Historic McElligott house
downtown Mariposa the mother of Cailfornia counties

The Davanay House-1860
The McElligott House-1890
Renovation commenced December 2002

The design of the structure is reminiscent of the original building located here in 1870. Hugh Davanay owned this house and lot in 1870 and it appears under his name on the 1872 map. In June, 1890, he sold it to Patrick McElligott. The “frame building” was not Davanay’s residence in 1870, but he had owned it since 1860. The structure was remodeled into his home in the 1870s. Davanay was a saloon keeper with two buildings on the east side of Charles Street. Maynard McElligott acquired this house from his father Pat. It is possible that Davanay purchased the house and lot from Wm. R. Knight who had a home here in 1861. 

Davanay was a successful miner here in 1862. The historic structure had a wrap around porch, a basement, and the stonework was done by Maynard McElligott in the 1920s. The basement was a sort of garage and storage area with a stone retaining wall under the house. There was a steep dirt driveway up to the basement room. 

Before 1852, the area where the house was built was owned by a Miwuk family possibly the Indian named Balty or the clan given title to Las Mariposas by John C. Fremont on a land patent. Located in the center of the gold mining town, it had access to a year round spring, which today is on the property of the historic Jones house next door to the east. The village region near this central spring was called No'kto and bordered the village Ka-su-mati.

The Historic District requires that an accounting be made of the historic elements of the property. The first house that was built in 1862 was remodeled over and over until the most recent version.  In the late 1980s the structure was destroyed by fire. Surface survey yielded square nails and other old building materials. The archaeological investigation is ongoing. Native American monitors will be present during excavation and filling.

Final permit review completed in September 2006, and contruction by the contractor commences. Projected completion date is the summer of 2007.