in town.] It is reported that the original cost of this home for Dr. Parr was $2,500. Dr. Parr lived in the home only a short two years and then sold the property. It changed hands again in 1905 and Mr. O. G. Steele purchased the home. Mr. Steele lived in the home until his death in 1976.

The home stands today at 415 Third Street in Yreka, California. A major portion of Third Street has been honored with the distinction of being a National Historic District. At the Yreka Chamber of Commerce visitors can pick up a brochure that includes a walking tour of the Historic District and this home is one of the ones listed on the tour. It is a delightful walk from the "old downtown" Historic District.

The interior of the home has retained the vast majority of its original character, with a very unusual spiral staircase that encompases the entire "tower section" of the building. The home has a lovely entrance with the impressive staircase at the right and large pocket doors that lead into the interior of the home. Today the home boasts a total of 3,437 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. There is a formal study, formal dining room, and "parlor" in addition to a lovely sun porch.

Copyright: Claudia East

Siskiyou County High School, Yreka 1894

The first (and then) only high school in Siskiyou County was built in Yreka in 1894. Students came from throughout the county to attend high school here. The school was located on the corner of North Oregon and Knapp Streets. The first graduating class was in 1896, with eight students listed on the roster. It is interesting to note that for many years the school physically stood just outside the official city limits to the North of town. The city limit was right at the south edge of the school property.

This fine building was one of major civic pride. The high school was usually mentioned when promoting the city of Yreka or the County of Siskiyou. The County prepared a special booklet for the 1915 Panama Exposition in San Francisco and among the entries was acclaim for the excellence of the school.

On October 3, 1916 fire broke out late at night and the entire building was consumed. The only thing that remained in the morning was the first two floors outer brick walls. It was a total loss to the community. The Siskiyou News ran an article about the fire on October 5, 1916. The building was insured, however, and plans were quickly made to rebuild a newer, more modern building.

Where this fine building once stood, the City and County rebuilt a new school ~ which is also gone today. Currently the same spot is occupied by a small sports park and all vestiges of this once proud building are gone except for a plaque at the park entrance.

Copyright: Claudia East

F. S. Ackerman House 1879 (rebuilt 1899)

Located at the northernmost corner of the "official" Historic District on the National Register, this house still stands.

The building has had essentially two "lives". It was originally erected in 1879 in a different location, about 2 blocks south where the Fry House built in 1899 is located. (Currently the Fry House is the locally famous James Place Antiques) When Charles Fry decided to build he needed to tear down this 1879 home. Mr. Frank Ackerman, a local pharmacist, was happy to help!

Mr. Ackerman purchased the lumber, windows, and other parts of the house and had it rebuilt on his lot at the corner of Third and Lennox Streets. He did add to the house and with his wife's wishes as history is reported, that it was her desire for a curved porch. The main portion of the house was rebuilt in a design similar to the original.

Mr. Ackerman served as the pharmacist and manager of the Churchill Drug Store for over 30 years. In 1918 he along with his son purchased the Drug Store and operated it as the Ackerman Drug Store for another 10 years.

This house is located at 419 Third Street and is listed on the historic walking tour of Yreka pamphlet available at the Chamber of Commerce.

Copyright: Claudia East

The John E. Pashburg Home 1900

The John E. Pashburg home was built in 1900 on North Oregon Street in Yreka. At the time it was built the home was on the edge of town. Across the street and about 1/3 of a block north stood the Siskiyou County High School a wonderful victorian building erected in 1894.

John E. Pashburg was the son of one of Yreka's founding fathers, a merchant who arrived in Yreka about 1854 just 3 years from the first discovery of gold here. John E. Pashburg built this home for his then soon-to-be bride, Mable Rogene DeWitt. The home was completed just prior to their wedding in October of 1900. The Pashburg's lived in this home and raised their family here and then sold the home in 1928. John E. Pashburg served as the County Treasurer/Tax Collector for many years as well as eventually inheriting a portion of his father's merchandise business and operating it along with his brother-in-law.

The home as pictured has been remodeled both inside and out the first occurring around 1916. The upstairs was originally only one large bedroom and bath according to historical information. The upstairs suffered a major fire in 1934 and was rebuilt that same year to accommodate the entire size of the downstairs floor plan.

Each and every home in Yreka has their own unique story to tell ~ the historic homes are especially interesting.

Copyright: Claudia East