The Pines Resort

The Pines Resort
The Pines Resort
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General information
Location	39150 Road 222
Coordinates	37°19′09″N119°33′28″W / 37.3191764983°N 119.5576778333°W / 37.3191764983; -119.5576778333
Opening	1901
Owner	Kyu Sun Choe and Sun Wah Choe
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Michael Karby
Other information
Number of restaurants	2
Website
http://www.basslake.com/

The Pines Resort is a lakeside hotel and resort on the north shore of Bass Lake in Madera County, California, within the Sierra National Forest. Established in 1901, it has served as a tourist destination for visitors to the Sierra Nevada and as a stopover for travelers to Yosemite National Park. The resort was rebuilt following a major fire in 1962 and today remains a central feature of the Bass Lake community.

History of The Pines Resort

Founding

The Pines Resort was established in 1901 by William Day, an actor, and William Haskell, a land developer. ^[1] They operated a sawmill at Willow Creek, built several cabins, and opened The Pines Resort, considered the first resort in the Crane Valley area. Day and Haskell, both retired from the Orpheum Circuit, managed the property as a mountain retreat that catered to early visitors traveling by horse and buggy.

By the 1920s, the resort was promoted as a stopover for motorists traveling to Yosemite, as well as a summer destination for residents of Fresno. Advertising of the time described it as the "coolest place in California" and noted its hotel rooms and housekeeping cabins with private bathrooms. ^[2]

In the 1930s, the resort became known for its formal dining room, where guests were expected to dress formally and dine at set times announced by a bell. The dining room featured linen-covered tables, and the resort also housed a small post office. Telephone service was limited to a single manually operated line. ^[3]

Transition of ownership and reconstruction

Claude Williams purchased The Pines Resort from Charlie Blank and O.L. Everetts in 1944. In 1958, he turned management over to his children—Claude Jr., G.E. (“Bud”), and Joyce Kimbro. ^[4]

A fire in December 1962 destroyed the resort. Construction of a replacement facility began in January 1963, led by Crowley Hill Construction Co. with designs by R.W. Steyens & Associates. The new 16,000-square-foot building cost more than $200,000 and reopened later that year. It featured cedar and pine finishes, peeled-pine posts, stone masonry, extensive use of glass, and a full-length covered porch. ^[5]

Expansion and Recent Ownership

By 1967, The Pines Resort expanded to include a commercial center known as the Pines Village. Businesses at the time included the Pines Fountain, Pines Market, Pines Coffee Shop, Pines Bar, Pines Laundromat, and Pines Village Bakery. Other establishments were the Village Korner gift shop, Pine Tree House, Ponderosa Theater, Pine Realty, Pines Garage, and the U.S. Post Office. ^[6]

The resort was purchased by Greenlaw Partners in 2007, and in 2010 ownership transferred to Kyu Sun Choe and Sun Wah Choe. ^[7]

Christmas Tree Lighting

Since 1991, the Pines Resort has annually hosted the Bass Lake Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade of Lights in the Pines Village. The event features a variety of floats and a visit from Santa Claus. ^[8]

References

1. "Bass Lake Recreation Area Closes Most Successful Season Ever". Madera Tribune. Vol. 72, no. 94. September 25, 1963.
2. Official Automotive Blue Book. The Standard Road Guide of America. Volume Eight. New York: The Automobile Blue Book Publishing Company. 1921. pp. Route 341.
3. Coarsegold Historical Society (1990). Eastern Madera County As We Were Told: An Oral and Written History. Coarsegold Historical Society. pp. 52–53. Interview with Laura Jane Conway, February 1988
4. "Williams Has Helped Make More Than Half Century Of History". Madera Tribune. Vol. 72, no. 93. September 24, 1963.
5. "New Pines Resort Center Rises From December's Ashes". Madera Tribune. Vol. 72, no. 28. June 21, 1963.
6. "Bass Lake Feels Pinch Of Pines Resort Closure". Vol. 76, no. 69. Madera Tribune. August 21, 1967.
7. "The American Dream: The Pines Resort Celebrates 9 Years". Sierra News Online. September 26, 2019.
8. Erwin, Emily (November 17, 2023). "The Pines Resort hosts 32nd annual Bass Lake Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade of Lights". Central Valley Today. Retrieved November 24, 2023.

External links

• Official website