Nevada Brewery
Also known as: Old Nevada Brewery; Old Stone Brewery
Why it's listed
Built of quarried rough-cut granite with lime mortar, this brewery at 107 Sacramento Street in Nevada City has two main parts. The north section dates to the mid-1850s. In 1882-83 George Gehrig added the south section on the site of Temperance Hall, which burned in 1881. The result is an unusual parallelogram-shaped plan. Brewing became a major industry after the Gold Rush, and Nevada County once had 15 breweries. This building is the only one left in Nevada City and one of two remaining in the county. It is the largest commercial granite building surviving in the area, and granite construction of this kind is rare in California. Simon Hieronimus moved his brewing operations here in 1893 and made steam beer until his death in 1911. Prohibition ended bottling, and later owners used the building and its hillside cooling cave for bar, dining and dancing businesses. It was unoccupied at the time of nomination and undergoing renovation.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of two surviving breweries of the 15 once in Nevada County and the only one left in Nevada City. It is the largest commercial granite building surviving in the area, and granite buildings are rare in the Mother Lode and the state. It also reflects the importance of brewing in the Gold Rush era.
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 85002303, listed September 12, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 107 Sacramento St., Nevada City |
|---|---|
| County | Nevada County |
| Listed | September 12, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002303 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | George Gehrig (owner/builder of the 1882-83 addition) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and vacant; the building is currently being renovated under the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.26170, -121.01572 (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 85002303.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7003364
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.