Lott Home designated as historical site

OROVILLE – The C.F. Lott Home has been honored with a designation as a historic site by the National Society of Colonial Dames XVII.

Oroville-resident Vicki Paxton is a member of the Sacramento-based Pricilla Alden Chapter of the society and was responsible for nominating the historic home and museum for the designation.

“One of the goals of the organization is to identify and mark historical sites, especially those from the colonial period,” said Paxton. “In California we don’t have any, except maybe some Spanish sites down south, because the period ended in 1783, but we do mark sites if we can justify their historical significance.”

The National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century is a nonprofit organization founded in 1915. Its members are women who are lineal descendants of ancestors who lived and served in one of the original Colonies prior to 1701. The society is based in Washington D.C., and is currently comprised of 48 state societies, which are further divided into chapters.

The Victorian revival style home was built in 1856 by Charles Fayette Lott, a gold-rush pioneer who helped form California’s government and started the first Citrus Exchange in California. The home is one of five city museums and boasts a collection of original furnishings as well as paintings, rugs, textiles, clothes, silver and glassware from the period of 1849 to 1910.

Paxton said she believed the “lovely old home and the Lott family” were historically consequential to the city so began the designation process in 2022 but really got to work in March 2023 after receiving permission from the Oroville City Council to nominate the site.

“The home really epitomizes the life style of well-to-do settlers of the late 1800s. They had fine furnishings, crystal, China and gave dinner parties,” Paxton said. “Judge Lott had property, cattle, the house, a successful law practice and was involved in ranching and agriculture. His wife Susan and his daughter, Cornelia, were also both active in community and in women’s organizations.”

With assistance from Lott Home docents and Heather McCafferty, Oroville cultural facilities curator, Paxton researched and photographed the home for the application packet. She presented the application to the Pricilla Alden Chapter president who approved it and sent it to the state chapter for review. Once the state chapter approved it the application was forwarded to the national chapter in Washington D.C. for the final seal of approval which was granted in June 2023.

“Being recognized by an organization that has a vigorous process of vetting and analyzing  the importance of a historical building is an honor,” said McCafferty. “It recognizes the Lott home and family as contributing to the wider story of America. Receiving this marker is significant because it reinforces what we already know about Lott home – that it’s important in terms of understanding our own local history.”

Suzanne Fichter, national chair of marking and preservation for NSCD XVII, said she processes about 20 historical designation applications a year. While the organization does focus on colonial sites, Fichter said that if a site “has significance and is important to the people who live in the area” that is taken into consideration.

“As of 2019 we had 750 historical sites designated throughout the states. We have well over 850 now,” said Fichter. “And, as of 2019 there were just 10 sites in California.”

With its designation as a historical site, the Lott Home joins other notable NSCD XVII California historical locations including the Hotel Coronado in San Diego, the Donaldina Cameron House in San Francisco and General George S. Patton’s headquarters in Chiriaco among others.

In the recent past, the Pricilla Alden Chapter has also garnered historical designation for a museum in Roseville and a church in Lincoln, said Paxton.

A bronze-cast plaque commemorating the Lott Home’s selection as a NSCD XVII historical site has been made and will be unveiled after installation during a special public ceremony at 11 a.m. March 22 at 1067 Montgomery St.

“Getting the historical designation seemed like it was worth doing,” said Paxton, who will be speaking at the ceremony. “I really love that old home.”