Escalle, Larkspur, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Escalle
|
|
|---|---|
 Escalle
Location in California
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Marin County |
| City | Larkspur |
Escalle is a historic area in Larkspur, California. It was named after Jean Escalle, a French immigrant from the 1800s. Jean Escalle was a vintner, meaning he made wine. Many places in the area, like the railway station, a vineyard, and a resort, were named after him. This was before the area became part of Larkspur.
Contents
The Story of Jean Escalle and Escalle
Starting a New Life in California
Jean Escalle came to Larkspur in 1881 from France. He joined his brother Pierre and a friend, Claude Callot. They worked together at a brickworks, a place where bricks are made. Claude Callot had been running the brickworks since 1874.
In 1881, Jean and Claude built a house, a barn, a water tank, and a winery. These buildings were on Claude's land, near Little King Mountain.
Building a Business and a Community
After Claude Callot passed away in 1888, Jean Escalle married Claude's widow, Ellen. Jean then started running an inn called the Limerick Inn. It opened in 1894, right next to the house.
At the inn, Jean sold wine made from grapes grown on his own land. His vineyard grew to about 23 acres. It produced a lot of wine, about 20,000 gallons each year! Jean even had a weekly wine delivery service.
A Popular Resort Destination
The Limerick Inn helped the Escalle area become a popular resort. It had a bocce ball court and beautiful gardens. People would travel there by train or horse-drawn buggy.
Jean Escalle also hosted a big party every year for Bastille Day. This is a national holiday in France, like the Fourth of July in the U.S. These celebrations became very popular. The local train station was even named Escalle because so many people visited the area.
The Escalle area was also near a unique community. People lived in floating homes called arks on the water. An old photo from 1892 shows people from these ark homes getting water from Escalle's water tank. It also shows the wine delivery driver, August Frizzi, getting ready to deliver wine.
Changes Over Time
In 1920, a time called Prohibition began in the United States. During Prohibition, it was against the law to sell alcohol. So, the Limerick Inn stopped selling wine.
Jean Escalle also passed away in 1920. His death led to some legal problems with his relatives in France. Because of this, his property was left in a difficult situation for about 20 years.
Finally, in 1941, a lawyer and investor named Adolph A. Tiscornia bought the Escalle property. Years later, in 1978, a new neighborhood called Escalle Village was built there.
Escalle Today
Many of the original buildings from Jean Escalle's estate are still standing today. Most of the other properties bought by Adolph Tiscornia were sold by his granddaughter, Mary.
The old winery building still looks much like it did. It has its original Italian-style front with "Escalle's" and "1888" on the top floor. The bottom floor is made of brick, and the top is wood. While some changes have been made to the back of the winery, its front still shows its history. A two-car garage was also added into the hillside.
The Limerick Inn was damaged by a landslide in 1982. Today, it's mostly an empty shell. However, it was made stable in 2003 and redecorated in 2008 for a special celebration.
