Dutton Hotel, Stagecoach Station
Why it's listed
Built by Antonio Ramirez in 1849, this one-story adobe near Jolon served as a home and an inn for travelers and miners. Lt. George Dutton, sole owner from 1876, added an adobe second story and wood-frame wings holding a general store, post office, saloon and kitchen. Standing on the original El Camino Real, it became a major stagecoach stop between San Francisco and San Diego, where stages changed horses and passengers spent the night. The store supplied miners from the Los Burros district and families on the coast, and the first Jolon post office was located here. The inn became the nucleus of the settlement of Jolon. Its busiest years ran from about 1875 to 1910, until the railroad and a new highway bypassed it by nearly twenty miles. It operated as a hotel until 1929. William Randolph Hearst bought it that year, and the Army acquired it in 1940, using it as a recreation center. Neglect followed, and the roof collapsed in 1969.
Significance in brief: It was a major stagecoach stop between San Francisco and San Diego in the late 1800s, where stages changed horses and travelers stayed overnight. It stood on the original El Camino Real and became the nucleus of the settlement of Jolon. Its store and the first Jolon post office supplied miners and coastal ranch families.
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 71000166, listed October 14, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | King City-Jolon Rd., Jolon |
|---|---|
| County | Monterey County |
| Listed | October 14, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000166 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by Antonio Ramirez (1849); second story and wood-frame additions by George Dutton |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Deteriorated and in ruins: the roof caved in in 1969, though the walls were still two stories high; the building was unoccupied. Later documents record federal surplus declaration and transfer to Monterey County in 1976. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 35.97474, -121.17568 (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.
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 71000166.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q108896841
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.