The Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission is delighted to announce that on January 14, 2025, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors designated The San Juan Ridge Tapestry Project to be a historical resource.
The Tapestry Project began in 2006, with the idea to use embroidery to tell the history of the San Juan Ridge in Nevada County. The Project was created by Ridge textile artist Marsha Stone, as a way to preserve Ridge history and engage the community in telling that history.
Over 10,000 hours of painstaking and exquisite stitchery by many hands, illustrate the Ridge’s past, and the vibrant life and community of the San Juan Ridge.
There are twelve tapestries, each telling a different story of life on the Ridge. They were designed to be displayed on all the walls of the North Columbia Schoolhouse – over 84 feet of hand stitched wall hangings.
Inspiration for the San Juan Ridge Tapestries came from the 1000 year old Bayeux Tapestry, commemorating the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when England was conquered by the Normans.
A film documentary on the Tapestry Project will premiere at this year’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival, on February 13th, in the historical Nevada Theatre. Called “A Radical Thread,” it tells the stories behind the tapestries.
This resource will be featured in the Commission’s interactive map and in the next edition of its book Exploring Nevada County, a guide to all the County’s historical landmarks. The book is available in electronic format for any smartphone or tablet from Apple or Amazon. Go to You Bet Press to find clickable links.
Prefer paper? There are still copies of the last edition available from Comstock Bonanza Press.
The purpose of the Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission is to promote the general welfare of Nevada County and its citizens through official recognition, recording, marking, preserving and promoting the historical resources of Nevada County. For more information, please call 530-264-0115.