SURVEY OP BUILDING STRUCTURES OF THE SIERRAN GOLD BELT, 1848-70 HEIZER AND FENENGA 



103 



FIG. L'<;. Schist quarry, French Mills, DMI5S Mrp-Hl!). 



COULTERVILLE 



Among the most interesting of the buildings in Coulterville are 

 the ruins of a stone hotel. It is constructed of flat laid schist slabs (Fig. 

 28) but the front is covered with neatly dressed blocks of soapstone 

 (Fig. 32). The soapstone facing blocks are said to have been quarried on 

 the Gordon Place at Greely Mountain. Adjoining the ruins of the Coulter 

 Hotel are the brick Wells Fargo office and Wagoner's store. Adjacent to 

 this group is a schist quarry, the source of part of the building material. 

 Across the highway (to the east) are several wells, lined with cobbles set 

 in mortar and surmounted by a brick coping (Fig. 29). The Bruschi 

 Building, once the alcalde's office, is of adobe with a plastered exterior 

 grooved and painted to simulate fired brick (Fig. 30). The front half of 

 the Bruschi Warehouse which now houses the fire department is made 

 of schist slabs but its rear wing is made of fired adobe bricks each of 

 which measures 15 by 7 by 4 inches. Several brick buildings may be seen 

 as well as a few made of schist slabs. Fig. 31 shows the first Bruschi Store 

 (left) of stone, and the second Bruschi Store (right) constructed of brick 

 imported in the early 'fifties from Stockton. Most of the adobe buildings 

 to be seen on the northern edge of Coulterville postdate 1870 but one, the 

 Sun Sun Wo Store is said to date from 1851. One other building deserves 

 mention ; the ruins of a large, poured concrete foundation which may date 

 from the Gold Rush period. 



FIG. 28. 



FIG. 27. Jail, O>ultervill<'. HAMS 1T.22. 



Detail of schist wall, rear of hotel, Coulterville, 

 Mrp-H20. 



