Groveland Hotel
Also known as: Garrote Hotel; Groveland Inn & Cafe
Why it's listed
Two historic hotel buildings stand side by side on Main Street in Groveland, along the old Big Oak Flat road to Yosemite. The older is a two-story adobe built around 1850-51, first as a trading post, then a dwelling, and from 1866 a hotel and boarding house. Its stuccoed adobe walls rest on a native slate stone basement and are wrapped by a two-story balcony. Beside it is a wood-frame Annex finished in 1915 during the Hetch Hetchy construction boom, designed by architect Woodward Withered and built by Robert Scudamore. The Annex has V-groove siding, bay windows, dentils and a two-story balcony. The adobe is considered among the finest Gold Rush adobe commercial buildings and one of the oldest in Tuolumne County. The Annex is a rare surviving NeoClassical example from the Hetch Hetchy era. Both serve as a hotel and restaurant after a recent restoration.
Significance in brief: The adobe hotel is argued to be one of the finest surviving Gold Rush adobe commercial buildings and one of the first permanent structures in Garrote (Groveland). The Annex is cited as a fine example of NeoClassical architecture in Tuolumne County and a symbol of the Hetch Hetchy construction boom. Together they served as a long-running hostelry and boarding house tied to mining and tourism to Yosemite.
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 94000428, listed May 6, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 18767 Main St. (CA 120), Groveland |
|---|---|
| County | Tuolumne County |
| Listed | May 6, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000428 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1851 to 1935 |
| Architect / builder | Hotel: unknown. Hotel Annex: Withered, Woodward architect/Scudamore, Robert builder. |
| Architectural style | Hotel: Mid-19th Century/other: adobe commercial; Hotel Annex: Early 20th Century Revival/NeoClassical |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Commerce |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recently completed extensive restoration; both buildings retain a high degree of integrity and continue to function as a hotel and restaurant. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.83931, -120.22941 (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 94000428.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q85764687
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.