Freestone Store Considered For Federal Historic Designation

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Sonoma County building is among eight properties the California State Historical Resources Commission is set to consider for federal historic designation, California State Parks officials announced Tuesday.

In a virtual meeting set for Jan. 21, the commission will decide whether to recommend placing the Freestone Store on the National Register Of Historic Places.

The circa 1872 one- and two-story commercial building is at 500 Bohemian Highway in Freestone, a rural community that has a long agricultural and recreational history in Sonoma County. The property, which has also been known as Ward's General Merchandise and Freeston Country Store, played an integral role in the development of Freestone as an important hub for transportation and commerce in Sonoma County and Northern California.

"Despite '1876' in wooden numbers added to the façade after 1970, primary resources corroborate a construction date of circa 1872 as the building was in place prior to construction of the railroad, which began operations in 1876," California State Parks officials said in a news release.

"Freestone Store continued to be of commercial significance in the community through the counterculture movement of the 1960s. A concerted effort to rehabilitate and restore Freestone’s historic buildings to help support the town’s economy in 1972 led to the town being identified in 1974 as Sonoma County’s first locally designated historic district."

According to a draft National Register of Historic Places registration form, the property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.

"Freestone Store was integral to the economic and cultural development of Freestone and was associated with a crucial time in its history when the railroad arrived in Northern California and many settlers were returning from the gold fields to settle down in Sonoma County. The store, built by Ira T. Ward in 1872, provided vitally important supplies to area residents and to settlers passing through on their way to set up new homesteads and farms. Because of its prime location by the railroad and in the center of Upper Freestone, it also served as a central meeting point from its early days well into the twentieth century.

"Freestone Store is a prime example of the Italianate and Western False Front architectural styles with its wooden frame construction, wood siding, higher degree of detail on the façade and less on the sides and rear, and large false front hiding the front gable roof.

"For many years, it was the only store in Freestone and remains one of the oldest buildings in Freestone pre-dating the railroad.

"Freestone Store has had at least 15 owners over the course of its 150 years; many operated the store as a general store, providing everyday supplies to area residents and those passing through.

"The store also housed the local post office at times. The post office location often vacillated between Lower and Upper Freestone based on who was in political power. In the end, it was in Upper Freestone at the store for the majority of the time.

"Despite changing uses of the store, it was also used as a general store in some way or fashion, even after the turn of the twenty-first century. Because of Freestone’s dedication to restoring its historic buildings, it was the first recognized local historic district in Sonoma County in 1974. Freestone Store is a significant historic landmark in the community of Freestone, and it has been for 150 years. It is a physical link connecting modern-day Freestone to the frontier town that helped to grow Sonoma County from the days prior to the gold rush, through statehood, and beyond. It stands as an emblem of pioneer dreams for this community nestled in the picturesque Sonoma Valley. "

Placement on the National Register can help bring positive attention to a historic place and affords a property the honor of inclusion in the nation’s list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. This can provide a degree of protection from adverse effects resulting from federally funded or licensed projects. Registration also provides a number of incentives for the preservation of historic properties, including special building codes to facilitate the restoration of historic structures, and certain tax advantages.

Some of the other nominations being considered by the commission include three properties associated with LGBTQ rights: the Morris Kight House and The Black Cat Tavern, which are both in Los Angeles, and Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.

Other properties nominated include the Royal Theater as a property type located in the Japanese enclave of Guadalupe — owned, built and managed by Japanese Americans for both their immediate community and their neighbors.

All nominations and photographs of properties under consideration are available online.

The Jan. 21 commission meeting can be viewed starting at 9 a.m. on Cal-span.org. To provide public comment, the public is advised to register online via the Zoom link here.

The commission in a July 30 meeting nominated the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa to the National Register of Historic Places.