Freestone, California

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Freestone, California
FreestoneStoreEdit2770.jpg
The Freestone general store as of 2007.
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Freestone, California
Location within the state of California
Coordinates: 38°22′21″N122°54′56″W / 38.37250°N 122.91556°W / 38.37250; -122.91556 Coordinates: 38°22′21″N122°54′56″W / 38.37250°N 122.91556°W / 38.37250; -122.91556
Country United States
State California
County Sonoma
Elevation
[1]
220 ft (67 m)
Time zone UTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
95472
Area code 707
FIPS code06-25618
GNIS feature ID 1658578

Freestone is an unincorporated community in Sonoma County, California in the United States. A former stone and logging town, Freestone is the entryway to the Bohemian Highway. In 1974, Freestone became the first historic district named by Sonoma County. The downtown comprises a handful of historic buildings with a selection of local businesses, including a cheese shop, winery, bakery and a spa. Freestone has a population of 32. [2]

Contents

History

Freestone is named after a sandstone quarry that was developed in the area around 1861. [3]

The area once consisted of three ranchos: Rancho Cañada de Jonive, Rancho Estero Americano and Rancho Cañada de Pogolimi. The area was split into three ranchos as the result of a dispute between three early settlers, James McIntosh, James Black and James Dawson. The three men were allowed to settle on the land by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo in the 1830s, where they built a saw mill. Eventually the three men left the area. [3]

Jasper O'Farrell moved into the area in 1849, after exchanging Nicasio Rancho for Rancho Cañada de Jonive. He eventually purchased Rancho Estero Americano. A land surveyor, O'Farrell surveyed the surrounding area, which he called Analy Township. O'Farrell found success in the area, acquiring a total of 560 acres of land. He was elected to the California State Senate in 1859. Within a year he had to sell his land and in 1870 he moved back to San Francisco. [3]

North Pacific Coast Railroad train in Freestone, 1893 North Pacific Coast Railroad in Freestone, California (1893).jpg
North Pacific Coast Railroad train in Freestone, 1893

Freestone had a saloon by 1849, followed by a general store the next year. Freestone became a stop on a new stagecoach line in 1853. That same year, an inn was built as well as two blacksmith shops. The inn burned down in 1861. A depot for the North Pacific Coast Railroad was built in Freestone, with the train starting to stop in the village in September 1876. A second inn, the Hinds Hotel was built by the depot in August, just prior to the train stop opening. The railroad transported lumber and produce to and from San Francisco. In 1930, the railroad stopped operating due to the growing popularity of cars and trucks. [3]

The first school was built in Freestone by the 1880s, which was used for schooling until 1958. In 1881, the first church was built in Freestone, a Methodist church. That church was eventually destroyed and a second church was built in 1907, only to be demolished in the 1960s. The town had a post office by the 1880s. The end of the railroad service to Freestone is considered the end of "the era of development and prosperity" historically. [3]

In 1974, Freestone was deemed a historic district by the County of Sonoma, making it the first historic landmark designated by the County. The district comprises 30 properties, consisting mainly of residential and commercial buildings in the Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne architectural styles. The Hind's Hotel was designated Landmark #2 in the County that same year, followed by the now-demolished Morgan Williams Residence, and the remaining Freestone Schoolhouse and Freestone Country Store. [4]

Economy

Historically, Freestone was first a lumber town, with a saw mill on the Salmon Creek. Eventually, a sandstone quarry was operated in the area. Railroad service eventually began, transporting lumber and produce to San Francisco. The railroad depot closed in 1930, halting economic growth in Freestone. [3] Today, the economy is primarily hospitality based.

Tourism

Freestone comprises a handful of businesses, including a bakery, cheese store, general store, a gift shop and the Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary. [2]

Related Research Articles

Sonoma County, California County in California, United States

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Coast Miwok Tribe of Native American people

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Jasper OFarrell

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Rancho Petaluma Adobe

Rancho Petaluma Adobe is a historic ranch house in Sonoma County, California. It was built from adobe bricks in 1836 by order of Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. It was the largest privately owned adobe structure built in California and is the largest example of the Monterey Colonial style of architecture in the United States. A section of the former ranch has been preserved by the Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park and it is both a California Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. The Rancho Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park is located on Adobe Road on the east side of the present-day town of Petaluma, California.

Americano Creek stream in California

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Sonoma State Historic Park

Sonoma State Historic Park is a California State Park located in the center of Sonoma, California. The park consists of six sites: the Mission San Francisco Solano, the Sonoma Barracks, the Blue Wing Inn, La Casa Grande, Lachryma Montis, and the Toscano Hotel.

Rancho Estero Americano was a 8,849-acre (35.81 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Sonoma County, California given in 1839 by Governor Pro-tem Manuel Jimeno to Edward Manuel McIntosh. The rancho takes its name from Estero Americano.

Rancho Cañada de Jonive was a 10,787-acre (43.65 km2) Mexican land grant in present day Sonoma County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to James Black. The grant encompassed the town of Freestone.

Rancho Cañada de Pogolimi was a 8,781.81-acre (35.5387 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Sonoma County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to María Antonia Cazares, widow of James Dawson. The grant encompasses present-day Bloomfield.

Rancho Bodega

Rancho Bodega was a 35,487-acre (143.61 km2) Mexican land grant in present day Sonoma County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Stephen Smith. Bodega takes its name from the Peruvian explorer Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra who discovered Bodega Bay in 1775. The grant extended along the Pacific coast from the Russian River on the north to Estero Americano on the south, and included the present-day town of Bodega Bay. Only a small part of Bodega is within the grant.

Rancho El Molino was a 17,892-acre (72.41 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Sonoma County, California given to John B.R. Cooper by Governor José Figueroa in 1833 and officially confirmed by Governor Nicolás Gutiérrez in 1836. "Molino" means "mill" in Spanish, and the name refers to Cooper's sawmill. The grant extends south from Russian River along Atascadero Creek, and encompasses present-day Forestville.

Hinds Hotel United States historic place

The Hinds Hotel is a historic building located in Freestone, California in the United States. Built in 1876, the Hinds Hotel is a former hotel, antique store and plant nursery. Today, it serves as a private commercial business and home. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been named a California Historic Landmark and a Sonoma County Historic Landmark.

Sonoma County, California formally establishes landmarks through its Landmarks Commission.

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Freestone
  2. 1 2 "Historic Freestone". Sonoma County. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Freestone Historic District Survey and Design Guidelines Update. Garcia and Associates (GANDA). March 2012.
  4. ↑ "Historic Landmark Search". Permit and Resource Management Department. County of Sonoma. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
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