Stanislaus Branch, California Forest and Range Experiment Station
Also known as: Strawberry Work Station Historic District; Fs 05-16-53-0514; Trinomial CA-Tuo-2351H
Why it's listed
Tucked into a conifer forest beside the South Fork of the Stanislaus River near Strawberry, this former Forest Service research station was built between 1927 and 1937 as a branch of the California Forest and Range Experiment Station. Seven of its eight original buildings survive, including a superintendent's residence, an office-laboratory, a cabin, a granite-trimmed dormitory, a warehouse and a stone pump house, along with a narrow looping drive. The wood-sided buildings follow the Forest Service Rustic style, and most were built from standard plans by Bay Area architects Norman Blanchard and Edward Maher, using New Deal relief labor. Behind the caretaker's residence, the remains of a fenced test plot and a ladder tree recall the pine seed and growth studies carried out here. The site plan is unchanged since construction, and six of the seven buildings still convey their historic appearance, which is why the group was recognized as a historic district. The caretaker's residence was altered too heavily to count as contributing.
Significance in brief: The station was a branch of the California Forest and Range Experiment Station and conducted pine forestry research, including seed production and forest management studies. Its buildings, built partly by New Deal relief workers from standard Forest Service plans, retain the Forest Service Rustic character and the original site plan. Six of the seven buildings keep historic integrity.
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 08001315, listed January 15, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Forest Rd. 4N13B, Strawberry |
|---|---|
| County | Tuolumne County |
| Listed | January 15, 2009 |
| Reference number | 08001315 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1937-1951 |
| Architect / builder | Standard plans by Norman K. Blanchard and Edward J. Maher; built by New Deal relief workers supervised by Stanislaus National Forest Engineer Reginald Drew; two earlier buildings probably from Coert DuBois plans |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements/Craftsman/Forest Service Rustic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Conservation, Science, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most buildings remain in use as residences; the dormitory serves as a barracks for seasonal crews. The caretaker's residence has lost integrity and is noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 4.8 |
| Coordinates | 38.18822, -120.02467 (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 08001315.
- 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.