Hornitos Masonic Hall: Historic 1873 Lodge Building Is Listed in the National Register

HORNITOS, Mariposa County — November 10, 2026. One of the surviving links to Hornitos’ nineteenth-century community life is Hornitos Masonic Hall No. 98. California’s Office of Historic Preservation lists the building in its historic resources database and identifies its role in the area’s social history.

From store to meeting hall

According to the state historic-resource record, the building began as a store. Masons bought it in 1873 and used it as their lodge hall. The official description recognizes its local social-history significance from 1873 to 1930. The building remains a lodge hall, though its formal period of historical significance ends in 1930.

Where the record places it

The state lists an address at 2877 Bear Valley Road, Hornitos. The entry’s registration date is August 3, 2005. That date describes registration, not the building’s construction or the start of Masonic activities.

Planning a heritage visit

The listing is a historical record, not a promise that the building is open for tours. Visitors should respect private-property boundaries and verify access with the relevant organization before entering a structure. Nearby historical resources can be explored using Mariposa County’s historic-sites GIS map tour.

Why this matters

Hornitos is often introduced simply as an old gold-mining settlement. The lodge record gives a more specific view of how residents created social institutions that continued after the initial mining boom. Preserving verifiable addresses and timelines helps visitors explore the town without inventing events or access arrangements.

Source: California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation — Hornitos Masonic Hall No. 98.

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