To Our Friends of The North Star House

The North Star family and our community are currently sharing a rough patch of history with the coronavirus slowing down our active lives. The 115 year old North Star House has survived many tragedies from World Wars, to economic recessions, to pandemics. Please be assured that NSHC will continue to preserve The House as a beacon of hope for better times.  Although the facilities are closed for the time being due to the governor’s orders, we are not neglecting our responsibilities to our treasured house.

While we look forward to resuming event activities at The House, the NSHC Board and Volunteers continue working from our homes … planning our Speaker presentations, enhancing our website, and putting out the March 2020 Newsletter. When government regulations and general health concerns permit, we will launch a new Open House program, with the North Star House staffed by history docents on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, alternating weeks, during the summer. We are also putting the finishing touches on our new Private Group Tour program. Look for information about that soon on our website.

The Heritage Garden crew is maintaining the garden and has it spruced up for Spring. We are disappointed that the Soroptimist Garden Tour had to be cancelled for 2020, but we will be on their tour May 22-23, 2021. Construction work has slowed but not stopped. (Did you know that some of our woodworking magic is done in the home workshops of volunteers, who bring their beautiful finished work back to The House for installation?)

The first presentation of our 2020 North Star Speaker Series — Chris Enss talking about Woman Suffrage — was very entertaining and informative.  We have three more talks scheduled this year. If necessary, one or more of them will be rescheduled to later in the year.

• May 3 August 23: “North Star Mine Powerhouse: A Legacy of Arthur De Wint Foote”, presented by Jeffrey Boylan and Gary Smith of the North Star Mining Museum.
• July 12: “Nisenan Homelands: Then and Now”, by Shelly Covert, spokesperson for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.
• October 4: “James Hague: The Man Behind the North Star”, by local author and historian Gage McKinney.

We wish you all the best, and hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. You can still make reservations for future events by calling the office. Keep in touch by visiting the website or Facebook. We look forward to reopening the North Star House and welcoming you back.

Board of Directors
North Star Historic Conservancy

The vision of transforming the North Star House into a cultural event center and museum open to the community is now a reality. The North Star Historic Conservancy is pleased to announce that the North Star House is now open to the public every Tuesday and Thursday from 10am – 1 pm, and every Saturday, May through September, 9am until noon.

Come view this iconic landmark with your friends, family, or business associates.

During the “open house” hours, history docents will be on hand to give informal tours and answer questions about the North Star House, its nationally known architect, Julia Morgan, and its first inhabitants, mining engineer, Arthur DeWint Foote and author and artist, Mary Hallock Foote.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays the construction crew will also be available to explain the renovation plans and process.

The North Star House served as the social headquarters of the North Star Mine, and was where the public and investors were invited to meet and greet. This special example of California Craftsman Style architecture is on the National and the California State Historic Buildings Registers.

Visitors are welcome to sign the Guest Book and to learn about becoming a Volunteer. Students of all ages are welcome!