From the signage out front: “Methodist Episcopal Church: The Cornerstone was laid in 1862, constructed on locally-fired brick, the church was completed in 1866.

Dedicated as “Ione City Centenary Church” and later popularly known as the “Cathedral of the Mother Lode,” the church was the first to serve the religious needs the people in the area.”

According to its Wikipedia page, the church contains 255,000 bricks.

The Church is a California Historical Landmark and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places.