201 Waterman Rd - Preston School of Industry

The Preston School of Industry is located on the northern edge of the City of Ione, Amador County, California near the Sierra Nevada foothills and historic gold country. The approximately 80-acre site is bound by Waterman Road to the east, California State Road 104 to the south, and property lines to the north and west that are not accessible to the general public. The former juvenile correctional facility campus is comprised of 87 buildings and structures, with features related to administrative, agricultural, educational, recreational, and residential uses. The buildings and environment are archetypal of the architectural philosophies typical of youth education, reform, and correctional practices established between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. The variety of architectural styles and informal layout of Preston School of Industry’s buildings and grounds is a more village like appearance of the cottage plan and open campus systems of youth reform institutions. The character-defining features of the property include: • Masonry and wood-frame buildings constructed in some cases by cadets of Preston School of Industry • Stone retaining walls throughout the grounds • Terracing and landscaping developed by cadets • Romanesque Revival, Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival, and Modern architecture • Opened landscaped areas, primarily north of the campus area • Winding walkways and pathways connecting buildings and circulating throughout campus area The Preston School of Industry functioned as a self-contained community and included a farm that was at one time nearly 1,000 acres. The attached brochure provides additional details.