Once Upon a Time in Placerville No. 21: The Spencer House in Pleasant Valley

Good morning, Tina here. Here we go again dragging up old photos of old places to be nostalgic about.

This was the Spencer House (sometimes also known as the Pleasant Valley Hotel). It stood at the corner of Pleasant Valley Road (just before it becomes Sly Park Road) and Mount Aukum Road (also known as E16).

This place stood here all through my childhood, looking a little worse for wear as time went on, paint fading, porches falling, roof failing...  I remember always looking at it and walking around it, I don't think I ever went inside.

In a memory on facebook, one person who grew up nearby said he was afraid to trick-or-treat there because of the man who lived there. Can you imagine living in that dilapidated old place? There were probably only a couple of rooms that didn't leak and had complete floors.

In the he photo above, 1930, it looks like it might be livable still.

The hotel looks lonely sitting here in the 1960's. On the north side of Pleasant Valley Road there used to be a bar and a small store. I have more pictures that I am saving for a book someday.

This photo was taken in about the spot where the bar and store were.

The last two pictures are from 1972 as the old place was drawing its last breath. The workers who took it down found lots of old bottles, square nails, old coins and even some mail.

Now a Holiday Market (built as Hall's Market) sits in the same general area, a busy place in the neighborhood, with a little shopping center across the street. Lots of traffic in and out, a great deli for sandwiches, and a good wine selection. 

Life goes on.