Great Sierra Mine Historic Site
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Dana Village was the mountaintop camp of the Great Sierra Mine, high on Tioga Hill above Gaylor Lake in what is now Yosemite National Park. The Great Sierra Consolidated Silver Mining Company bought up local claims in 1881 and set up the community, with a post office branch, to work the ground year-round. Living conditions at about 11,000 feet proved harsh, and the miners soon moved down to Bennettville. The company drove a tunnel 1,784 feet and spent over $300,000 before collapsing in 1884; a second effort in 1933 also failed to reach the legendary Sheepherder Lode. Remains include five stone cabins, a powder house and scattered blacksmith shop timbers. One cabin, built of mortarless schist or slate slabs with walls about four feet thick at the base, is the best preserved. The site was listed for its role in local mining history and for the rare masonry of that cabin.
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) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1881-1884 |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Acreage | 9.9 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Great Sierra Mine Historic Site (property record) |
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).
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.