Freestone, California

Unincorporated community in California, United States

Place in California, United States

Freestone, California

The Freestone general store as of 2007.

Freestone, California

Location within the state of California

Coordinates: 38°22′21″N 122°54′56″W﻿ / ﻿38.37250°N 122.91556°W﻿ / 38.37250; -122.91556
Country| United States
State| California
County| Sonoma
Elevation

[1]

| 220 ft (67 m)
Time zone| UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)| UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code|

95472

Area code| 707
FIPS code| 06-25618
GNIS feature ID| 1658578

Freestone is an unincorporated community in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. A former stone and logging town, Freestone is the entryway to the Bohemian Highway. In 1974, Freestone became the first historic district named by Sonoma County. The downtown comprises a handful of historic buildings with a selection of local businesses, including a cheese shop, winery, bakery, and a day spa. Freestone has a population of 32.[2]

## History[edit]

Freestone is named after a sandstone quarry that was developed in the area around 1861.[3] The area once consisted of three ranchos: Rancho Cañada de Jonive, Rancho Estero Americano, and Rancho Cañada de Pogolimi. The area was split into three ranchos as the result of a dispute between three early settlers, James McIntosh, James Black, and James Dawson. The three men were allowed to settle on the land by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo in the 1830s, where they built a saw mill. Eventually the three men left the area.[3]

Jasper O'Farrell moved into the area in 1849, after exchanging Nicasio Rancho for Rancho Cañada de Jonive. He eventually purchased Rancho Estero Americano. A land surveyor, O'Farrell surveyed the surrounding area, which he called Analy Township. O'Farrell found success in the area, acquiring a total of 560 acres of land. He was elected to the California State Senate in 1859. Within a year he had to sell his land and in 1870 he moved back to San Francisco.[3]

North Pacific Coast Railroad train in Freestone, 1893

Freestone had a saloon by 1849, followed by a general store the next year. Freestone became a stop on a new stagecoach line in 1853. That same year, an inn was built as well as two blacksmith shops. The inn burned down in 1861. A depot for the North Pacific Coast Railroad was built in Freestone, with the train starting to stop in the village in September 1876. A second inn, the Hinds Hotel was built by the depot in August, just prior to the train stop opening. The railroad transported lumber and produce to and from San Francisco. In 1930, the railroad stopped operating due to the growing popularity of cars and trucks.[3]

The first school was built in Freestone by the 1880s, which was used for schooling until 1958. In 1881, the first church was built in Freestone, a Methodist church. That church was eventually destroyed and a second church was built in 1907, only to be demolished in the 1960s. The town had a post office by the 1880s. The end of the railroad service to Freestone is considered the end of "the era of development and prosperity" historically.[3]

In 1974, Freestone was deemed a historic district by the County of Sonoma, making it the first historic landmark designated by the County. The district comprises 30 properties, consisting mainly of residential and commercial buildings in the Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne architectural styles. The Hind's Hotel was designated Landmark #2 in the County that same year, followed by the now-demolished Morgan Williams Residence, and the remaining Freestone Schoolhouse and Freestone Country Store.[4]

## Economy[edit]

Historically, Freestone was first a lumber town, with a saw mill on the Salmon Creek. Eventually, a sandstone quarry was operated in the area. Railroad service eventually began, transporting lumber and produce to San Francisco. The railroad depot closed in 1930, halting economic growth in Freestone.[3] Today, the economy is primarily hospitality based.

### Tourism[edit]

Freestone comprises a handful of businesses, including a bakery, cheese store, general store, a gift shop, and the Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary.[2]

## References[edit]

1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Freestone
2. ^ a b "Historic Freestone". Sonoma County. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
3. ^ a b c d e f Freestone Historic District Survey and Design Guidelines Update. Garcia and Associates (GANDA). March 2012.
4. ^ "Historic Landmark Search". Permit and Resource Management Department. County of Sonoma. Retrieved March 23, 2018.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Freestone, California.

Places adjacent to Freestone, California

|  | Occidental | Graton

|
|

|  |
Bodega |

Freestone

| Sebastopol
|  |
| Valley Ford | Bloomfield

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Sonoma County, California, United States

County seat: Santa Rosa

Cities and towns|

* Cloverdale
* Cotati
* Healdsburg
* Petaluma
* Rohnert Park
* Santa Rosa
* Sebastopol
* Sonoma
* Windsor

Sonoma County map

CDPs|

* Bloomfield
* Bodega
* Bodega Bay
* Boyes Hot Springs
* Carmet
* Cazadero
* El Verano
* Eldridge
* Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente
* Forestville
* Fulton
* Geyserville
* Glen Ellen
* Graton
* Guerneville
* Jenner
* Kenwood
* Larkfield-Wikiup
* Monte Rio
* Occidental
* Penngrove
* Petaluma Center
* Roseland
* Salmon Creek
* Sea Ranch
* Sereno del Mar
* Sonoma State University
* Temelec
* Timber Cove
* Valley Ford

Unincorporated
communities|

* Annapolis
* Asti
* Camp Meeker
* Duncans Mills
* Fort Ross
* Freestone
* Guernewood Park
* Hacienda
* Kellogg
* Korbel
* Lakeville
* Lytton
* Mark West
* Mark West Springs
* Preston
* Rio Nido
* Schellville
* Stewarts Point
* Two Rock
* Venado
* Villa Grande
* Vineburg

Indian reservations|

* Dry Creek Rancheria
* Graton Rancheria
* Stewarts Point Rancheria

* California portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

San Francisco Bay Area

Bodies of water|

* Bodega Bay
* Carquinez Strait
* Clifton Forebay
* Golden Gate
* Grizzly Bay
* Guadalupe River
* Half Moon Bay
* Lake Berryessa
* Napa River
* Oakland Estuary
* Petaluma River
* Richardson Bay
* Richmond Inner Harbor
* Russian River
* Sacramento River
* San Francisco Bay
* San Leandro Bay
* San Pablo Bay
* Sonoma Creek
* Suisun Bay
* Tomales Bay

Counties|

* Alameda
* Contra Costa
* Marin
* Napa
* San Francisco
* San Mateo
* Santa Clara
* Solano
* Sonoma

Major cities|

* San Francisco
* San Jose
* Oakland

Cities and towns
100k–250k|

* Antioch
* Berkeley
* Concord
* Daly City
* Fairfield
* Fremont
* Hayward
* Richmond
* San Mateo
* Santa Clara
* Santa Rosa
* Sunnyvale
* Vacaville
* Vallejo

Cities and towns
50k–99k|

* Alameda
* Brentwood
* Castro Valley
* Cupertino
* Dublin
* Gilroy
* Livermore
* Milpitas
* Mountain View
* Napa
* Novato
* Palo Alto
* Petaluma
* Pittsburg
* Pleasanton
* Redwood City
* San Leandro
* San Rafael
* San Ramon
* South San Francisco
* Union City
* Walnut Creek

Cities and towns
25k–50k|

* Belmont
* Benicia
* Burlingame
* Campbell
* Danville
* East Palo Alto
* Foster City
* Hercules
* Lafayette
* Los Altos
* Los Gatos
* Martinez
* Menlo Park
* Morgan Hill
* Newark
* Oakley
* Pacifica
* Pleasant Hill
* Rohnert Park
* San Bruno
* San Carlos
* San Lorenzo
* San Pablo
* Saratoga
* Suisun City
* Windsor

Cities and towns
10k–25k|

* Alamo
* Albany
* American Canyon
* Ashland
* Bay Point
* Cherryland
* Clayton
* Discovery Bay
* Dixon
* El Cerrito
* El Sobrante
* Emeryville
* Fairview
* Half Moon Bay
* Healdsburg
* Hillsborough
* Larkspur
* Millbrae
* Mill Valley
* Moraga
* North Fair Oaks
* Orinda
* Piedmont
* Pinole
* San Anselmo
* Sonoma
* Stanford
* Tamalpais-Homestead Valley

Sub-regions|

* East Bay
* North Bay
* San Francisco Peninsula
* Santa Clara Valley

Other|

* Homelessness
* Politics
* Sports
* Transportation

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template