Railtown Could Receive Federal Historic Designation
Jamestown, CA — The Sierra Railway property in Jamestown, known today as Railtown 1897, could soon be added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The 22.5 acre property includes a freight depot, roundhouse, car shop, turntable and other amenities. It also has cultural significance being the site of several films and television productions, starting in the silent era and continuing through today.
The California State Historical Resources Commission will vote Friday on nominating the property, along with six other sites in the state, to the national register. The federal list already includes over 2,900 properties in California, including 36 in Tuolumne County. Some of the other local sites already on the list are the Columbia State Historic Park, City Hotel in Sonora, Emporium Building in Jamestown, Groveland Hotel, Hotel Charlotte, Sonora Youth Center, Sugg House in Sonora and the Tuolumne County Courthouse.
The National Register of Historic Places serves as an official list of historic buildings, districts and sites that have been deemed worthy of preservation.
Nominations for the list are made by state historical resources commissions, and then they are reviewed by the National Park Service for a 45-day period before a final decision is made.
