North Star House (Additional Documentation)
Also known as: Foote Mansion
Why it's listed
Built in 1905 on a hilltop in Grass Valley, this 11,000-square-foot house was designed by Julia Morgan for Arthur De Wint Foote, manager of the North Star Mine, and his wife, the author and illustrator Mary Hallock Foote. The U-shaped Arts and Crafts building has first-story walls of rough granite salvaged from the adjoining mine, redwood shingles above, a low gabled roof with wide eaves, and a large stone terrace facing west. Its significance rests on three links: the Grass Valley gold mining industry, Mary Hallock Foote's writing, including her memoirs, which she completed in the house, and Morgan's early independent work. The Foote family lived there until 1968, when it became a boarding school. It then stood vacant from the late 1970s and suffered vandalism and decay. Since 2003 the Nevada County Land Trust has worked to stabilize and restore it, and the building remains vacant.
Significance in brief: It is tied to the Grass Valley mining industry (Criterion A) as the home of North Star Mine manager A.D. Foote. It is also linked to author and illustrator Mary Hallock Foote, who did her later work there (Criterion B). It is an early major commission by Julia Morgan, a master of the First Bay Tradition (Criterion C).
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 10001191, listed February 1, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 12075 Old Auburn Rd, Grass Valley |
|---|---|
| County | Nevada County |
| Listed | February 1, 2011 |
| Reference number | 10001191 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1905-1932 |
| Architect / builder | Julia Morgan |
| Architectural style | Craftsman / Arts and Crafts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Literature, Industry, Social History |
| Level of significance | National, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The building is vacant. The Nevada County Land Trust acquired it in 2003 and has stabilized it and removed later alterations, intending a community cultural center. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.19442, -121.07632 (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.
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 10001191.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7056853
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.