Point Arena Rancheria Roundhouse
Also known as: Manchester Rancheria Roundhouse
Why it's listed
Located at the end of Rancheria Road near the Garcia River, this wooden roundhouse served as a dance house for the Central Pomo people of the Point Arena area. It has two one-story sections covered in vertical boards: a cylindrical assembly room under a conical shingled roof, and an entrance hall with a shallow gable and a simple white cross. There are no windows, and the building appears never to have been painted. Inside, singers and dancers occupied the center of the circular room while visitors sat along the walls. The center post dates from about 1890 and came from an earlier dance house; it was carried to the rancheria when the community was established around 1905. Dance had long been central to Pomo religion, and it was revived in the 1870s with the ghost dance. By the 1890s Pomo belief combined Christian elements with ghost-dance doctrine and tradition. The building is considered the largest and possibly the only surviving tangible link to that religious life.
Significance in brief: It is the largest and possibly the only remaining building linking the religious life of Native Americans in the Point Arena area to the turn of the century. Its long entryway and circular chamber follow the traditional Central Pomo form for communal buildings. The cross over the entrance reflects the later blending of Christian, ghost-dance and traditional beliefs.
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 90001360, listed September 13, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | On the Garcia River at end of Rancheria Rd., Point Arena |
|---|---|
| County | Mendocino County |
| Listed | September 13, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001360 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1905-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | No Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed function is current religious facility, same as its historic use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.95037, -123.66260 (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.
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 90001360.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85793796
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.