Cordelia in Solano County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Village of Cordelia Historic District

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, August 22, 2020

1. Village of Cordelia Historic District Marker

(click on photo to enlarge to better examine the inset photos)

Inscription. In 1988 the Village of Cordelia Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places with a period of significance of 1870 to 1939. The district extends along Cordelia Road from Interstate 680 to Pittman Road. It also includes Bridgeport Avenue south of the railroad tracks, which still has several classic Victorian-era homes. There were 39 properties in the historic district, including 23 single-family residences, 6 commercial or civic structures, 3 farmsteads, and 7 other buildings. Many of the structures no longer exist.

The report used to establish the historic district states: "Cordelia represents one of the best-preserved villages in California, illustrating in its plan and in its structures the basic character of village life in California in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries."

The path along Cordelia Road was constructed in 2010 by Solano County and the City of Fairfield to showcase the remaining bufldings and the history of Cordelia.

(first photo caption:)

The Cordelia Wine Company

At one time, Cordelia was the largest wine producer in the United States. The

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Cordelia Wine Company, established in 1867, was the first winery in Solano County. It shipped out its wine on its own railroad spur, as seen in the photo. Wine was also brought out of Cordelia on ships. At one time, ships were able to sail all the way up to the end of Cordelia Slough (on the north side of Interstate 80). Soil eroding from agricultural land in Suisun Valley and Green Valley eventually caused Cordelia's embarcadero to silt up and become unusable. Some of the original piles from the docks still remain in the Suisun Marsh. The Cordelia Wine Company closed in the 1920s due to prohibition. The wooden structures later burned down, but the stone wine cellar remains. Photo ca. 1880.

(second photo caption:)

A view looking west down Cordelia Road. The photo captures a portion of the town center and its proximity to the railroad. From left to right. The train depot, Cordelia Meat Market with Glashoffs Dance Hall on the second floor, the post office building which also housed the library and barber shop, and Siebe's General Store. Photo ca. 1900.

(third photo caption:)

Cordelia Railroad Tunnel

The only tunnel

Village of Cordelia Historic District Marker- wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, August 22, 2020

2. Village of Cordelia Historic District Marker- wide view

The marker is visible here, mounted to a low stone monument on the left.

in Solano County is located about a mile east of here. This railroad tunnel was built in 1868 as a part of the transcontinental rallroad and is still in use today. No explosives were used to create the tunnel; instead Chinese rail workers hand dug the tunnel with picks and shovels. Oil painting by Cordelian Daphne Wynne Nixon, 2005.

Erected 2010.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1988.

Location. 38° 12.737′ N, 122° 7.719′ W. Marker is in Cordelia, California, in Solano County. It is at the intersection of Cordelia Road and Pittman Road, on the right when traveling west on Cordelia Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fairfield CA 94534, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the San Francisco Bay Area,

in the Sacramento Valley,

and specifically in the Central Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

on the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

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and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Cordelia and the Fire (approx. ¼ mile away); Cordelia (approx. ¼ mile away); Cordelia: A Thriving Town (approx. ¼ mile away); Thompson's Corner Saloon - 1902 (approx. ¼ mile away); The Dunker House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Cordelia Begins (approx. half a mile away); Burial Site of Chief Solano (approx. 1½ miles away); Rockville Station (approx. 2.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cordelia.

Also see . . . Cordelia, California (Wikipedia). (Submitted on August 22, 2020.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 22, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 1,591 times since then and 162 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 22, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.