{"nrhp_refnum":"73000257","name":"Tower House District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":null,"address_restricted":true,"city":"Whiskeytown","county":"Shasta County","state":"CA","lat":40.664,"lon":-122.636,"geom_source":"wikidata"},"listed_date":"1973-07-02","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Commerce","Agriculture","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 20-acre historic district of 14 sites and structures along Highway 299 near Whiskeytown, Shasta County, California, centered on the Camden House and the site of the Tower House hotel, with origins in the early 1850s. It lies within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area.","why_significant":"Levi Tower built the Tower House, first called the Free Bridge House, in the early 1850s to serve travelers on roads linking Shasta, Yreka, Weaverville and French Gulch. The district typifies traveler accommodations on the route to the gold fields and the Old California-Oregon Trail. Its farming, gold mining and travel activities represent settlement of the area.","narrative":"Along Highway 299 near Whiskeytown, this 20-acre district preserves the remains of a gold rush-era stop for travelers and the farm that supplied it. Levi Tower built the Tower House hotel in the early 1850s to serve those moving among Shasta, Yreka, Weaverville and French Gulch. The hotel burned long ago and its exact location is unknown. Charles Camden, who married Tower's sister, later built the two-story wooden Camden House, and he also mined gold and built a toll road to Shasta. Surviving features include the house and outbuildings, a foot bridge, an old apple orchard, Tower's grave, barns, a farm house, bridge supports, an irrigation system and the Bickford Mine with its working one-stamp mill. Much is in deteriorated condition after vandalism and neglect. The district was recognized as representative of travel, gold mining and farming in this part of California during the 19th century.","period_of_significance":"19th Century","architect_builder":"Levi Tower (Tower House); Charles Camden (Camden House)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition marked deteriorated; the Camden House has been vandalized. The Bickford Mine's one-stamp mill is still operable and the irrigation system is in active use.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.240779-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/73000257.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861952","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_House_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123134614"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/shasta-county/tower-house-district-73000257/"}