I. Project Summary
II. Project Scope
III. Project significance and context
IV. Project budget estimates
V. Matching Fund Statement (not included)
VI. Maps (not included)
VII. Adherence to Secretary's Standards (not included)
I. Project Summary
The Georgetown Divide Recreation District (GDRD), established in 1988 by voters of the district within El Dorado County, is the owner of the historic Bayley House at Pilot Hill. Built in 1861 by A. J. Bayley, an early California pioneer, the building now stands as a crumbling reminder of county history. It is the desire of the GDRD and the local community to preserve and rehabilitate the Bayley House as an area museum and cultural center.
The Bayley House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The building stands three stories, with 22 rooms, and a grand ballroom on its second level. A wonderful reminder of California's gold rush days, the Bayley House is a well-known landmark along scenic Highway 49 and is located just seven miles north of Marshall Gold Discovery Park at Coloma, where gold was first discovered.
Today, the Bayley House is more or less a shell of what it used to be. The building has lost a lot of brick on its north side and over the years water has made its way into the walls. If measures are not taken soon to stabilize and weatherproof the Bayley House, the structure will most likely not last more than a few more winter seasons. The Bayley House restoration project plan is organized into three phases: structure stabilization and weatherproofing; interior and exterior restoration; and the establishment of a local history museum and cultural center.
The purpose of this grant request is to secure funding for Phase One of the Bayley House restoration project. It is critical to the GDRD to begin needed stabilization work as soon as possible to insure that the Bayley House will be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations. The total cost to complete Phase One is estimated at $500,000 and will take 18 months to complete. The GDRD and local supporters are dedicated to overseeing the project's success. The project is supported by the community as a whole and is listed as a priority objective in both the Georgetown Divide Community Plan and the El Dorado County General Plan.
Scope of Work
The Georgetown Divide Recreation District (GDRD) requests $250,000 from the California Heritage Grant Program in order to stabilize and weatherproof Bayley House. It is the desire of the GDRD and local community supporters to preserve the historic structure, located at Pilot Hill in El Dorado County, as an area museum and cultural center. This request is to fund Phase One of three phases that will complete the restoration of the Bayley House to its original condition and open it up to public use. Total project cost of Phase One is estimated at $450,000 and will take 18 months to complete.
Supporters of the Bayley House restoration hold the following project goals:
To preserve and restore an historically significant structure for the benefit of the community and area visitors of today and of future generations.
To educate residents and visitors on local history by using the structure and site as a museum and cultural center.
To enhance the community aesthetically and economically by investing in a structure that reflects area history and provides opportunities to increase local tourism.
To strengthen the connection to neighboring communities by adding to the many historical sites that stretch along the scenic and well-traveled Highway 49.
The Georgetown Divide community recognizes that the restoration of the Bayley House is a worthwhile endeavor. The Georgetown Divide Community Plan listed refurbishment of the structure as its number one objective in their five year plan . Likewise, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors has earmarked substantial funds for the purpose of matching any grants secured for rehabilitating the site for public use. Not only does the Bayley House add to the local historical color along this important stretch of California's gold rush past, but many members of the local community also hold fond early memories of the house as a site for weddings and town events. The beautiful mansion served as an elegant cornerstone for town life for nearly 120 of its 140 years. It was not until the 1970's that the Bayley House was subject to neglect. By this time the building had changed hands many times and was in need of significant repairs. Unfortunately only patchwork attention was given to the building, and the historic mansion was all but abandoned by the late 1970's. It was then that El Dorado County came into possession of the Bayley House, had it listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and then later sold it to the GDRD for $1. It then became the mission of GDRD to restore the building to its original splendor. The GDRD has maintained the 10-acre park grounds (which include an historic cemetery) and also completed a restoration of the Oak Valley Barn (circa 1851, see Project significance and context, page 8) in 1994. The barn is now used regularly for community events. Completion of this project will enhance an already established recreational site and add to the experience of the 500,000 travelers that pass through Pilot Hill on their way to visit the Marshall Gold Discovery State Park at Coloma just seven miles south of the Bayley House site.
Efforts to restore the Bayley House to its original condition has been on-going, but has now reached a critical state. Severe winter weather along the Georgetown Divide is deteriorating the structure at a rapid rate. Civil and structural engineers estimate the damage as severe and do not expect the building to last more than a couple more seasons unless the building is stabilized and weatherproofed. The structure has lost a lot of brick on its north side and all walls need to be reinforced with brace frame footings in accordance to seismic safety regulations. Project costs are estimated at $450,000 and will take 18 months to complete (see budget, page 11).
A grant from the California Heritage Fund Grant Program, with matching funds from El Dorado County, will support this initial work to save the Bayley House. The GDRD has organized the project into three phases. Brief descriptions of each phase are as follows:
Phase One: Stabilization and weatherproofing (the purpose of this grant request.) Protecting the Bayley House from further decay or possible collapse because of wind, rain, and neglect is a most immediate concern. All work will be done in accordance to Secretary's Standards. (see Adherence to Secretary's Standards, page 14).
Phase Two: Exterior and interior preservation and restoration. Once the structure has been stabilized, project supporters will confer with engineers and architects specialized in historic preservation, to complete a restoration plan as true to the original Bayley House as possible. The GDRD has many photographs, detailed sketches, and personal accounts from which to draw accurate plans. Phase 2 will carefully follow the Secretary's Standards and cost is estimated at $3.5 million and will take approximately five years to complete. Funds will be generated through local and county support and grants.
Phase Three: Establishment of a community cultural center and museum. Once the Bayley House has been fully restored, the project committee will work with the California Historical Society, area museums, artists, and recreation districts, to create an educational facility open to public use. Exhibits will include Bayley House, Pilot Hill, and gold rush history, as well as information on the California grange movement. (see Project Significance and Context, page 8.) Phase Three will be ongoing and is estimated to cost $800,000 to intiate. Funds and support will be generated through local and county support and through additional grant funding.
Phase One specifics:
The GDRD will complete the Phase One work by implementing the following steps:
1. GDRD will hire a project director to oversee all elements of Phase One. Project Director will select engineering and architectural consultants through a competitive bid process, perform regular site visits to monitor project progress, regularly report on status to public, project supporters, and El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, and manage project schedule and budget. The GDRD will be responsible for selecting a project director, although the project director will work independently of other GDRD activities. The GDRD already has a potential candidate in mind. Patrick Lehy, a resident of Cool, has over 16 years experience in construction and served on the GDRD Board in 1989-1994. Lehy successfully led the Oak Valley Barn restoration efforts in 1994 and has the support of the Georgetown Divide community. The project director position will be part-time for 18 months, and will be extended at the beginning of Phase Two work.
2. GDRD will hire an administrative assistant to manage secretarial, accounting, and grant reporting work for project director. Administrative assistant will be a part-time position, for duration of project.
3. Project Director will consult with civil and structural engineers upon Phase One start date to establish a final project schedule and budget. Project Director to use existing engineering estimates as basis for decision. All plans will be reported to GDRD, public, and county supervisors.
4. Project Director will select construction team through a competitive bid process. Once the construction team begins work on the Bayley House, they will report regularly on progress. Construction work is estimated to take twelve months to complete.
5. Project team to perform other duties, including: organizing public relations and media campaigns to generate on-going support for Bayley House restoration efforts, recruiting and managing volunteer efforts, and finding other sources of funding to complete later project phases.
The GDRD and local supporters are committed to the success of this restoration project and look forward to the day that the Bayley House can again be accessible to the public. El Dorado County has a rich history that includes many wonderful relics from California's early days. The Georgetown Divide, the scenic stretch of highway 49 that is the county's most rural area, has in the past been overlooked for community enhancement support, losing out to other projects located in more populous areas such as Placerville and other towns along the interstate 50 corridor. However, the Bayley House is a well-recognized county treasure that shares the support of this entire region. By investing now in Phase One's critical stabilization work, it will only be a matter of time before the Bayley House is again a working local treasure. However, it is only short years that this window of opportunity is open before weather and neglect ends the 140 year Bayley House legacy.
III. Project significance and context:
The Bayley House
The Bayley House is a well-known landmark in El Dorado county. The house was originally built in 1861 by A. J. Bayley, a reported attorney and entrepreneur who arrived in Coloma with California's first gold seekers. In 1851, Bayley constructed and operated the Oak Valley House, a combination hotel, restaurant, and saloon on 640 acres where the Bayley House now stands. However, in 1861, the Oak Valley House burned down and in its place the Bayley House was built as a replacement, but on a much grander scale. The Oak Valley House Barn (built 1851 and recently renovated in 1994) is used today for community events.
The Bayley House was once a lavish hotel with 22 rooms, a grand ballroom, and six fireplaces. It was built using over 300,000 bricks that were manufactured on site. The southern-plantation style home, featured an interior of rosewood and mahogany imported from England. Massive exterior marble columns extended up to a second-floor balcony.
For over thirty years, A. J. Bayley entertained guests at his showcase residence, including the four railroad barons hoping to persuade them to divert at least one of the railroad lines through Pilot Hill. John Fremont, Brevit Captain of the U. S. Topographical Engineers, had come down through the Divide after crossing the Sierra Nevada in February 1844 and had noted the trail as an approved route for future train and freight haulers. Unfortunately for Bayley, plans for the railroad never materialized (the route was divered 10 miles north at Auburn), and many dubbed the mansion as "Bayley's folly." After losing another resort at Lake Tahoe in 1895 to a fire, Bayley was in financial ruin. He and his wife lived in the Bayley House until his death in 1896; his wife died six months later.
California Grange
The Bayley House site was also the location of California's first grange meetings. A. J. Bayley helped to organize the first Grange in California in 1870, a farmers' association which met at the large barn on the estate (now listed with a State historical marker.) A year later, Bayley was elected to the California State Assembly in 1871. Pilot Hill Grange was a 24' x 50' hall, first grange on the Pacific Coast, and was furnished in a style second to none. The building is now located in Cool, California.
Pilot Hill History
Pilot Hill was established in 1849 as a mining camp, but was then known as Centerville. The town became known as Pilot Hill after the Post Office was established in 1954. "Pilot" is used to signify the many pilot fires that were lit above the ravine to safely lead wagons up from the valley. John Fremont and his men were possibly the first white men to set foot in the area. Fremont noted Pilot Hill in his survey on February 27, 1844, listing it as an approved route for future train line.
IV. Budget
