George Leger first operated the hotel - originally a wood-framed tent that sat on the corner of Main and Lafayette streets. In 1851, records have shown that the hotel - then called the Hotel de France - initially catered to a large French population that had settled into Moke Hill during the Gold Rush. The present hotel is actually three separate buildings, one of which served as the Calaveras County Courthouse from 1855 to 1866. That stone building is the only portion of the three-building structure that survived three devastating fires that razed most of the town in 1854, 1865 and 1874. Inside the old courthouse structure was also the county jail.
"Any book about the gold rush that doesn’t mention Mok Hill is a poor history indeed. It was the largest, it was the richest, it was the wildest, and it was the first between the rivers."— O Henry Mace, Between the Rivers
George Leger (right)
The Hotel Leger is owned by Ashley Canty, who is also an interior designer: www.InteriorSolutions2.com
Hotel Impossible at the Leger!Anthony travels to the Hotel Leger in California to try to save one of the most historic hotels in the state. With help from the entire town, can Anthony pull off the biggest transformation in his career and save this landmark? See more here.