Hornitos Masonic Hall No. 98
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Why it's listed
Hornitos Masonic Hall No. 98 is a compact stone building on Bear Valley Road in the Mother Lode town of Hornitos, Mariposa County. Built around 1855 by Italian stonemasons from native schist, local brick and limestone, it first housed businesses including a photography studio, tailor shop and saloon. After a fire destroyed its earlier meeting place in 1873, Hornitos Lodge No. 98 bought the building and has met there ever since. At 846 square feet, with a lodge room of just 516, it is described as the smallest single-story Masonic hall in California. Original iron fire doors, hand-laid unreinforced stone walls and nail-fastened timbers survive, along with later changes such as a 1925 basement dining room and a 1900 plaster coat. Its significance rests on social history between 1873 and 1930, when lodge members served as town officials, merchants and neighbors, and the lodge provided relief to widows and orphans.
Significance in brief: Listed under Criterion A for social history, the hall served Hornitos Lodge No. 98 as a fraternal meeting place from 1873. Lodge members provided public service, fraternal relief and community leadership in the Gold Rush town. It is also the smallest single-story Masonic hall in California and remains largely intact.
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 05000775, listed August 3, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2877 Bear Valley Rd., Hornitos |
|---|---|
| County | Mariposa County |
| Listed | August 3, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000775 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1873 - 1930 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th century; unreinforced masonry building |
| Criteria |
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| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and in continuous use for lodge meetings for 132 years; some restoration work is planned for 2005-2006. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.50135, -120.23833 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 05000775.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5904434
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.