Bayley Hotel
Why it's listed
Three stories of brick rise beside State Highway 49 near Pilot Hill, California. Alcander Bayley built the hotel in the early 1860s after fire destroyed his earlier Oak Valley House. He made about 300,000 bricks and milled the lumber on site, at a cost of $20,000. Bayley expected the Transcontinental Railroad to pass through Pilot Hill, but the Central Pacific took a route to the north, so he used the building as a private residence and ranch headquarters. The L-shaped, classical-style building has a two-story porch with six wooden columns, brick pilasters and lintels, dentiled eaves and a truncated hipped roof with an observation platform. It is listed as a rare surviving example of brick architecture in El Dorado County and one of the largest buildings of its type in the Mother Lode region. It stands in its original setting, though the porch, balustrades and staircase parts have been lost and the openings are boarded.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for its association with the development of El Dorado County and as an excellent, now rare example of brick architecture in the county, with fine craftsmanship and detailing. It is one of the largest buildings of its type to survive in the Mother Lode region and remains in its original setting.
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 78000660, listed December 18, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Pilot Hill on CA 49, Pilot Hill |
|---|---|
| County | El Dorado County |
| Listed | December 18, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000660 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Alcander Bayley |
| Architectural style | Simple mid-nineteenth century classical |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deteriorated: porch floors, balustrades and stair parts removed, openings boarded up; owned by El Dorado County, which wants to save it but has no specific plans or funds. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.84406, -121.01494 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 78000660.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q126595331
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.