The Grass Valley Downtown Association is negotiating to buy the Lola Montez House in Grass Valley — one of the city’s most notable buildings — for $150,000, I have learned.
The Lola Montez House — at 248 Mill St. — was originally constructed in 1851 for the office of Gilmor Meredith’s Gold Hill Mining Co. Lola Montez, who became famous as a dancer (“The Spider Dance”), actress and courtesan, purchased the home in 1853. She built a cactus garden in the front yard — thought to be among the first in California. The current structure is a duplicate of the original, built from a sketch.
The deal is expected to close at the end of July.
GVDA Executive Director Howard Levine confirmed the planned acquisition on Friday. The Downtown Association will join the Grass Valley/Nevada County Chamber of Commerce in the building, Levine said.
“This will help build synergy between the city’s tourism program, the Downtown Association and the Chamber,” Levine told me.
The seller is the Pioneer Association.
The money comes from restricted funds that were donated to the Downtown Association by Arletta Douglas, a longtime county resident who helped restore the Holbrooke Hotel in the ’70s and ’80s.
Douglas has a memorial star placed in her honor in downtown Grass Valley for “outstanding service and contribution to the city.”
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Outstanding buy!
Who is the seller of the building? Isn’t it already owned by the Chamber or the Chamber trust? What’s the full story here?
I think I like her…
Kate
I knew you would!
“The seller is the Pioneer Association.” It’s a nonprofit group that owns the building and leases it to the Chamber.
The assessors office shows the following owner. Last name redacted
XXXXXXXX ELEANOR TRSTE ETAL
C/O GV/NC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Could be the ETAL is the Pioneer Association.
Yes.
She sounds “veerry popular”….
Kate
Who is the “Pioneer Association” non-profit, who is the building owner/trustee and why is the trustee address the same as the Chamber? Seems a bit interesting.
Or is it a clever way to move cash around?
A while back the City of GV was looking at buying the building… why? This was discussed behind closed doors and the Trust wasn’t talking much to the media when asked about it.
Here’s a Union story about it:
http://www.theunion.com/article/20090922/news/909219976
So who is the Trust, what’s their mission, who runs the Trust? Where would the purchase money go?
Looks like there might be more to this story…
The building is a replacement and has no historic value:
“Demolished in 1975, the building was a state historic landmark. The building that stands there now is a reproduction that has no real historic value, historian and former newspaper editor Bob Wyckoff said. “I do think it’s important as far as keeping the chamber going,” Wyckoff added.
It sounds like the nice woman’s money and a nice gift–I’m sure the Chamber et al is tickled…if its hinky it won’t take long to figure and GV can change their name to Vernon, maybe…still like the Montez’ roll tho…Kate
As stated, the building is a replacement. But it stands on the same lot as the original house. Lola’s legacy includes horsewhipping an editor:
http://sierrafoothillsreport.com/2009/11/09/when-lola-horsewhipped-an-editor-here/
Mandatory, “we could use more of that today” comment.
Is there no end to my esteem?;)
Kate
Here’s a good “Bob Wyckoff’ story in The Union (with some photos) of the buildings history and what took place in 1974:
http://www.theunion.com/article/20110428/FEATURES/110509969
The Union — or Bob Wycoff — seemed more interested in the building (and it’s predecessor’s) history than its present sale.