{"nrhp_refnum":"72000222","name":"Thorn House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"87 E. St. Charles St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Andreas","county":"Calaveras County","state":"CA","lat":38.19533148200003,"lon":-120.67871819999999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-02-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A residence at 87 East St. Charles in San Andreas, Calaveras County, California, built circa 1857 in a California version of New England Gothic style, with brick, native stone and adobe construction.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it the most imposing example of California \"Carpenter\" Gothic in Calaveras County. It was built by Sheriff Ben Thorn, known for his Gold Rush era law enforcement, including the capture of notorious bandits. It also had the first plastered interior in Calaveras County.","narrative":"Built around 1857 at 87 East St. Charles in San Andreas, this Gothic-style house was constructed by Sheriff Ben Thorn, a lawman famous for his work during the Gold Rush. Bricks were hauled from Stockton, about 50 miles away, by ox teams, while parts of the lower section use native stone and adobe, with walls 30 inches thick at the base. Features include a steep roof, ornamental barge boards, a porch, second-floor verandas on three sides, nine full-length French doors and a spiral wooden staircase. It had the first plastered interior in Calaveras County. The house was abandoned around 1952, then restored between 1957 and 1967 to match its original appearance while adding modern wiring, plumbing and heating. Original furnishings include a Weber grand piano and French pier mirrors. The nomination describes it as the most imposing California Carpenter Gothic example in the county, with nearly three acres of gardens.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date c. 1857)","architect_builder":"Built by Sheriff Ben Thorn","architectural_style":"California version of New England Gothic; California \"Carpenter\" Gothic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Restored 1957-67 as near to original as possible after being abandoned about 1952; condition listed as excellent and used as a private residence and museum, with occasional tours and benefit events.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.462438-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/72000222.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000222/c68041ca49-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000222/c68041ca49-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Bobak Ha'Eri","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0724-CA-SanAndreas-ThornHouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Bobak Ha'Eri</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0724-CA-SanAndreas-ThornHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123858488","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorn_House_(San_Andreas,_California)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14684134"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/calaveras-county/thorn-house-72000222/"}