Preston Castle
Also known as: Preston School of Industry
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Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Preston Castle is a three-story brick and sandstone building with a basement, on a knoll about half a mile north of Ione, California. Erected between 1890 and 1894 to designs by San Francisco architect Henry Schultze, it features a bell tower, turrets, arched porticos and rusticated masonry in the Romanesque Revival manner associated with H. H. Richardson. The building was the first to house the Preston School of Industry, authorized by the state legislature in 1889 for juvenile offenders. Senator Anthony Caminetti wanted an institution as unlike a prison as possible. It opened July 3, 1894 with seven youths from San Quentin, and 234 boys lived there by the end of the first year. Originally it held the superintendent, classrooms, hospital and a basement swimming pool. The last staff left in 1960, and the building has stood abandoned since. The roof leaks and the interior has deteriorated, but the exterior remains largely intact. It is regarded as the region's finest example of its style.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the most significant example of Romanesque Revival architecture in the Mother Lode region, reminiscent of H. H. Richardson's work. It was planned and built as a school rather than a prison, which the form presents as evidence of California's first major attempt at reform for young offenders.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 75000422, listed July 30, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Ione on Preston Ave., Ione |
|---|---|
| County | Amador County |
| Listed | July 30, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000422 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1890-1894 |
| Architect / builder | Henry Schultze, San Francisco (spelled "Henery Schieltez" in the significance section) |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival (Richardsonian Romanesque) |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Abandoned since 1960 when the last staff moved out; the roof leaks, the interior has deteriorated greatly, and many windows are broken, though the exterior walls appear in good condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Preston School of Industry |
| Coordinates | 38.36091, -120.93700 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 75000422.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7241986
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.