Plumas-Eureka Mill, Jamison Mines District
Also known as: Plumas-Eureka State Park District
Why it's listed
Within Plumas-Eureka State Park near Blairsden, California, a cluster of mining buildings preserves the story of hard-rock gold mining in the northern Sierra. The centerpiece is the 75-foot wooden stamp mill, built in 1873 and described as the largest and best preserved of its kind remaining in the state. Nearby stand a two-story boarding house, assay office, stable, tramway station and residence from the same period, along with a second group of 1890 structures at the Jamison Mine, including barracks, a blacksmith shop, a stone powder magazine, a barn, a warehouse and several miners' cabins. Most of these buildings are plain, but together they show how a large mining operation worked. The Sierra Buttes Mining Company consolidated local mines in 1872 and employed as many as 400 men during the 1870s and 1880s. Mining dwindled after 1890 and ended in 1943. The state acquired the first park lands in 1959, and the mill was partly restored in 1961.
Significance in brief: The stamp mill is described as the largest and best preserved of its kind remaining in California. The surrounding boarding house, assay office, stable, tramway station and Jamison Mine buildings are valued as a complex that conveys the story of hard-rock gold mining in the state. The area was a highly productive mining operation from the 1870s through the 1880s.
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 73000421, listed July 16, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Blairsden off Alt. U.S. 40 in Plumas-Eureka State Park, Blairsden |
|---|---|
| County | Plumas County |
| Listed | July 16, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73000421 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked deteriorated and altered. The stamp mill was partially restored in 1961, and most of the other buildings are sealed and used for storage or as workshops, with a few in fair or good structural condition. |
| Acreage | 594 |
| Coordinates | 39.75065, -120.71793 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 73000421.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.