National Register of Historic Places

Ott's Assay Office

Nevada City, Nevada County, California
Listed
April 13, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000447

About this property

Ott's Assay Office is a historic assay office located at 130 Main Street in Nevada City, California. The building was constructed in 1851 as a drug store; James J. Ott opened his assay office in the back of the store in 1857. In 1859, Ott assayed a sample of silver ore discovered in the Washoe Country; this ore marked the discovery of the Comstock Lode, and the resulting silver rush eventually led to Nevada's statehood and several advancements in mining technology. The silver rush also gave Ott a reputation as a quality assayer; he ran his office until his death in 1907, and his son continued the business until 1955. The adjoining building, which shares a common wall and is often considered part of the same building, was built in 1855. It served as the offices of the South Yuba Canal Company, which was formed in 1851 to bring water to the gold mines north of Nevada City. The company owned the oldest mining ditches in California, and it was the first in the United States to provide water to gravel mining operations. By 1855, it had become California's largest ditch company. The buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1975.

Location

130 Main St.
Nevada City, Nevada County, California
39.26307, -121.01672

Categories

COMMERCEENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Nevada City Downtown Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
National Exchange Hotel
Industrial
0.1 mi
Nevada City Free Public Library
Industrial
0.1 mi
Nevada Brewery
Civil War
0.1 mi
Nevada City Firehouse No. 2
Industrial
0.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Ott's Assay Office listed on the National Register?

Ott's Assay Office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 13, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Ott's Assay Office?

Ott's Assay Office is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Ott's Assay Office?

The period of significance for Ott's Assay Office is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Ott's Assay Office?

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