Pearson, John, Soda Works
Why it's listed
At the upper end of Placerville's Main Street, a two-story building of stone and brick recalls the town's soda and ice trade. John McFarland Pearson, a Scottish-born ice merchant, bought the site in 1859 and built a single-story stone building, moving his ice depot into it. A tunnel running about 150 feet into the hillside provided natural refrigeration for ice and butter. The business grew into the Pearson Soda Works, which also sold wines, liquors, ales and beers. After Pearson died in 1891, his sons added a brick-and-stone second story in 1897 for a bottling room, along with a water-powered elevator. The Pearsons sold the machinery and stock in 1904 but kept the building until 1971. A 1974 renovation rebuilt the ground floor to resemble its 1859 look and restored the elevator. The building now operates as a restaurant. It was listed for its local importance to commerce and industry and as one of the city's oldest commercial buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of several early soda works in Placerville and a reminder of the city's 19th-century economic activity. It is tied to the Pearson family, local merchants who used it for ice storage, soda production and liquor sales. It is also described as a notable local example of its construction type and one of the city's oldest commercial buildings without major alterations.
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 85003326, listed December 12, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 594 Main St., Placerville |
|---|---|
| County | El Dorado County |
| Listed | December 12, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003326 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | J. Pearson |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a restaurant; renovated in 1974 with the ground floor rebuilt and the hydraulic elevator restored. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 38.72869, -120.79681 (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 85003326.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1701378
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.