Mokelumne Hill Town Hall Basement – Mokelumne Hill CA

Description

In 1900 the city's old town hall was replaced with the present building serving as the town's community hall and theater with a stage at one end. A number of alterations have been undertaken over the years. In 1936, the WPA excavated and installed the current basement underneath the building. As the city's website explains:

"Sixty feet long and the full 35-feet wide it was framed by thick stone retaining walls on the east and north sides, and a stone wall with window and door on the rear, west faade. The east side was formed of concrete poured into board forms. A kitchen and dining room were installed (McSorley newspaper article). The 1936 stone foundations for this lower level are thick and nicely faced, mortared with Portland cement. The earlier (1900) foundations were considerably thinner and consisted of undressed stone fixed with a soft lime mortar (the older footings can be seen along the north side of the building, east of the basement). [May 1, 1963?]"