Rotchev House
Description and history
The Rotchev House is located in Fort Ross State Historic Park, located on the Northern California coastline of Sonoma County. It is a single-story structure measuring about 36 by 48 feet (11 m × 15 m), built out of hand-squared redwood timbers joined by notches at the corners. It is covered by a steeply pitched hip roof fashioned out of split and hewn redwood, laid in planks as long as 23 feet (7.0 m) and as much as 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. The planking is chiseled in place to help channel water away from the gaps between planks further down the roof. The interior is divided into seven chambers and a larger hall.
Fort Ross was founded in 1812 by a team from the Russian-American Company under the leadership of Ivan Kuskov. The Rotchev House is one of the buildings constructed during the first year; other buildings included barracks, a chapel, and storehouses. The fort was sold in 1841 to John Sutter and was vacated by the Russian company in 1842. The house is named for the last Russian commander, Alexander Rotchev.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in California
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Sonoma County, California
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "NHL nomination for Commander's House, Fort Ross". National Park Service. Retrieved January 17, 2018.