By Sharon Marovich for the Union Democrat. Read this article on. When the Sonora Grammar School was completed in the fall of 1909, the elegant, white building graced with eight tall Tuscan columns and a silvery dome was an instant landmark. Ensconced on a hill three steep blocks above the heart of the Queen of … Read more
The 1907 committee to plan and construct the new elementary school building searched for an architect the tax payers could afford. They found an experienced young man who had just opened his own practice and was eager for commissions. Benjamin McDougall was forty two years old, born in San Francisco, and had spent several years … Read more
In 1882 the people of Sonora realized that their town was more than just a dusty mining town, and like any respectable metropolis they needed a public elementary school. So they acquired some land and buildings above the town on Barretta St. and opened the Sonora Public Elementary School. The number of children needing education … Read more
A detailed plan for the use of the more then twenty thousand square feet of space in the renovated Dome building, will be developed by our architect and structural engineer. A guiding principal for the development of this plan is that the building must be financially self sustaining as much as is possible. The museum, … Read more
by Teresa A. Mallard The site where now stands the Sonora Elementary School dates back long before my time. In the year 1882 I “started” school with Mrs. Adelaide A. Miller as my first teacher in the “little room” of the old red brick school. We learned our ABC’s in little straight back seats, and … Read more
In a time of major cultural change, recognition of achievement and preservation of historical landmarks is arguably more critical than ever. Our societal norms are in flux and the rate of change unprecedented. The ability of future generations to understand the past has been somewhat compromised by the undervaluation of history. But we still have … Read more
One characteristic of a thriving community is the presence of a thriving arts and culture community and veneration of the past. Enthusiasm for the arts, culture, and history is a metric of social vitality and economic growth, and a display of energy and abundance. The Historic Dome Preservation Group intends to acquire the building known … Read more
The Dome is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. both in it’s own right and as a contributing element of the a potential residential historic district of Sonora. The building is eligible for listing at the local level for its association with the economic and social development and growth of Sonora … Read more