Woodleaf Hotel
Also known as: Woodville House
Why it's listed
Built of handmade brick from native clay, this two-and-a-half-story hotel on the Marysville-La Porte Road in Woodleaf was finished in 1858 by San Francisco and Ohio builder Joseph P. Wood, who began making brick on the site in 1856. Its two-story veranda with plain posts marks it as Greek Revival, while a curved roof descending from the ridge, a dentilled cornice, a center hall and stairway, a round second-floor room and twin end chimneys with gabled parapets add Georgian and Federal touches. It is described as the only remaining brick building of this style in California's Northern Mines region. The hotel also mattered for travel and trade. Located roughly midway between Marysville and La Porte, it became a main overnight stage stop once the Central Turnpike opened in 1860, and again gained traffic from the Oroville-Woodville Pike in 1865. Its prominence faded as mining declined in the 1880s. The front still resembles early photographs, and later additions sit at the rear.
Significance in brief: The hotel is a rare mixture of Greek Revival, Georgian and Federal features, and is described as the only remaining brick building of this style in the Northern Mines region of California. It also served as a main overnight stage stop on the trade and travel route to the mining country around La Porte, until the mining decline of 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 75000500, listed April 9, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Marysville-La Porte Rd., Woodleaf |
|---|---|
| County | Yuba County |
| Listed | April 9, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000500 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (construction completed 1858) |
| Architect / builder | Joseph P. Wood, builder from San Francisco and Ohio |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; some features of Early and Late Georgian and Federal |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and altered; the front retains a high degree of integrity, with major additions at the rear. Form lists it as occupied, with commercial and educational use. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 39.51765, -121.19155 (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 75000500.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133572307
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.