Past Projects
A nonprofit organization, HistoriCorps, dedicated to preserving our country’s past by providing a work force of volunteers, returned to Bodie in early summer 2018 to continue work on Bodie’s historic Railroad Office. That year, crews completed the building foundation work and in 2019 moved to floor work and brick work on the outside
Bodie Foundation began raising funds for this project back in 2012. Our goal was to raise $150,000 and we reached that goal, and exceeded it, in a very short period of time.
The Railroad Office foundation work required resetting of brick and rock, grout work and stabilization of the floor. Photo By Brad Sturdivant
Molly Greenhouse, crew leader from HistoriCorps, works inside the Bodie Railway Office replacing original pieces of the oak flooring during 2019. Photo by Chris Spiller
Molly Greenhouse and Todd Woolf of HistoriCorps work to repair on the original oak flooring inside the Bodie Railway office in 2019. Photo by Chris Spiller
Bricks were replaced on the platform outside the Railway Office by HistoriCorps crew. Photo by Chris Spiller
Stabilization and Conservation Projects
A major priority for the Foundation is raising funds for the on-going buildings and structures stabilization programs, and conservation of artifacts.
Over 200 original structures, ranging in size from the large 20 stamp mill, to the single seat outhouse, and thousands of artifacts from freight wagons to square nails remain in Bodie today. In spite of work accomplished to date, many of the structures are in dire straits. Preserving sites, buildings and artifacts, and the history behind them, is the heart and soul of our work.
The Bodie Foundation has set a goal of raising $100,000.00 per year to assist with keeping Bodie for future generations.
The list below are some of the priority projects the Bodie Foundation is either currently helping fund, or hopes to help fund in the coming months and years.
Various Roofing Projects:
Donnelly House
Moyle House
DV Cain Residence
Cameron House
Mendocini House
Other Major Stabilization Projects include:
Railroad Office - Stabilization of the structure including foundation, walls, replacing roof and windows.
Lester Bell house – Stabilization of the entire structure. The garage at the back of the house is of special concern. The roof is in danger of collapse.
Cyanide Building (mill area) - Replace foundation, 8x8 floor beams are cracked and braced, windows and window casings need to be replaced, exterior siding on walls need to be replaced.
Cemeteries - Identifying unmarked grave locations and protection. Conservation of grave markers and enclosures. Control of soil erosion and vegetation encroachment.
Artifacts - Conservation (protection), includes identifying and cataloging, protection while on display or in storage, and in some cases restoration.
Following the December 2016 earthquakes, the Bodie Foundation provided funds to help California State Parks repair building damage, including brick work and chimney work. The Foundation also helped financially with repair of the park’s water system that was damaged in the series of strong earthquakes.
These funds enabled the Bodie maintenance crew to work on several projects in 2017. The first was repair of the J.S. Cain house’s chimney. The earthquakes rotated the chimney seven degrees and it came loose from its base. “A couple more big shakes and the chimney could have come down,” said Eric Draper, Park Maintenance Assistant.
Crew members, which included Eric, Maintenance Mechanic James Anthony and Skilled Laborer Paul Serna-Garcia, built a platform and clamped the chimney down with compression straps. They then put on an A-frame, lifted the chimney a couple of inches and put it back square. The final touch was new mortar. Photo By Paul Serna-Garcia, California State Parks
Another major project was the brick section of Wheaton-Luhrs store. The crew clamped the wall with metal bars which had threaded metal bolts screwed into plywood on the inside of the building. Workers wrenched the bolts down to re-align the brick and mortar. The crew then took the roof off on the south side and rebuilt the top end of the wall. Photo by Katie Ogle
Photo by Graham Payne, California State Parks
Also, in 2017, Sierra District sent a stabilization crew to Bodie to begin work on a new permanent water treatment plant and building stabilization. The Bodie Foundation provided an additional $15,000 to these efforts. Photo by Graham Payne, California State Parks
Photo by Brad Sturdivant
In 2018, Bodie Foundation funded workers from the non-profit HistoriCorps to repair the roof of the Standard Mining Company’s hoisting works building. Photo by Brad Sturdivant
The Bodie Stabilization Project
Projects completed since 2011
Moyle House – new roof, Repaired & sealed windows.
DV Cain Residence – new roof
Cameron House – porch & stairs
Lester Bell house – new porch & stairs, stabilized garage in back (The Swayback).
Reset the water tank near the Railroad office
Railroad Office – new roof, cleaning of interior, renailed ceiling in place.
Methodist Church – new roof, new steps
JS Cain Residence – Rebuild glass enclosure
Miller House – rebuild of chimney feel over in 2006 windstorm
Standard Mill – replace steps
Kirkwood – put ceilings back up, roof repair
Major – stabilized floor and made safe an exterior well
Replacing windows on various buildings