Tidball Store
Why it's listed
Located about a quarter mile from the present Jolon post office, this two-story frame building began as an adobe overnight house built in 1868 by Flint & Bixby Stage Lines, with part of an adobe wall still inside. A redwood-framed hotel was added in 1890, when it became a proper retail store. Captain Tidball opened it after splitting from his partner Dutton in 1878, and it supplied stage travelers, ranchers, miners and local Indians. Today it is the only commercial building left standing and intact in what was once the stage stop, trading and social center of southern Monterey County. Jolon declined after the railroad reached King City in 1886 and a highway bypassed El Camino Real in 1910. The roof and some windows, doors and interior features have been altered, but the building looks much as it did in 1890. It was listed for its commercial and social history rather than its architecture, despite Department of Defense objections.
Significance in brief: The store is the only commercial building still standing and intact in Jolon, once the thriving stage stop, trading and social center of southern Monterey County. It was nominated for its commercial, economic, transportation and social history, not for its architecture. Reviewers noted it looks much as it did around 1890, when commercial activity in Jolon peaked.
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 76000503, listed December 12, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jolon Rd., Jolon |
|---|---|
| County | Monterey County |
| Listed | December 12, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000503 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1890-1910 |
| Architect / builder | Renson Plaskett (?) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Economics, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a store with living quarters on the second floor since 1950; condition listed as good. Army correspondence in the file states the lease had ended and demolition or removal had been proposed. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 35.97302, -121.17549 (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 76000503.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q108959027
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.